The Use of ICTs in Second Language Education

Abstract

As many aspects of our lives have been increasingly digitized, education has likewise taken its share from this digitization. Consequently, information and communication technologies (ICTs) have been progressively incorporated into education to improve the effectiveness of educational practices in formal and informal educational settings. ICTs hold great promise for second language education since they have the potential of providing language learners with increased opportunities to engage with the target language and culture even with a mouse click or a tap on their smartphones. This chapter presents an overview of how ICTs have been employed in the field of second language education over the decades by specifically elaborating on the rationale behind ICT adoption, the properties of ICTs utilized, advantages and disadvantages of ICT adoption in the field, and factors that might impede or facilitate ICT adoption in second language education. The chapter concludes with practical considerations that might affect the efficiency of ICT adoption in second language education.