Language Development In The Digital Age

Download or read book Language Development in the Digital Age written by Mila Vulchanova and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2017-10-18 with total page 81 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The digital age is changing our children’s lives and childhood dramatically. New technologies transform the way people interact with each other, the way stories are shared and distributed, and the way reality is presented and perceived. Parents experience that toddlers can handle tablets and apps with a level of sophistication the children’s grandparents can only envy. The question of how the ecology of the child affects the acquisition of competencies and skills has been approached from different angles in different disciplines. In linguistics, psychology and neuroscience, the central question addressed concerns the specific role of exposure to language. Two influential types of theory have been proposed. On one view the capacity to learn language is hard-wired in the human brain: linguistic input is merely a trigger for language to develop. On an alternative view, language acquisition depends on the linguistic environment of the child, and specifically on language input provided through child-adult communication and interaction. The latter view further specifies that factors in situated interaction are crucial for language learning to take place. In the fields of information technology, artificial intelligence and robotics a current theme is to create robots that develop, as children do, and to establish how embodiment and interaction support language learning in these machines. In the field of human-machine interaction, research is investigating whether using a physical robot, rather than a virtual agent or a computer-based video, has a positive effect on language development. The Research Topic will address the following issues: - What are the methodological challenges faced by research on language acquisition in the digital age? - How should traditional theories and models of language acquisition be revised to account for the multimodal and multichannel nature of language learning in the digital age? - How should existing and future technologies be developed and transformed so as to be most beneficial for child language learning and cognition? - Can new technologies be tailored to support child growth, and most importantly, can they be designed in order to enhance specifically vulnerable children’s language learning environment and opportunities? - What kind of learning mechanisms are involved? - How can artificial intelligence and robotics technologies, as robot tutors, support language development? These questions and issues can only be addressed by means of an interdisciplinary approach that aims at developing new methods of data collection and analysis in cross-sectional and longitudinal perspectives. We welcome contributions addressing these questions from an interdisciplinary perspective both theoretically and empirically.

Download or read book Language Learning in the Digital Age written by Virginia H. Y. Kwok and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. This book was released on 2023-03-21 with total page 189 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the digital age, technology has become essential for online learning and teaching for learners at all levels of education. YouTube is highly popular amongst young people in Hong Kong and across the globe. In foreign language acquisition, how do learners perceive the use of YouTube for English learning in out-of-class settings? This book reports the findings of a case study of learners at a university in Hong Kong from students’ perspectives. The detailed, qualitative study adopts a narrative inquiry approach in order to examine students’ perceptions, factors shaping them, and the extent to which perceptions affect language learning practices on YouTube. The implications highlighted here include developing five qualities for learners that facilitate autonomous and experiential learning out-of-class, training that supplements in-class learning, and whole-person development. The findings shed light on understanding students’ needs and interests for an improved quality of language teaching that meets the challenges of the twenty-first century.

Download or read book English Learning in the Digital Age written by Shuang Zeng and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-11-23 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Moving beyond the ‘Web 2.0’ and ‘digital native’ rhetoric, this book addresses the complex experiences of learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) in a world embedded with interactive and participatory technologies. Adopting a sociocultural perspective, it investigates EFL learners’ behaviours concerning digital technology, and guides exploration into their contextually mediated choices and learning practices in the ‘2.0’ era. The argument is developed on the basis of the findings of a mixed sequential study that focused on 1485 Chinese undergraduates’ use and non-use of online tools and applications outside the English classroom. Particular attention is paid to the role of context and agency when understanding their learning choices and behaviours in the context of digital technology. In particular, the book acknowledges the explanatory power of agency in the minority instances of ‘good practices’ among these EFL learners. At the same time it demonstrates that for most learners, use of the current web is limited and mostly non-interactive. The barriers to ‘2.0’ transfer are largely contextual and the so-called ‘communicative opportunities’ and ‘participatory culture’ in particular did not fit into the learners’ sociocultural context of (language) learning. Overall, the compelling argument proposes that the technology-facilitated changes in EFL practices are a ‘bottom up’ process that is taking place in day-to-day situations and constrained by the learning context within which the learner is situated. Based on these arguments, the book provides a framework that challenges the existing beliefs about (language) learning with online technology, and that contributes to our understanding of how context mediates EFL learners’ behaviours surrounding digital technologies. It is a valuable resource for teachers, researchers and policy makers, providing them with insights into using digital technology to stimulate ‘good learning practices’ outside the classroom.

