I strongly agree with the theory that SLA teaching need big exposure to target language input, however “How can this realistic, if not sobering, depiction of adult SLA be sped up and made more efficient? Increasing contact with the target language is the most obvious solution.” It is true that “Formal L2 teaching is often unsuccessful because learners receive impoverished or insufficient input in the target language like Cummins side (Cummins 1998, 19). So in today’s modern world, technology then, if used wisely, could play a major role in enhancing L2 learners’ contact with the target language, especially in the absence of study abroad.
As Pica, Kanagy, and Falodum (1993, 11) represent well the interactionist stance when they state, “Language learning is assisted through social interaction of learners and their interlocutors, particularly when they negotiate toward mutual comprehension of each other’s message meaning”. And technology assisted activities should fit in with the FL curriculum. I’m a second language who has more than ten years’ learning experience, I deeply feel a interactive language learning environment is essential to a second language learner. If there is no such good target language environment, even teacher and students interact very well, students would still rather communicate in first language, therefore the target language exposure is limited. However computer with internet well compensate this shortage. People could communicate in internet, using the technical tools like wiki, voice threads, video clip, and blogs exchange abound resources online.
Reeves and Nass’s research further reinforces the notion that computers can make a significant contribution to the SLA process because the students themselves feel that they are interacting with the computer in a real social manner. I think that’s the reason why Twitter and Facebook are so popular worldwide. Of course, the pros of computer-mediated communication, text-based medium amplifies students’ attention, L2 written production, less stressful environment, more equitable and nonthreatening forum, expanded access channel with possibilities for creating global learning net works.
Blake, Robert J. & Dorothy M. Chun. (2008) Brave New Digital Classroom: Technology and Foreign Language Learning. Washington, D.C. :Georgetown University Press
It's helpful to use as language learners and teachers that Blake pulls together so much relevant research, isn't it. I enjoyed your post but can't honestly say that I understand the last sentence.
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