[NOTES 3] TECHNOLOGY IN LANGUAGE EDUCATION.docx

**TECHNOLOGY IN LANGUAGE EDUCATION** Language is one of the significant elements that affects international communication activities. Ahmadi (2017) stated that one of the important elements for learning is the method that instructors use in their classes to facilitate language learning process. Te...

**TECHNOLOGY IN LANGUAGE EDUCATION** Language is one of the significant elements that affects international communication activities. Ahmadi (2017) stated that one of the important elements for learning is the method that instructors use in their classes to facilitate language learning process. Technology is an effective tool for learners. Learners must use technology as a significant part of their learning process. Teachers should model the use of technology to support the curriculum so that learners can increase the true use of technology in learning their language skills (Costley, 2014; Murphy, DePasquale, & McNamara, 2003). I. **Role of Technology for Learners** - Students read, listen to, and view authentic, engaging, and timely materials from the target culture. - Students practice interpersonal skills as they interact via video, audio, or text in real-time with other speakers of the target language. - Students collaborate on presentational tasks with their peers or teacher, anytime, anywhere. - Students work at their own pace as they access online content and/or utilize computer adaptive programs managed by their teacher. - Students practice discrete skills with engaging online games and applications. - Students benefit from differentiated instruction where multiple applications can be used to assess students, assign varied tasks, track data, give real-time feedback, and manage classrooms and lessons. The use of technology is not a goal in and of itself; rather technology is one tool that supports language learners as they use the target language in culturally appropriate ways to accomplish authentic tasks. Further, all language learning opportunities whether facilitated through technology or in a classroom setting, should be standards-based, instructor-designed, learner-centered, and aimed at developing proficiency in the target language through interactive, meaningful, and cognitively engaging learning experiences. II. **The growing importance of computer-assisted language learning** - Technology is having a growing impact on foreign language learning worldwide. The landscape of language teaching and language learning has transformed so rapidly that the formal classroom does not serve as the primary language learning site anymore. Enhancing language learning with e-learning apps and technology is nothing new since our formal education system has used different educational technology tools and multimedia-based learning content for already decades. - Mohammad Reza Ahmadi (2018) argued that educational technology tools appeal greatly to language instructors due to their contribution to enhancing learner autonomy as well as students' active engagement and maximizing positive language learning outcomes. The use of technology has become an important part of the learning process in and out of classrooms and is viewed as the core requirement in modern schools and universities.  III. **Instructional Design Models and Theories** - An instructional design model provides guidelines to organize appropriate pedagogical scenarios to achieve instructional goals. Instructional design can be defined as the practice of creating instructional experiences to help facilitate learning most effectively. Driscoll & Carliner (2005) states that " design is more than a process; that process, and resulting product, represent a framework of thinking" (p. 9). - Instructional design models describe how to conduct the various steps. These steps involve [instructional design](https://educationaltechnology.net/definitions-instructional-design/) process.  The models help trainers and educators to guide and plan the overall process. - Branch  & Kopcha say that "instructional design is intended to be an iterative process of planning outcomes, selecting effective strategies for teaching and learning, choosing relevant technologies, identifying educational media and measuring performance" (p. 77). - There are numerous [instructional design](https://educationaltechnology.net/instructional-design/) models. These are commonly accepted design models: - [ADDIE](https://educationaltechnology.net/the-addie-model-instructional-design/) - "ADDIE" stands for **A**nalyze, **D**esign, **D**evelop, **I**mplement, and **E**valuate.  - - The concept of Instructional Design can be traced back to as early as the 1950s. But it wasn't until 1975 that ADDIE was designed. Originally developed for the U.S. Army by the Centre for Educational Technology at Florida State University, ADDIE was later implemented across all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. - **The five components of the Addie Model are:** A**nalysis** The Analysis phase can be considered as the "Goal-Setting Stage." The focus of the designer in this phase is on the target audience. It is also here that the program matches the level of skill and intelligence that each student/participant shows. This is to ensure that what they already know won't be duplicated, and that the focus will instead be on topics and lessons that students have yet to explore and learn. In this phase, instructors distinguish between what the students already know and what they should know after completing the course. Several key components are to be utilized to make sure analysis is thorough. Course texts and documents, syllabi and the internet are to be employed. With the help of online materials such as web courses, a structure can be determined as the primary guide for the syllabus. At the end of the program, instructional analysis will be conducted to determine what subjects or topics are to be included. The Analysis Phase generally addresses the following issues and questions: What is the typical background of the students/participants who will undergo the program? Personal and educational information such as age, nationality, previous experiences and interests should be determined. What is the target group? What are the educational goals, past knowledge levels, experiences, ages, interests, cultural background etc. of the learners? What do the students need to accomplish at the end of the program? What are the learner's needs? What will be required in terms of skills, intelligence, outlook and physical/psychological action-reaction? What are the desired learning outcomes in terms of knowledge, skills, attitudes, behavior etc.? Determining popular methods being used around the subject and taking a look at what needs to be developed and improved. Review of existing instructional strategies employed. Are they adequate? What aspects need to be added, clarified and improved upon? Determining target objectives of the project. What instructional goals does the project focus on? Determining the various options available with respect to learning environment. What is the most conducive learning environment? A combination of live or online discussions? What are the Pros and Cons between online- and classroom-based study? What delivery option is to be chosen? What type of learning environment is preferred? Does one opt for online or face-to-face or a blend of both? If online is preferred what will be the difference in learning outcomes between classroom-based learning and web-based learning? Determining limiting factors to the overall goal of the project. What limiting factors exist with respect to resources, including technical, support, time, human resources, technical skills, financial factors, support factors? D**esign** This stage determines all goals, tools to be used to gauge performance, various tests, subject matter analysis, planning and resources. In the design phase, the focus is on learning objectives, content, subject matter analysis, exercise, lesson planning, assessment instruments used and media selection. The approach in this phase should be systematic with a logical, orderly process of identification, development and evaluation of planned strategies which target the attainment of the project's goals. It should follow a very specific set of rules, and each element of the instructional design plan must be executed with attention to detail. Being a stickler for the details is crucial to the success of the design stage. This systematic approach makes sure that everything falls within a rational and planned strategy, or set of strategies, that has the ultimate goal of reaching the project's targets. During the design stage, the IDs need to determine: Different types of media to be used. Audio, Video and Graphics are prime examples. Are third party resources going to be utilized or will the IDs create their own? Will you prepare the teaching learning material? Various resources at hand required to complete the project. What are the available resources at your disposal for completing the project? Level and types of activity to be generated during the study. Is it going to be collaborative, interactive or on a per participant basis? Using a teacher's style approach, how will you implement the parts of the project (i.e. behaviorist, constructivist, etc.)? Time frame for each activity. How much time is to be assigned to each task, and how will learning be implemented (per lesson, chapter, module, etc.)? Do the topics require a linear progression in presentation (i.e. easy to difficult)? The different mental processes needed by the participants in order to meet the targets of the project. What are the prescribed cognitive skills for students to achieve the project's learning goals? Knowledge and skill developed after each task. Do you have a way of determining that such values have indeed been achieved by the students? What is the method adopted by you to determine the acquisition of desired competencies by the students? The roadmap of how the study or project will appear on paper. Will it be advantageous to the ID to create a map of the different activities to see if they are in line with the goal of the project? If the project is web-based, what kind of user interface will you employ? Do you already have an idea on how the site will look like? The feedback mechanism you will use to determine if the participants are able to digest the lessons. What is the mechanism designed by you to obtain the learners' feedback on material learnt? Given the wide variety of student preferences and learning styles, what method will you implement to make sure that the program fits their wants? How will you design your project activities so