Foreign language teaching and technologies during COVID-19 critical times: A course design proposal for English language teaching students at Universidad Austral de Chile

Enseñanza de lenguas extranjeras y tecnologías en tiempos críticos del COVID-19: Una propuesta de diseño de curso para estudiantes de enseñanza del inglés de la Universidad Austral de Chile

Resumen

Historically, human beings’ life has been transformed by technologies, impacting their daily activities such as work or the way they communicate. Therefore, the school is no exception, since technologies have also changed the way of teaching and learning. Long before the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, technologies and their use in language teaching have represented a focus of study, as they provide support for both learning and teaching. However, it has been shown that the use of technologies in the foreign language classroom requires the development of digital skills and the training of teachers. This research proposes the design of a course on “Teaching Foreign Languages ​​and Technologies” for students enrolled in the English teaching as a foreign language program at Universidad Austral de Chile. It is expected that the design of the proposed course will allow students to reflect and develop technological skills that promote the transformation of foreign language teaching processes, through the design, production, evaluation and use of available technologies for language learning. Finally, it is considered that the teaching of foreign languages ​​cannot be based on beliefs, ideas, needs, and resources from the past, but on beliefs, ideas, needs, and resources from the present with the inclusion of digital and technological skills of the 21st century.