The Contradiction of the Age: Online Teaching and Learning Vs the Limits on the Use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
The Contradiction of the Age: Online Teaching and Learning Vs the Limits on the Use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

Summary/Abstract: Nowadays the expansion of the Internet and accessibility as well as the Covid-19 pandemic have resulted in an increase in the demand for online learning across the globe. The vast development of educational technology in the last few years has led to the deconstruction of various barriers and challenges that the traditional approaches were incapable of overcoming. The question that arises is if we are over-concerned about being “overconnected”. The answer is contradictory and provoking. It is a contradiction between the past and the present that is changing our mind and attitude towards information and communication technologies (ICTs). It is a contradiction between technology addiction and technology requirements. Research about the influence of ICTs on children’s cognitive and physical development and the language of the digital age together with the provided survey among students of English philology, Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen aimed to identify the effectiveness of various online tools and technologies at any age, the preferred learning methods of students, and other factors that might influence the teaching–learning process. The study concluded that technology addiction was replaced by technology requirements. It proved that, although language itself changes slowly, ICT fosters the process of this change because technical support is essential in the age of online learning and critical thinking, and the creativity of students increases with innovative educational methods. Thus, we must support all types of interaction possibilities and build a sense of community engagement among online leaners. The underlying problem, therefore, is not so much technology, but the content and the approach that is applied in the context of education. At the end of the article a set of recommendations is given on the implementation and use of information and communication technology tools in fostering English language teaching and learning.

• Details
• Contents