as to appeal to diverse learning styles and interests of students? Will you opt for variety in delivery options and media type? Pinpoint the main idea of the project (training activity). **Development** The Development stage starts the production and testing of the methodology being used in the project. In this stage, designers make use of the data collected from the two previous stages, and use this information to create a program that will relay what needs to be taught to participants. If the two previous stages required planning and brainstorming, the Development stage is all about putting it into action. This phase includes three tasks, namely drafting, production and evaluation. Development thus involves creating and testing of learning outcomes. It aims to address the following questions: Is the time frame being adhered to in relation to what has been accomplished in terms of material? Are you creating materials as per schedule? Do you see team work across various participants? Are the members working effectively as a team? Are participants contributing as per their optimal capacity? Are the materials produced up to task on what they were intended for? I**mplementation** The implementation stage reflects the continuous modification of the program to make sure maximum efficiency and positive results are obtained. Here is where IDs strive to redesign, update, and edit the course in order to ensure that it can be delivered effectively. "Procedure" is the key word here. Much of the real work is done here as IDs and students work hand in hand to train on new tools, so that the design can be continuously evaluated for further improvement. No project should run its course in isolation, and in the absence of proper evaluation from the IDs. Since this stage gains much feedback both from IDs and participants alike, much can be learned and addressed. Design evaluation is done in the implementation phase. Designers play a very active role in this stage, which is crucial for the success of the project. Developers should consistently analyze, redesign and enhance the product to ensure effective product delivery. Meticulous monitoring is a must. Proper evaluation of the product, course or program, with necessary and timely revisions, is done in this phase. When instructors and learners actively contribute during the implementation process, instantaneous modifications can be made to the project, thus making the program more effective and successful. The following are examples of what can be determined: Advise on your preferred method of record keeping, as well as the actual data you would like to mine from the experience of students interfacing with the project. What is the emotional feedback given to you by teachers and students during initial demonstration of the project? Are they genuinely interested, eager, critical or resistant? As the project proceeds, do you see that IDs are able to grasp the topic immediately or do they need help? Explain how you are going to deal with any possible errors during testing. What will your response be if, after presenting activities to students, things do not go as planned? Did you prepare a back-up tool in the event of initial failure of the project? When technical and other problems arise do you have a back-up strategy? Will you go for implementation on a small scale or a large scale? When the student group gets the material can they work independently, or is constant guidance required? E**valuation** The last stage of the ADDIE method is Evaluation. This is the stage in which the project is being subjected to meticulous final testing regarding the what, how, why, when of the things that were accomplished (or not accomplished) of the entire project. This phase can be broken down into two parts: Formative and Summative. The initial evaluation actually happens during the development stage. The Formative phase happens while students and IDs are conducting the study, while the Summative portion occurs at the end of the program. The main goal of the evaluation stage is to determine if the goals have been met, and to establish what will be required moving forward in order to further the efficiency and success rate of the project. Every stage of the ADDIE process involves formative evaluation. This is a multidimensional---and essential---component of the ADDIE process. Evaluation is done throughout the implementation phase with the aid of the instructor and the students. After implementation of a course or program is over, a summative evaluation is done for instructional improvement. Throughout the evaluation phase the designer should ascertain whether problems relevant to the training program are solved, and whether the desired objectives are met. While often overlooked due to time constraints and monetary reasons, [Evaluation](https://educationaltechnology.net/kirkpatrick-model-four-levels-learning-evaluation/) is an essential step of the whole ADDIE method as it aims to answer the following questions: Determine the categories that will be established to evaluate the effectiveness of the project (i.e. improved learning, increased motivation etc.) On what factors or criteria will the effectiveness of project be determined? Determine the way you will implement data collection, as well as the timing at which it will be effectively made. When will the data related to