Teaching & Technology
💻 Technology in the Language Classroom - Where Are We Now?
From cassette tapes to AI chatbots in forty years. The technology available to language teachers has transformed beyond recognition - but are we using it as well as we could be?
A Brief History of Language Learning Technology
Language teaching has always embraced new technology. The language laboratory of the 1960s gave way to video in the 1980s, then CD-ROMs, then the internet, then smartphones, then learning management systems - and now artificial intelligence. Each wave brought new possibilities and new debates about what technology can and cannot replace in human learning.
Where We Are in 2026
🤖 AI and ChatGPT Large language models are now in every student's pocket. They can write essays, translate texts, and answer grammar questions instantly. The challenge for teachers: how do we teach with AI rather than against it? | 📱 Mobile Learning Vocabulary apps, pronunciation tools, and language exchange platforms make learning possible anywhere, anytime. Duolingo alone has hundreds of millions of users. |
🎮 Gamification Points, badges, leaderboards, and narrative-based learning have moved from fringe to mainstream in language education. | 🌐 Virtual Exchange Video conferencing has made genuine real-time communication with native speakers accessible to any classroom with an internet connection. |
What the Research Says
Technology is most effective when it supports meaningful communication rather than replacing it. Apps that drill vocabulary in isolation produce short-term gains but poor retention. Technology that facilitates real interaction - video calls, collaborative writing tools, authentic content - produces deeper and more durable learning.
CALL at Okinawa JALT
Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) is one of the three main themes of our Global Summit 2026 under 'Technology in ELT' - and it is an area where Okinawa JALT has deep expertise. Our affiliate partner Brian Gallagher is the president of JALTCALL, and our community includes some of Japan's leading voices in educational technology.
The Okinawa JALT Journal will welcome submissions on Technology in ELT. Whether you are piloting a new app, integrating AI writing tools into your syllabus, or designing a virtual exchange programme - we want to hear about it.
🌺 Okinawa JALT · okijalt@gmail.com · okijalt.org
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