Distance teaching/learning of foreign languages mediated by information and communication technology tools

Abstract

The inclusion of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) tools in the teaching of foreign languages support cultivating independent learning, promotes the creation of oral comprehension skills and the development of listening habits. This study reflects the perception of the use of online platforms as a tool of communication, not only of information, revealing a multitude of opportunities for teaching foreign languages, but also challenges that require an argumentation of their positive role in structured educational environments. This argument makes this study necessary in the field of didactics, not only from the point of view of the resizing and enrichment of the pedagogical framework for teaching foreign languages but also from the perspective of teaching, which will, very probably, not be the same as before. This type of education, which encourages the development of the intercultural competence of the learners, contributes to the global formation of their personality as a social being through the creation of a context where language and culture merge into an inseparable unit, given that the real or virtual teaching environment is the meeting point of at least two cultures: that of the student and the language in question.