From marginalisation to transformation: How ICT is being used in ESL learning today

ICT has been used in classrooms for more than two decades. Over this time, its use has changed, as has the technology itself. This article describes these changes and then reports on a series of research studies that have examined second language learners’ use of the new technologies in language classrooms in Australia. This evidence-based practice leads us to re-think the role of ICT in education. The research indicates that teachers need to explicitly teach the characteristics of these new discourses for learners to use ICT competently to learn languages. Further, it shows that computer programs that seek to teach learners need to provide carefully scaffolded instruction that utilises the full interactivity potential of ICT.