Communication and information technology in (intercultural) language teaching (original) (raw)
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Journal of Pedagogical Research , 2018
The aim of the present paper is to analyse the extent to which contemporary e-learning solutions support the development of intercultural competence in the didactics of specialist languages. A special consideration will be given to those solutions which use e-learning modules. A few remarks concerning the terminology of intercultural competence as well as didactic modules have been made at the beginning. Last but not least, on the basis of the theory of didactic module, the process of (glotto) didactic module development and the examples of its realisation in the context of development of intercultural competence have been indicated. As shown in the paper e-learning solutions based on glottodidactic modules contribute to the development of intercultural competence, which is an essential component equipping interactor with indispensable and critical knowledge and skills. All this is required in modern specialised communication, occurring especially in multilingual and/or multicultural environments. 1. Digital media, e-learning platforms and learning Over 2 billion people nowadays use the Internet and due to the growth of tablet and smartphone sales, digital media is booming in a rapid pace. These devices provide a fancy medium for feeding the information to the users comfortably, however, they also increase the time spent by users online. On the other hand, they also constitute a great opportunity through which learners practise a foreign language and they also use it to facilitate intercultural learning. Nowadays, since we all live in a global village and speak English – the language recog-nised as the lingua franca of the new millennium – we get in contact more often than before with people of various cultural backgrounds. In addition, as culture impacts communication to such a great extent, it seems natural and helpful for teachers to expose their students to lessons and activities that reveal how particular cultural components influence interaction among different nationalities and ethnic groups. E-learning platforms serve as excellent and valuable resources for language teachers and students. It needs to be indicated that e-learning constitutes a general term used to refer to a form of learning in which the instructor and student are separated by space or time where the gap between the two is bridged through the use of online technologies (van Haren, 2010). E-learning is used interchangeably in a wide variety of contexts. In distance education, especially at universities, it is defined as planned teaching/learning experience that uses a wide spectrum of technologies, mainly
Teaching Culture Through ICT in a Postmodern World – (Un)Used Possibilities of New Technologies
Studia Edukacyjne
Teaching culture of foreign countries was until recently done by traditional means i.e. movies, letters sent by post to schools in other countries or by means of a textbook. Now, when schools are getting more computerized, certain elements of teaching have been revolutionized. They include, for example, culture teaching, which received a new meaning through the use of eTwinning. Because of it, teachers and students can communicate much easier through the platform, Facebook or by e-mail with other schools from the EU that are in this program. They can take part in projects with other schools and learn the cultural differences between their countries together. In this article I try to point out the challenges which multicultural ICT use can bring to education.