New approaches to language learning could be greatly influenced by Web 2.0. The rise of social media, which enables L2 students to take an active role in a learner community, creates new opportunities and challenges for language teaching.
Since the start of the 20th century, technology has played a part in language learning. It was innovative at the time to be able to expose language learners to the real world through recorded media (radio, cinema, tape), but it was also a challenge to those teachers who considered their job as information suppliers (Cuban, 1986). Podcasts and video-sharing websites have increased the number of resources available to language learners today, but they have also the ability to alter how schools operate. In the past, students had to rely on their teachers to provide them with educational resources, but today they can access these materials on their own. By reading and commenting on a blog of their choice, watching their own L2 videos on a video-sharing website, or listening to their favorite podcast, L2 learners can fully immerse themselves in the target language (Alm, 2007b, 2007c). The "architecture of participation" that Web 2.0 defines (O'Reilly, 2005, Akamai vs. BitTorrent, para. 3) enables L2 learners to, in theory, contribute to and join a learning community that they themselves help to create. Web 2.0 has the ability to revolutionize current learning practices, the roles of teachers and students, and give language learners more participation options in the learning process. This chapter explores how these changes in L2 language classrooms can result from the use of Web 2.0.
A chance to review current educational procedures always exists when new technology are introduced. New research goals may result from the technology itself, which may also inspire new methods of instruction and learning. The three basic educational theories—behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism—could also be applied to the setting of language learning, according to research by Warschauer (2000). Computer programs have helped language learning strategies more and more during the past 30 years. But the introduction of the Internet has altered how technology is used in education. The widespread use of the Internet by the general populace and its suitability for communication have an impact on educational needs and influence educational methods. It's no longer only a matter of using e-mail and the Internet to assist teach English, as I stated in my first book five years ago, but also of teaching English to help people learn to write and utilize the Internet, as Warschauer (2000) observed (New Contexts, para. 3).
George Siemens may be its most ardent supporter. The impact of technology on education is becoming more widely acknowledged. Technology has an unparalleled impact on our lives, how we interact with others, and how we learn, according to Siemens (2004). Siemens contends that conventional learning theories are no longer relevant since "technology is modifying (rewiring) our brains" (Introduction, para. 4). Incorporating "principles examined by chaos, network, complexity, and self-organization theories" is how he formulates his own connectivism theory (Connectivism, para. 24).
While Levy (2007) calls for continuity, Siemens urges a shift from traditional learning strategies. When researching emergent CALL, he contends that existing theoretical, pedagogical, and curriculum frameworks should be taken into account. "It is crucial to make links with existing CALL practice using prior research studies associated with the language skills or areas, and relevant theories of learning and acquisition," he writes (p. 188).
A key component of effective L2 learning is learner autonomy, and Web 2.0 facilitates the development of environments that encourage this type of learning. Research in this area may draw from well-established theoretical frameworks in second language acquisition (Holec, 1981; Benson, 2001) or may draw inspiration from related fields, such as activity theory (Blin, 2004) or self-determination theory (Alm, 2007a), in order to provide fresh perspectives on L2 teaching and learning.
Since the start of the 20th century, technology has played a part in language learning. It was innovative at the time to be able to expose language learners to the real world through recorded media (radio, cinema, tape), but it was also a challenge to those teachers who considered their job as information suppliers (Cuban, 1986). Podcasts and video-sharing websites have increased the number of resources available to language learners today, but they have also the ability to alter how schools operate. In the past, students had to rely on their teachers to provide them with educational resources, but today they can access these materials on their own. By reading and commenting on a blog of their choice, watching their own L2 videos on a video-sharing website, or listening to their favorite podcast, L2 learners can fully immerse themselves in the target language (Alm, 2007b, 2007c). The "architecture of participation" that Web 2.0 defines (O'Reilly, 2005, Akamai vs. BitTorrent, para. 3) enables L2 learners to, in theory, contribute to and join a learning community that they themselves help to create. Web 2.0 has the ability to revolutionize current learning practices, the roles of teachers and students, and give language learners more participation options in the learning process. This chapter explores how these changes in L2 language classrooms can result from the use of Web 2.0.
A chance to review current educational procedures always exists when new technology are introduced. New research goals may result from the technology itself, which may also inspire new methods of instruction and learning. The three basic educational theories—behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism—could also be applied to the setting of language learning, according to research by Warschauer (2000). Computer programs have helped language learning strategies more and more during the past 30 years. But the introduction of the Internet has altered how technology is used in education. The widespread use of the Internet by the general populace and its suitability for communication have an impact on educational needs and influence educational methods. It's no longer only a matter of using e-mail and the Internet to assist teach English, as I stated in my first book five years ago, but also of teaching English to help people learn to write and utilize the Internet, as Warschauer (2000) observed (New Contexts, para. 3).
George Siemens may be its most ardent supporter. The impact of technology on education is becoming more widely acknowledged. Technology has an unparalleled impact on our lives, how we interact with others, and how we learn, according to Siemens (2004). Siemens contends that conventional learning theories are no longer relevant since "technology is modifying (rewiring) our brains" (Introduction, para. 4). Incorporating "principles examined by chaos, network, complexity, and self-organization theories" is how he formulates his own connectivism theory (Connectivism, para. 24).
While Levy (2007) calls for continuity, Siemens urges a shift from traditional learning strategies. When researching emergent CALL, he contends that existing theoretical, pedagogical, and curriculum frameworks should be taken into account. "It is crucial to make links with existing CALL practice using prior research studies associated with the language skills or areas, and relevant theories of learning and acquisition," he writes (p. 188).
A key component of effective L2 learning is learner autonomy, and Web 2.0 facilitates the development of environments that encourage this type of learning. Research in this area may draw from well-established theoretical frameworks in second language acquisition (Holec, 1981; Benson, 2001) or may draw inspiration from related fields, such as activity theory (Blin, 2004) or self-determination theory (Alm, 2007a), in order to provide fresh perspectives on L2 teaching and learning.
