The impact of the new technologies in foreign language instruction our experience

Abstract

Although XXIst century education has become increasingly permeable to technology helping students to acquire skills needed to exist in a highly technological knowledge-based society, foreign language instruction is still resistant to employment of the New Web 2.0 technologies. In situations where the classroom represents the only environment for foreign language acquisition and practice, asynchronous Web 2.0 tools offer students a venue for additional interesting and engaging activities, ensure student-centeredness and autonomy as well as interaction and connectivity, and provide opportunities to practice reading, writing, speaking and listening outside the classroom walls at their own pace, in real life-semblance and safe environments. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that employment of Web 2.0 tools in foreign language instruction, besides increasing foreign language exposure and use, enhances the levels of student satisfaction, motivation, confidence and disposition which are crucial for communicative life-long foreign language learning. We will illustrate how Web 2.0 technology has been successfully used as a supplement for communicative practice in order to help adult higher education (HE) students with mixed abilities, outside commitments, and lack of immediate motivation to communicate in a foreign language and to experience a variety of communicative activities. The results are based on a survey of a recent international exploratory workshop on Optimizing the Quality Standard in Higher Education ESP (English for Specific Purposes) organized by Dimitrie Cantemir University (DCU) of Targu Mures, Romania, as well as student evaluation through questionnaire of technology-based ESP learning at DCU versus learning through classical strategies and methods. English language teachers should explore and exploit Web 2.0 tools as part of their professional development in order to make their students’ language learning experiences real, motivating, and lasting.