The Current Wave of Technology – Web 2.0
by Maria Strange
Following the popular phrase ‘the medium is the message’ by McLuhan, I can see language as a medium where the message emerges carrying all the characteristics of that medium: be it oral, written, musical, etc. Lance Strate says that ‘words that are spoken carry different meaning when they are written down, and the meaning of handwritten text changes again when it appears in a printed document’.
Traditionally language teaching has been constrained mainly to text and oral drills. The activities have lost some kind of authenticity so the message appears detached from the medium. However, with the development of Web 2.0, classroom activities can be placed closer to reality.
Language is a social act and needs to be immersed within its social surrounding. The Internet, websites and virtual learning environments can provide the social practice needed for the learning of the foreign language.
If I would have had Web 2.0 when I was learning English at school, I could have walked the streets of London with Google Earth, without leaving my town; phoned museums and shops through Skype asking for information; watched TED talk, to observe and listen to English speakers; read and commented on Blogs about life in Britain; subscribed to English lessons on YouTube; browse-shopping in British shops; socialized online with English people in Meetup, or even create foreign language speaking avatars in Second Life. In brief, I believe my learning then would have been more authentic and socially deeper. Tim O'Reilly, "State of the Internet Operating System.