the project's overall effectiveness be collected and how? Determine a system for analyzing participant feedback. Determine the method to be used if some parts of the project need to be changed prior to full release. On what basis will you arrive at a decision to revise certain aspects of the project before its full implementation? Determine the method by which reliability and content validity can be observed. Determine the method by which you will know if instructions are clear. How is the clarity of instructions assessed? Determine the method by which you can analyze and grade the response of the participants on the project. Determine who gets to receive your final output regarding the project. Who will prepare this report on the results of the evaluation? - [**Dick and Carey**](https://educationaltechnology.net/dick-and-carey-instructional-model/) Instructional models can vary widely. While some may focus on how to make the lesson plans and others focus on the delivery of the content itself, the Dick and Carey [instructional design](https://educationaltechnology.net/instructional-design/) model (*also known as the Systems Approach Model*) is one of the former.  **Stage 1. Instructional Goals** The first step is to figure out the instructional goals. This means that you are able to, or will be able to, identify what it is the students need to learn. For example, if you were teaching a course on American history, you probably wouldn't teach a lesson on [Guy Fawkes and his gunpowder plot from 1605](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Fawkes). However, if you were teaching a class on English history, there would indeed have to be a lesson on the gunpowder plot. It all depends on what kind of material your overarching theme is covering. **Stage 2. Instructional Analysis** Instructional analysis is the second step. This means you are determining the skills that your students will need to learn what you plan to teach them. Returning to the Guy Fawkes situation, some may need to have a love of history instilled in them before they are willing to sit down and listen to the lesson. Others may simply need to be able to work on the lesson material at their own pace. Will they need to know some background about the story? Or will you be teaching an introduction to the gunpowder plot and therefore giving that introductory lesson? Note that if you are teaching on the gunpowder plot, you have to take into account what they may or may not have already learned. **Stage 3. Entry Behaviors and Learner Characteristics** Next you have to assess which skills the students have out of those that you previously determined are needed for this lesson. For the Guy Fawkes example, if you determine that they should be able to remember the date he was caught -- November 5, 1605 -- and someone is not good with remembering dates, you may have to help them with it. Are they able to sit still long enough? Or do they have trouble talking? These skills will be crucial to the lesson's success with each student. **Stage 4. Performance Objectives** Next, you must figure out specific goals and objectives for the lesson. This is the equivalent of the SWBAT -- or Student Will Be Able To -- that many American classrooms must have as of this writing. These objectives must be detailed -- such as "the student will be able to identify the gunpowder plot's purpose". Details will help you make sure you are teaching your students what matters most from the lesson, such as the gunpowder plot was meant to blow up Parliament. Notice that you have not gotten to actually teaching, and these are the first four steps. Teaching begins at step eight, but this only gives a general outline for a suggestion on how to make the teaching effective. **Stage 5. Criterion-Referenced Test Items** The fifth thing you must do is to create a test (consistent with the performance objectives) that will reflect what you're hoping to teach the students. Referring back to notes you have made will help you figure out what to test. These are meant to help the students understand what they have or have not mastered yet, and are a checkpoint for the parents or administrators. For example, again referring to a lesson on Guy Fawkes, you could ask questions about his part in the plot, how he was caught, who was involved, and maybe what the plot was meant to do. If you had watched videos and had them take notes, the information you hoped they'd gather from the videos could also be on the test. **Stage 6. Instructional Strategy** Sixth, you begin to outline your lesson plan. This means that you will be able to demonstrate what you want them to learn, add activities, and decide how each segment will be done. If you want to have group activities, now is the time to decide when and what materials will be covered by the activity. Referring back to Guy Fawkes, a group activity could mean each group tries to use what they know to create a presentation for the class as a pre-test activity. **Stage 7. Instructional Materials** Seventh, you make sure you have what you need ready for the lesson. If you have something you already know will work, use it. This could mean bringing in a barrel like the ones used in Guy Fawkes' plot, or bringing in a scale model of the Parliament building that would have been blown up. A map of London at the time is also good. However, it