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The Use of Emerging Technologies in Teaching English as an Applied Language

Today’s digital age and its emerging technologies, with the latest achievements of artificial intelligence and big data processing, have unprecedently affected education processes and pedagogy, including the strategies and approaches related to foreign language (FL) teaching and learning. Present day graduates belong to Generation Z, who are known for being digitally literate, technologically savvy, and having grown up with digital tools. In addition, they are going to be soon followed by Generation Alpha, whose members are characterized as permanently connected and who are able to make their own decisions based on the use of technologies and also being able to manage their digital identities or visuals. Thus, the present day foreign language education should be technology-based since technology has become an integral part of the life of the current generation, and also, today’s language learning environment which is no longer solely constricted to the traditional or formal school learning environment. In this respect, foreign language teachers face a serious challenge in integrating different kinds of technologies into their teaching realities as they have to satisfy the learning needs of the two generations. However, in order to keep up with their digitally informed students and engage them in learning a foreign language, they must use recent technologies, such as chatbots or virtual reality. They also have to evaluate which of these technologies could generate some impact in their classes, analyze their potential, and utilize all of the benefits they bring. Moreover, they ought to assess the potential risks these technologies could pose.

In addition, the teachers must always consider the added value of the selected tools for the students’ learning and their learning outcomes, which is not an easy task as the research into the practical utilizations of digital technologies with clear pedagogical outcomes is, surprisingly, scarce. It must not be forgotten that FL teachers should also promote not only the students’ knowledge acquisition in various learning contexts, but they should also enhance the skills that appear to be crucial for the 21st century, such as critical thinking, creativity, communication, or collaboration skills. Moreover, to be able to motivate their students to use these technologies in FL learning, they themselves must have a positive attitude to their use in FL classrooms, as well as possess the relevant subject, technological, and pedagogical knowledge.

(Available on: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-8954/11/1/42. Adapted.)