FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING/LEARNING IN THE DIGITAL ERA

Abstract

Language is generally perceived as the medium of communication of ideas and thoughts. Recent technological advancements have aided the processes of language communication. When we speak about technology, we normally refer to computers and digitalization. However, technology indeed refers to anything that is produced, assembled and that makes our lives easier. Social media previously related through television programs of any kind, can now be easily accessed through mobile devices, computers, and video conferencing software. Language teaching and learning in general, and foreign language teaching and learning in particular, have evolved in the digital age, especially as we move from single language users to a more bilingual or even plurilingual society. Foreign language takes on a new meaning in the digital age. With the emergence of Information and Instructional Technologies and their influence on teaching and learning it becomes a must to equip faculty members and students with the necessary skills to handle these developments and utilize their benefits in teaching and learning. The swift development of new technologies and their universal application in education requires innovative methods and approaches in teaching and learning a language in the digital age. This paper provides an overview of how technology has evolved in time and how it contributes to language communication, alongside political, economic and social lines in the Republic of Macedonia in general and at the Southeast European University in particular. The Mission of the University is to seek excellence in teaching and research within the higher education system in the Republic of Macedonia, by offering equal opportunities for all based on impartiality and merit. One of the key elements of the mission of the University includes active cooperation with universities in the Republic of Macedonia as well as with international universities. The main aim under which the university is governed and managed is to contribute to higher education in the Albanian language, through a mutual interethnic understanding and aims to provide a multilingual and multicultural approach to teaching and research by developing study programs according to broad European and international standards. In this respect, we will also focus on the latest trends in the area of language learning in the digital age and the efforts that our university is making in order to keep in step with them, especially through several of its units that have been specifically established with this mission in mind, such as the e-learning center and the language center.