Technology is having a growing impact on language learning worldwide. The landscape of language teaching and language learning has transformed so rapidly that the formal classroom does not serve as the primary learning site anymore. Mohammad Reza Ahmadi (2018) argued that electronic teaching programs appeal greatly to language instructors due to their contribution to enhancing students’ active engagement with teachers and maximizing positive language learning outcomes. The use of technology has become an important part of the learning process in and out of class and is viewed as the core requirement in schools.
Modern technology includes but is not limited to language labs, computerization, multimedia devices, mobile phones, audio/visual effects applications, EdTech solutions, and social media which can facilitate faster and more comprehensive language progression. For example, the application of multimedia content in class could integrate print texts, video, learning games, and the internet to familiarize students with language vocabulary and structure.
How technology-driven language teaching supports teachers (Richards, 2015)?
1. Create a better learning environment
In a technology-driven learning environment, flexible classroom spaces where connected devices, audiovisual tools, and purposeful furniture are integrated facilitate positive engagement of students and the mix of independent, small-group, and whole-class learning that is now viewed as essential to student success (EdTech staff, 2018).
2. Increase the possibility of a much wider range of strategies in teaching
Compared with traditional teaching methods that could make students passive and bored, current language teaching strategies primarily utilize multimedia, social media, various available resources, and educational games giving students opportunities to meaningfully increase their exposure to language and thus make their own knowledge.
3. Connect the classroom with the real world
Technology in the classroom such as videos, images, and software solutions empower teachers to incorporate the larger real world into the classroom. Turning the theories into practical experiences motivates students to practice and be deeply immersed in language learning.
In science, a catalyst would be a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction; however, the definition when discussing language would be "someone or something spurring an event or action".
