Presenter: Rodney H. Jones
PLENARY:
Technology and Language Learning: From print to algorithms
Rodney H. Jones
In this talk I give a historical overview of the effects of technology on language learning from early printing and recording technologies to more recent digital and mobile technologies. I argue that all technologies are ‘biased’ towards different forms of learning and different kinds of language use. Technologies influence language learning in at least four ways. First, they influence the kinds of meanings that can be made with language, and thus, the kinds of meaning-making that learners are given the opportunity to practice. Second, they determine the ways we can preserve and transmit language, affecting the type of input learners are exposed to, as well as how they are able to reflect on their output. Third, they affect the kinds of interactions learners have with the language, the kinds of people they are able to interact with, and the roles they are able to play. Finally, technologies play a role in learners’ ability to develop autonomy in their learning. Perhaps the most important recent technological development when it comes to language learning is the increasing capacity of digital texts to ‘read their readers’ (Jones, 2015), and to adapt themselves to individual users’ needs or interests. Adaptive systems are a central component in most everyday internet experiences, such as online shopping sites, and search engines. I conclude with an exploration of how these new processes of ‘algorithmic’ reading and writing can affect language learning.