doesn't extend to only objects for the lesson. If you're giving a test, make sure you have all the tests printed and ready to go. **Stage 8. Formative Evaluation** Next, you would have to evaluate how the lesson went. Were there some students who weren't too thrilled with the group work? Did your groups not work well? Did some students sit back while others did all the work, expecting to ride along for a good grade? You could use this time to go for a field trip or to work in smaller groups. You could even do one on one if you have a small enough group. **Stage 9. Summative Evaluation** Ninth, you revise. If all you do is teach a class on the gunpowder plot, you have a good opportunity to revise the class. There will always be a grumbler or two, but if it works out well a majority of the time, it'd be worth keeping. If there's one activity that no class has ever liked, it would be worth cutting it out and replacing it with something else. This step is all about making sure that when you restart the teaching process, it'll work out. Finally, you simply look back at your entire experience using the model. Did it work out for you? Did you create a better lesson plan than you had before? Or did it work against you? Did you find yourself spending too much time on one area? Before completely beating yourself up over not spending time on one area, if you already know the answer for one area, it makes your job easier. It means you can more easily do the rest of the process -- which simply shows how they are all connected, whether directly or indirectly. That right there is part of why it is considered a good model of learning. [Assure](https://educationaltechnology.net/assure-instructional-design-model/) ASSURE is an instructional design model that has the goal of producing more effective teaching and learning. "ASSURE" is an acronym that stands for the various steps in the model. The following is a breakdown of each step. **A -- Analyze Learners** The first step in the process is that the teacher should analyze the attributes of her learners. There should be a focus on those learner characteristics which are associated with the learning outcomes desired. The information gathered will help you in the decisions that you make with respect to the other steps in the process. When you determine the character of the learners, it will guide you in choosing specific strategies and resources to aid the learning process. The analysis of your learners should include: The general attributes of your learners, such as age, academic abilities, gender, interests, etc. Prior competencies Learning styles, such as auditory, visual, and tactile **S -- State Standards and Objectives** After the analysis of the learner attributes, the teacher must state standards and objectives for the learning module. This statement consists of a specification of what the learners will be able to do as a result of the instruction. To be more concrete about things, this statement will focus on what the learner will know or be able to do as a result of the instruction. An example of this is with medical students. The learners will be able to name at least two databases and two search techniques that they can use to locate medical evidence for particular cases. The objectives can be used in assessing the success of the students, perhaps for the grading process. Also, you can use them to let the learners know what they will accomplish through the class. The mark of a good set of learning objectives is conformity to the ABCDs of well-stated learning objectives. They are as follows: Audience -- For whom is the objective intended? Behavior -- What is the behavior or performance to be demonstrated? Conditions -- What are the conditions under which the behavior or performance will be observed? Degree -- To what degree will the knowledge or skill be mastered? The objectives statement should be formulated with verbs that pinpoint the learning objective. A useful guide to the appropriate verbs to use is contained in Bloom's Taxonomy. Remember that assessment can only be based on your learners' behavior. A learner may know some material backwards and forwards but may not be able to perform well on a test. **S -- Select Strategies, Technology, Media, and Materials** The second "s" in the acronym stands for select strategies, technology, media, and materials. Given what your learning objectives are, it's necessary to pick instructional strategies, technology, and media that will bring about the results that you want. First, you should figure out what which delivery method will be best for your instruction. For instance, what proportion of your instruction will be instructor-centered and what proportion of will be student-centered? The first of these are strategies such as lecture, demonstration or showing a video. The second are strategies such as group discussion or cooperative group work. **U -- Utilize Technology, Media, and Materials** This step in the ASSURE process concerns making a plan as to how you will utilize the technology, media, and materials that you have selected. As with all of the instructional steps, you must make sure that your plans contribute towards producing the objectives that you have laid down. It's important to follow the "five p's" process to achieve this: *Preview the Technology, Media, and Materials* This means that