Is everything better with technology?

Of course the growing amount of technology makes our lives easier and more efficient, but does the use of technology help students learn and second language? Today in my second language learning class, we had a debate on the advantages and disadvantages that technology (such as online dictionaries, chat rooms, and skype) have on second language acquisition. Technology provides many helpful tools that students can use to help them learn a language. Students can skype with native speakers across the world to help them improve their dialect! If an online translator is accessible, then there's another great tool that students can quickly use to search for a word they may be struggling with. Language learners also use chat rooms to practice their target language with others. Chat rooms can be less intimidating than real-life conversations because they have the option of backspacing and correcting their errors. Some students may feel more comfortable writing out their second language instead of speaking it.

A woman using technology to help learn a second language.

There are many drawbacks to relying on technology to learn a language. Although chat rooms may be preferred by some students, chat rooms do not give students the opportunity to practice their dialect. Chat rooms limit students to focusing only on form and accuracy, and don't allow them to become familiar with cultural and social aspects of their target language. Interacting face to face lets students use gestures, facial expressions, and intonations to convery the message they are trying to send. Technology can also be very expensive, and not all schools or school districts have access to it. Therefore, learning with technology may not be universal. Some students with disabilities may have struggle using certain forms of technology. A chat room would be very hard to use for a student who is blind, or cannot type with his hands.

Two people learning a language through social interaction.