Technology as a Tool in Learning a New Language

Technology has proven to be a necessary tool when it comes to the management, creation, advancement and exchange of goods and services around the world. It is effective and reliable, and many educational institutions are beginning to use this resource to enrich their foreign language departments and teaching programs. By using up to date technology teachers will be able to relate and connect with their students on a more personal level and exchange lessons that are more relatable by the younger generations. Students, whoa are accustomed to using gadgets and different forms of information systems will also relate to the curriculum easier and more effectively.

One of the most attractive features of using technology to teach a foreign language is the visual and real time materials professors will be able to bring to their classrooms. By using the internet, telephones, real live images, social media outlets and many other platforms, educators can bring their lessons to life and help maintain a learning curve that is appropriate for all level students. Using these technology aids will also help students connect with distance native speakers, which can further their reading and writing skills, as well as develop a deeper connection to the language. While participating in these online interactions students can get a better understanding of cross cultural differences between their native country and the target language they are learning.

Some simple methods that teachers can incorporate technology in their curriculums would be to increase communication assignments of student with their counterparts of that foreign language. Communicating with other students via chat, e-mail, real time chats and video conferencing can prove to be beneficial in supplementing the skills thats have already been learned in class that day. Although these methods can increase the learning curve, institutions have to be careful and closely monitor the sites for safety regulations. One advanced telecommunication program that has proven to be successful in teaching a foreign language is De Orilla A Orilla or “From Shore to Shore.” It is an international teacher project where groups of students are set in classrooms in different countries, where they are expected to interact with one another via mail and other forms of communication. This is meant to increase language proficiency and help students develop a deeper understanding of each other’s cultures.

The development of technology- based teaching programs such as Global TELEclass Project, Minitel, CompuServe and many others highlights the need of integrating technology in our daily curriculums when teaching a second language. In order for these projects to work, teachers and institutions need to have the available resources to host and deliver these programs as best as they can to their students. Technology is becoming the closest thing we have to a universal language, which makes its development and integration in classrooms very important. It is a tool that can help bring students and classroom communities even closer to their counterparts around the world.