it's important to plan ahead of time just how you're going to use them. It's good to do a dry run of your lesson before you actually teach it. Make sure that the whole lesson will go smoothly and seamlessly. *Prepare the Technology, Media, and Materials* You need to gather together all of the things that you will need to teach your lesson. They must be working properly. For example, if you are making a power-point presentation, then you'll need to create the text and graphics for each screen. *Prepare the Environment* There is some minimal preparation required to set up the learning environment. Simple things like making sure that you have enough desks are important. Also, if you have control over the situation, you should make sure that there are no sources of noise that will disturb the students. *Prepare the Learners* First, you need to clearly inform the learners as to what the learning objectives are. This will help the learners create a mental map of what they need to absorb. Next, it's important to tell the students how they will be assessed. You need to tell them what their assignments will be, how they will be graded, if there are tests, etc. Also, you should explain to the students what the benefits of learning the material are. *Provide the Learning Experience* You then actually carry out the lesson. This is where all of your planning takes effect. You should be prepared to carry out the lesson with every prior step of the process in mind. This will insure your success as a teacher. **R -- Require Learner Participation** This step actually belongs within earlier steps. It requires that you make plans to how you are going to actively engage your students in the material that you are teaching. This needs to be figured out both at the class level and the individual level. The most basic step that you can take is requiring participation of the students in class discussions. A more sophisticated approach would require that students prepare questions and comments at home to bring into the class. You might try even allowing individual students to lead classes or discussions in the style of a seminar. Beyond this, you need to plan exactly how the students will participate in the learning process generally speaking. How will they learn the information and techniques included in a lesson? This plan needs to be more specific than just saying that they will listen and absorb the material. Maybe you will encourage a specific kind of note-taking or other learning strategies. **E -- Evaluate and Revise** The final step in the ASSURE process is just as crucial as all of the others. In this step, you evaluate the impact of your teaching on student learning. This includes an evaluation of your teaching strategies and the technology, media, and materials that you used. The following questions are useful to ask during this evaluation: Did your lesson meet the learning objectives that you planned? How will you determine whether the students reach the objectives? Is your way of assessing the students in line with your learning objectives? Can this lesson be improved? How? How are you going to assess the weaknesses in your presentation? Was your choice of media and materials a good one? How will you assess the effectiveness of these tools? Is it possible that other technologies, media, and materials would have done a better job? The final step in your evaluation should focus on feedback from your students. Was their experience positive overall? Do they feel that they have reached your objectives and their own personal objectives? How will you determine whether or not your performance was effective? - [Backward Design (Understanding By Design)](https://educationaltechnology.net/backward-design-understanding-by-design/) - [Kemp Design Model](https://educationaltechnology.net/kemp-design-model/) - [The Kirkpatrick Model](https://educationaltechnology.net/kirkpatrick-model-four-levels-learning-evaluation/) - [Gerlach-Ely Model](https://educationaltechnology.net/gerlach-ely-design-model/) - [TPACK](https://educationaltechnology.net/technological-pedagogical-content-knowledge-tpack-framework/) - [Situated Learning Theory](https://educationaltechnology.net/situated-learning-theory/) - [Anchored Instruction Model](https://educationaltechnology.net/anchored-instruction-model/) - [Cognitive Apprenticeship](https://educationaltechnology.net/cognitive-apprenticeship/) - [Gagne's Nine Events of Instruction](https://educationaltechnology.net/gagnes-nine-events-of-instruction/) - [Robert Gagné's Taxonomy of Learning](https://educationaltechnology.net/robert-gagnes-taxonomy-of-learning/) - [Bloom's Taxonomy](https://educationaltechnology.net/blooms-taxonomy/) - [Flipped Classroom](https://educationaltechnology.net/flipped-classroom/) - [Social Learning Theory: Albert Bandura](https://educationaltechnology.net/social-learning-theory-albert-bandura/) - [Andragogy Theory -- Malcolm Knowles](https://educationaltechnology.net/andragogy-theory-malcolm-knowles/) - [Lev Vygotsky -- Sociocultural Theory of Cognitive Development](https://educationaltechnology.net/lev-vygotsky-sociocultural-theory-of-cognitive-development/) and [Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development and Scaffolding](https://educationaltechnology.net/vygotskys-zone-of-proximal-development-and-scaffolding/) - [Jean Piaget and His