The Employment of Digital Tools in 21st Century Foreign Language Education

 

The Employment of Digital Tools in 21^st Century Foreign Language Education

 

Carla Mattioli

Department of Education, CAECE University

Paula A. Britez Gudziak

Department of Education, CAECE University

English for Specific Purposes

Lic. Verónica L. Pintos and Lic. Melina B. Barbero

June 13, 2021

 

 

Abstract

This research project will be a study on the impact of various kinds of digital technologies on the motivation of a class of five teenagers who are studying English as a foreign language in a private-run language academy in Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires, Argentina. As for the research design, a longitudinal investigation will be conducted to measure the evolution of these pupils’ motivation throughout the learning process. Regarding data collection, surveys and observations will be used to register the students’ contributions as indicators of motivation as well as the teacher’s interventions and unexpected problems during the lessons. Finally, the integration of digital technologies in the teaching and learning of English as a foreign language is expected to have a highly positive effect on teenagers’ motivation.

Keywords: teenagers, digital technologies, motivation, English classes, foreign language

 

 

       Outline: Mattioli, C., & Britez Gudziak, P. A. (2021). The employment of digital tools in 21^st century foreign language education [Manuscript in preparation]. Department of Education, CAECE University.

●        Purpose: To justify the research on the impact of digital technologies on the motivation of teenage foreign language learners in Argentina in the light of recognized gaps in the literature.   

●        Thesis statement: Digital technologies can greatly enhance and maintain teenage students’ motivation towards the learning of English as a foreign language.

●        Audience: EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers working at secondary level.

1. Abstract
2. Outline
3. Introduction

A.    An overview of previous research, research problem and objectives

B.     A compilation of relevant scientific literature

4. Methods

A.    A description of participants involved in the research

B.     A summary of the materials needed for the research

C.     An overview of the procedures of data collection

5. Desired outcome
1. The impact of digital means on Latin American teenage learners’ motivation
2. The relationship between the use of web-based tools and language learning
6. References
   

The Employment of Digital Tools in 21^st Century Foreign Language Education

As stated by Rivera (2018), digital technologies are ubiquitous and essential for twenty-first century human communication. The increasing use of software has led researchers to analyze how these resources can foster teenagers’ motivation to learn English as a foreign language. According to Panagiotidis et al. (2018), variety in technology-based activities “can reinforce and maintain learners’ motivation and increase their engagement in the educational process’’ (p. 44). However, little research has been done in Latin American schools, whose socio-cultural particularities differ from those of Western educational settings. This research work will be a study on the impact of digital tools on the motivation of adolescents between 12 and 15 years old who are learning English at a private-run language academy in Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires, Argentina. The questions that will guide the research study are:

1. How is teenagers’ motivation in foreign language learning affected by the use of digital technologies?
2. What kinds of digital learning tools could English teachers include as resources in their daily practice to strengthen teenagers’ motivation in foreign language learning?

The general objective of this research study is to identify the kinds of digital technologies that increase the motivation of five teenagers between 12 and 15 years old who are learning English at a private-run language academy in Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Dörnyei, Z. (2001). Motivational strategies in the language classroom. Cambridge University Press.

Reviews research into the concept of motivation as a cognitive, affective and social construct. Suggests strategies for promoting language learners’ motivation and self-evaluation.

Henry, A. (2013). Digital games and ELT: Bridging the authenticity gap. In E. Ushioda (Ed.), International perspectives on motivation: Language learning and professional challenges (pp. 133–155). Palgrave Macmillan.

Explores teenagers’ exposure to English through digital tools in Swedish everyday life. Highlights the repercussions that inauthentic classroom activities might have on student engagement. Suggests ways of integrating digital media into foreign language teaching.

Panagiotidis, P., Krystalli, P., & Arvanitis, P. (2018). Technology as a motivational factor in foreign language learning. European Journal of Education, 1(3), 43-52.

Overviews some research in which several kinds of digital software are applied to enhance learners' motivation and increase their commitment in the learning process. Explains that digital tools may foster students' creativity, critical thinking and collaborative skills.

Rivera Barreto, A. M. (2018). Motivating English language use by using the benefits of technology. GIST – Education and Learning Research Journal, (16), 117-140.

Displays the results of an action research study about the effects of digital tools and collaborative work on the motivation of students learning English as a foreign language. Explains that software-based activities foster collaboration among students.

Stanley, G. (2013). Integrating technology into secondary English language teaching. In G. Motteram (Ed.), Innovations in learning technologies for English language teaching (pp. 43-66). British Council.

Exposes some case studies in which digital technology is incorporated at secondary level English language education. Explains that using web-based tools in class increases learner autonomy. Asserts that various Web 2.0 resources could serve specific teaching purposes.  

 

 

Methods

Participants

The participants will consist of a class of five teenage students between 12 and 15 years old who are learning English at a private-run language school in Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires, Argentina. The learners are at an A2 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for languages.

Materials

Surveys with five close questions and three open questions will be designed on Google Forms. In addition, observation checklists will feature grids of aspects related to classroom work and a designated space for observers to leave comments on unforeseen events.

Procedure

Initially, the subjects will be assured of the anonymity of their participation. During data collection, observations will be made by the researchers as lessons are delivered in order to register the quantity and type of students’ contributions, number of teacher interventions, kinds of pedagogical tasks, unexpected problems and digital tools used. Web-based surveys will be administered to the students at the beginning of the study, in the middle of it and at its end so as to gather data of the learning process from the perspective of the participants involved. In the light of these considerations, a longitudinal panel study will be undertaken in order to measure the evolution of the students’ motivation during the language learning process.     

Desired Outcome

The impact of various digital tools in the learning of English as a foreign language is presupposed to foster Argentine teenagers’ motivation in their process of learning. More specifically, this research is expected to yield results on the possibility of a correlation between the implementation of gamified web-based activities, like board games or mazes, and the motivation of young learners. Similarly, the use of different digital tools is supposed to give teachers and students the possibility to develop a dynamic and interactive language learning environment within the socio-cultural particularities of Argentine educational settings. Finally, the implementation of web-based tools is believed to exert a positive influence over the quality of the learning process itself since digital technologies, unlike paper-based materials, enable the realization of a broader scope of pedagogical tasks, such as the possibility to engage in conversation with users from other countries and cities.

 

          

References

Dörnyei, Z. (2001). Motivational strategies in the language classroom (Z. Dörnyei, Ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://erwinwidiyatmoko.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/motivational-strategies-in-the-language-classroom-by-zoltan-dornyei.pdf

Dudeney, G. & Hockly, N. (2007). How to teach English with technology. Pearson Longman. https://es.scribd.com/document/261940711/How-to-Teach-English-with-Technology

Henry, A. (2013). Digital games and ELT: Bridging the authenticity gap. In E. Ushioda (Ed.), International perspectives on motivation: Language learning and professional challenges (pp. 133–155). Palgrave Macmillan. https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9781137000866

Panagiotidis, P., Krystalli, P., & Arvanitis, P. (2018). Technology as a motivational factor in foreign language learning. European Journal of Education, 1(3), 43-52. http://dx.doi.org/10.26417/ejed.v1i3.p43-52

Rivera Barreto, A. M. (2018). Motivating English language use by using the benefits of technology. GIST – Education and Learning Research Journal, (16), 117-140. https://doi.org/10.26817/16925777.428

Stanley, G. (2013). Integrating technology into secondary English language teaching. In G. Motteram (Ed.), Innovations in learning technologies for English language teaching (pp. 43-66). British Council.