Emerging trends in education technology are revolutionizing both teaching and learning practices. Over the last few years, the use of digital tools, has increased significantly, mainly due to the changes in the learning environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. The crisis resulted by COVID-19 pandemic is eminently visible which has affected education systems worldwide, leading the path towards a near-total closures of schools (UNESCO, 2020), and the construction of a new education environment.
Previously, the conformist approach had perceived education as the process of building knowledge by means of institutionalized schooling; however, current education systems have been questioned in terms of how we define education, and how we design our schools. Additionally, the rapid development of information technologies has triggered the construction of language teaching and learning with a continuous change in our educational experiences (Chen et al., 2020) since latest developments in AI-powered tools have transformed computer-assisted language learning (CALL) into intelligent computer-assisted language learning (ICALL) (Kannan & Munday, 2018).
Beyond question, AI tools are a part of the newly emerging fields in educational technology, and they bring considerable benefits to educators and learners (Halaweh, 2013; Luckin et al., 2016; Pokrivcakova, 2019). To mention, key features of emerging technologies include radical novelty, relatively fast growth, coherence, prominent impact, uncertainty, and ambiguity (Rotolo et al., 2015). The implementation of AI-powered tools in language education, particularly in the field of foreign language teaching, reflects these key attributes. In fact, breakthroughs in AI occur at such an accelerating rate, that language teachers find it difficult to keep abreast of all the changes.
Apart from the immense values they offer, the challenges they pose need to be carefully considered. These include general issues such as cyber security, ethical concerns, and the digital divide on the one side, and methodology-related aspects of language education including lesson planning, preparation of materials, assessment, and test design. Furthermore, the impact of such tools on creativity, critical thinking skills, collaboration and social learning should be investigated in more detail. Most importantly, teachers may lack adequate training in the use of these tools, which hinders educators from incorporating them seamlessly into their teaching practices.
Careful evaluation of emerging language technology can support teachers in integrating educational technology in their comprehensive language teaching and learning strategies. Therefore, this edited book aims to explore fundamental aspects of educational technology with its analytical meaning to underline its scope and basic premises for language teaching and learning. In doing so, reimagining and rearranging educational practice for language teaching and learning through the advents in educational technology will be unraveled to propose issues and prospects for making the language teaching and learning process more efficient and engaging, and for getting better learner performance and progress in time.
From the start, educational technology is concerned with the ways for transforming language teaching and learning in the realm of the learners’ individual needs and preferences through self-led or personalized learning experiences. However, these experiences do vary, and thus, urge language teachers to analyse learners’ strengths and weaknesses to tailor the content and the level of difficulty in order to suit the learners’ needs. Therefore, this edited book proposes to compile conceptual, empirical, and theoretical research that contributes to the understanding of utilizing intelligent computer assistive educational technologies to make more informed choices for learner success. That said, those who are particularly interested in exploring the evidence to better understand the complexities of language teaching and learning to assist educational institutions in lieu of student needs, potentials and vulnerabilities with the enhancement of appropriate cognitive load, meaningful pedagogical and assessment strategies, and a logical allocation of resources for student support, and to better understand how these educational technologies can revolutionize language teaching and learning practices are intended to use this edited book.