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Language technologies and the FL teacher.

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Abstract

This paper examines the changes that have taken place in the past decades of the role of the FL (Foreign Language) teacher in view of the developments in language technologies. There has been much time and space devoted to the role of the student with regards to new technologies in a language learning environment, however, comparatively little has been written about the role of the teacher in such models. Professional development in the form of technology training courses need to be offered to the FL teacher in order to facilitate their changing role in view of new language technologies. We must first look at the role of the teacher in the language classroom where such technologies are to be employed as an integral pedagogic tool. This paper is the first in a series of an ongoing study of teacher/learner attitudes to and perceptions of language technologies at Da Yeh University, Taiwan.

Introductions: The Benefits and Challenges of Language Technologies

Language technologies (e.g. CALL--Computer Assisted Language Learning) have been utilized as a pedagogical tool for language teachers since the 1980's. However, since the 1990's the nature of such technologies has changed dramatically, especially with the integration of the World Wide Web and the Internet into the language classroom. Since that time, language teachers have been placed in a new position in relation to teaching methodologies and technologies. As Laurent Gousie writes, 'No longer were we swept by a wave of methodology; we were swamped by a tidal wave of computer assisted technologies' (1998, p. 2). Suddenly, we had access to a literal world of ideas, but we had no real idea what to do with them or how to employ them effectively into our lessons. The problem was not the arrival of this new 'wave' of technology, but rather, how do we as teachers process and evaluate its effective use for the FL (Foreign Language) classroom. As Langan writes, 'The good news is that we have more information at our fingertips than ever before. The bad news is that we have to figure out what to do with it all' (1995, p. 5).

The Changing Role of the FL Teacher

The role of the language teacher has changed and will undoubtedly experience further development as technology becomes a more integral and permanent feature in the FL classroom. As Meena Singhal writes, citing Jensen, 'without a doubt we are in the center of a "monumental paradigm shift, one which will change the way that all instructors teach and the way that students learn'" (1997, p. 6). In a teaching environment that utilizes computers and the...

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