Theory & Stages of Cognitive Development](https://educationaltechnology.net/jean-piaget-and-his-theory-stages-of-cognitive-development/) and [Theory of Moral Development -- Piaget](https://educationaltechnology.net/theory-of-moral-development-piaget/) - [Stages of Moral Development -- Lawrence Kohlberg](https://educationaltechnology.net/stages-of-moral-development-lawrence-kohlberg/) - [Theory of Multiple Intelligences -- Gardner](https://educationaltechnology.net/theory-of-multiple-intelligences-gardner/) - [Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development](https://educationaltechnology.net/eriksons-stages-of-psychosocial-development/) IV. **How Educational Technology Tools Support Teachers** 1. **Creates a better learning environment** In a technology-driven learning environment, flexible classroom spaces where connected devices, audiovisual tools, and purposeful furniture are integrated facilitate positive engagement of students and the mix of independent, small-group, and whole-class learning that is now viewed as essential to student success (EdTech staff, 2018). 2. **Increases the possibility of a much wider range of language teaching methods and resources** Compared with traditional language teaching methods that could make students passive and bored, [modern language teaching strategies](https://sanako.com/the-10-best-language-teaching-strategies-explained) primarily utilize multimedia, [communicative language teaching approaches](https://sanako.com/applying-communicative-language-teaching-approach), various available resources, and educational games giving students opportunities to meaningfully increase their exposure to the target language and thus make their own knowledge. Language teachers can use a wide range of digital resources, such as e-books, audio files, videos, and online articles, to supplement their teaching materials. These resources offer increased flexibility and can be easily updated, making them a valuable tool in language teaching. 3. **Connects the classroom with the real world** New technology in the language classroom such as videos, images, and software solutions empower teachers to incorporate the larger real world into the classroom. Turning the theories into practical experiences motivates students to practice and be deeply immersed in second language learning. 4. **Saves time in lesson planning and organization** Technology provides tools and platforms that help teachers plan, organize, and share their lessons more efficiently. Learning management systems (LMS) and dedicated language teaching platforms like [Sanako Connect](https://sanako.com/connect) enable teachers to manage course content, assignments, and assessments in a centralized online location. 5. **Expands the opportunities for continuous professional development (CPD)** Online courses, instructional videos, webinars, and e-conferences provide opportunities for language teachers to continue their education and develop new skills related to educational technology and language teaching pedagogy.  V. **How technology in language learning supports students?** 1. **Wider exposure to the target language and cultural contexts** Technology increases the students' opportunity for authentic interaction with native speakers and other language learners at various levels within or outside the classroom. Practice leads to perfection and technology-rich language learning makes it possible.  2. **Higher motivation and attention during the language course** Transforming from passive recipients to active learners, students might feel very excited about language learning and are motivated to practice more, using devices with which they can practice a language through features such as voice recognition and interactive multimedia exercises, etc. 3. **Flexible learning** Much more freedom is given to students within the classroom to decide how they approach the language and choose when and where to learn outside the classroom. Self-decision making and individual responsibility-taking stimulate more profound and enriching linguistic immersion. 4. **Adaptive learning** Technology has made it possible to create adaptive learning systems that can track a student's progress and adjust lessons accordingly. This helps provide a more tailored learning experience, making it easier for students to learn at their own pace and focus on areas they need improvement in.   VI. **How software solutions improve efficiency and effectiveness in all core language skills?** **Pronunciation and speaking skills** Learning how to pronounce foreign words and sentences is a key starting point of language learning. Displaying video clips for students could provide detailed guidelines that show how to move their tongue and jaw in the right way to produce a certain sound. Speech recognition technology will help students correctly pronounce common words and phrases and they will receive targeted feedback and scoring to get the sounds just right. Whatever language you teach and whatever language teaching approach you use to teach it, Sanako's market-leading software tools include a wealth of unique features that help language educators teach languages more efficiently and more successfully. It's why the world's leading educational institutions choose Sanako as their preferred supplier to support online and in-person lesson delivery.