Download or read book Digital-Age Teaching for English Learners written by Heather Rubin and published by Corwin Press. This book was released on 2021-12-28 with total page 171 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bridge the Digital Divide with Research-Informed Technology Models Since the first edition of this bestselling resource many schools are still striving to close the digital divide and bridge the opportunity gap for historically marginalized students, including English learners. And the need for technology-infused lessons specifically aligned for English learners is even more critically needed. Building from significant developments in education policy, research, and remote learning innovations, this newly revised edition offers unique ways to bridge the digital divide that disproportionally affects culturally and linguistically diverse learners. Designed to support equitable access to engaging and enriching digital-age education opportunities for English learners, this book includes Research-informed and evidence-based technology integration models and instructional strategies Sample lesson ideas, including learning targets for activating students’ prior knowledge while promoting engagement and collaboration Tips for fostering collaborative practices with colleagues Vignettes from educators incorporating technology in creative ways Targeted questions to facilitate discussions about English language development methodology Complete with supplementary tools and resources, this guide provides all of the methodology resources needed to bridge the digital divide and promote learning success for all students.

Download or read book Young Children Playing and Learning in a Digital Age written by Christine Stephen and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-11-27 with total page 239 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Young Children Playing and Learning in a Digital Age explores the emergence of the digital age and young children’s experiences with digital technologies at home and in educational environments. Drawing on theory and research-based evidence, this book makes an important contribution to understanding the contemporary experiences of young children in the digital age. It argues that a cultural and critically informed perspective allows educators, policy-makers and parents to make sense of children’s digital experiences as they play and learn, enabling informed decision-making about future early years curriculum and practices at home and in early learning and care settings. An essential read for researchers, students, policy-makers and professionals working with children today, this book draws attention to the evolution of digital developments and the relationship between contemporary technologies, play and learning in the early years.

Download or read book Task-Based English Language Teaching in the Digital Age written by Valentina Morgana and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2023-06-15 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book illustrates the developments of task-based language teaching (TBLT) approaches in relation to the evolution of digital technologies. It highlights how technology-mediated TBLT principles can support English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning and contribute to understanding new classroom dynamics. Drawing from the key theoretical concepts of TBLT, the author discusses the integration of tasks and technologies from a secondary education perspective, which is often under-represented in the TBLT literature. Morgana looks at how the EFL secondary classroom has been recently re-conceptualised as a social place whose boundaries go far behind the traditional school settings. This book provides theoretical approaches and classroom implementation practices by presenting four case studies on the different L2 skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking). The volume is organised into two main sections. The first section focuses on the theoretical approaches to TBLT and highlights the key concepts behind this methodology. This section also looks at the recent development of a technology-mediated TBLT framework and its implementations in various EFL educational contexts. The second section presents four case studies of secondary-school EFL learners in Italy. Each case study focuses on a different language skill, providing examples of classroom practices in both blended and online learning settings. Pedagogical recommendations for teachers are provided at the end of each case study. The book adopts a multimodal approach and aims at providing scholars in applied linguistics and TBLT practitioners with theories and implementation practices to understand the ways technologies are shaping tasks and mediating students' learning processes.

Download or read book The Slovak Language in the Digital Age written by Georg Rehm and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-06-09 with total page 89 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This white paper is part of a series that promotes knowledge about language technology and its potential. It addresses educators, journalists, politicians, language communities and others. The availability and use of language technology in Europe varies between languages. Consequently, the actions that are required to further support research and development of language technologies also differ for each language. The required actions depend on many factors, such as the complexity of a given language and the size of its community. META-NET, a Network of Excellence funded by the European Commission, has conducted an analysis of current language resources and technologies. This analysis focused on the 23 official European languages as well as other important national and regional languages in Europe. The results of this analysis suggest that there are many significant research gaps for each language. A more detailed expert analysis and assessment of the current situation will help maximise the impact of additional research and minimize any risks. META-NET consists of 54 research centres from 33 countries that are working with stakeholders from commercial businesses, government agencies, industry, research organisations, software companies, technology providers and European universities. Together, they are creating a common technology vision while developing a strategic research agenda that shows how language technology applications can address any research gaps by 2020.