On the Net: ICT4LT-Information and Communications Technology for Language Teachers

Foreign language (FL) teachers have long been leaders in the use of technology in the classroom, from short wave radio and newspapers, to film strips, to tape recorders, to records, 16 mm films, video, and now computers, as a means of bringing authentic language and culture to their students. Computer and Internet technologies require significantly more technical training than pressing the play button on an audio cassette player, but the pedagogical skills needed to integrate these materials into a well designed lesson plan are similar in many ways. Because there are FL teachers, and even methods instructors, whose training has not prepared them to use these new tools, it has made sense for specialists to use this technology to provide an introduction to these skills in the form of modules that can be plugged into a methods course or explored by individual teachers to further their professional development. ICT4LT is a very good example of these materials. Please note that the authors of this article developed another Web site providing access to modules supporting a graduate course on technology in the FL classroom:http://www.cortland.edu/flteach/mm-course/ The Project The ICT4LT project located at http://www.ict4lt.org/, is the result of efforts by five institutions in the United Kingdom, Finland, and Italy and was created with the aid of public funds, namely the Socrates Programme of the Directorate for Education and Culture at the European Commission (EC). Socrates is an EC program that encourages transnational cooperation in education and offers particular help to projects involving the Least Widely Used and Least Taught (LWULT) languages. (This EC official term for languages other than English, French, German and Spanish parallels that used in the United States: Less Commonly Taught Languages [LCTLs]). The emphasis on LWULTs is reflected in the partnerships with project colleagues in Italy and Finland, who developed the multilingual versions of the Web site. The original target audience was European language teachers vis-a-vis their need for training in technology and its integration into the FL curriculum. The materials were developed and piloted with groups of language teachers and teacher trainers in the UK, Italy, and Finland. Currently, these modules are available online in English, Italian, Finnish and Swedish. * In this review we will only examine the English section. The primary emphasis of the site is on the integration of technology for the express purpose of furthering foreign language instruction and learning. As such, the modules are pedagogy and methodology based and derive from years of experience held by language instructors keen on enhancing language learning via the implementation of new technologies. The overall site is clearly designed and easy to navigate. Basic information about the project goals, history, and authors is readily available. The ICT4LT site offers several ancillaries, accessible from a sidebar: the home page, contents leading to the teaching modules, Web resources, a search engine for the site, glossary of technology terms, a help page, and contact information. A few of these are discussed in more detail below. Usage Requirements: Entry Level Ability This Web site is designed for inservice FL teachers and presumes a nominal level of information technology acumen. In general, knowledge of the following are presupposed: the basics of Windows 95 or higher, word-processing skills, use of a Web browser, and use of email software. To determine this, an ICT Can Do List is offered (on the English site) for self-assessment. ICT Can Do List (pdf) This extensive self-evaluation is available for FL teachers to enable them to assess the development of their own technology skills, experience and understanding before delving into any of the modules. While the list of technologies is impressive, only six are fully developed, the others being labeled as “under construction.