Uso de las nuevas tecnologías en la enseñanza de lenguas extranjeras

Abstract

This paper looks at the ever-growing influence of new technologies on the process of teaching and learning foreign languages. An analysis is made of the main tools currently used by language teachers, both general tools, such as blogs and wikis, and tools designed specifically for teaching. There is also a study of the most important authoring systems, on the one hand, and of the computer applications used to create interactive materials for didactic purposes, on the other. The paper then scans academic articles published in journals and comments on the results achieved with the use of those tools. These results are, in most cases, highly positive. Finally, there is a review of published studies dealing with so-called computer-mediated communication, focusing on the effect it has on the process of learning a foreign language.