29.4114, Review: Applied Linguistics; General Linguistics; Language Acquisition: Chapelle, Sauro (2017)

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LINGUIST List: Vol-29-4114. Mon Oct 22 2018. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 29.4114, Review: Applied Linguistics; General Linguistics; Language Acquisition: Chapelle, Sauro (2017)

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Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2018 16:02:40
From: Roman Lesnov [rlor84 at gmail.com]
Subject: The Handbook of Technology and Second Language Teaching and Learning

 
Discuss this message:
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Book announced at http://linguistlist.org/issues/28/28-4066.html

EDITOR: Carol A. Chapelle
EDITOR: Shannon  Sauro
TITLE: The Handbook of Technology and Second Language Teaching and Learning
SERIES TITLE: Blackwell Handbooks in Linguistics
PUBLISHER: Wiley
YEAR: 2017

REVIEWER: Roman Lesnov, Northern Arizona University

SUMMARY

Carol A. Chapelle and Shannon Sauro defined the goal of The Handbook of
Technology and Second Language Teaching and Learning as follows: “to
communicate to a broad range of readers, within the field and beyond, the
shape and texture of the technology-rich environments that language learners
inhabit today as well as the relevance of these environments for second
language teaching and learning” (p. 1). To accomplish this goal, the editors
of the volume have collected the insights from 39 acclaimed scholars from the
United States and beyond. The chapters of the volume shed light on four main
topics, namely language teaching and learning through technology (Part I),
innovation at the technology-pedagogy interface (Part II), technology for
second language assessment (Part III), and research and development of
technology for language learning (Part IV). There are 28 mainstream chapters
in the volume, bracketed by the introduction (Chapter 1) and the conclusion
(Chapter 30) from the editors.

Part I of the volume takes the reader on a 8-chapter journey into technology
and language pedagogy (i.e., Chapters 2 through 9). This journey starts in
Chapter 2 where Sue Otto provides a comprehensive historical overview of how
the role of technology in language learning and teaching has progressed from
the early 1900s to the present day. Sue connects the progressive role of
technology to the evolution of language teaching methods, all the while giving
relevant examples of former and current technological tools for second
language classrooms. Chapters 3-10 further explore practices with technology
for the following areas, or skills, of second language pedagogy: grammar,
vocabulary, reading, writing, listening, speaking, and intercultural
competence. The chapter on grammar discusses sophisticated computer-assisted
language learning applications, corpora, and computer-mediated communication
tools. It also synthesizes research into feedback- and autonomy-driven aspects
of technology-assisted grammar instruction. The remaining chapters are
organized in a similar way. Most of the chapters begin with the contemporary
conceptualization of the skill, thereby providing a theoretical basis for the
discussed technological applications. The technological tools and applications
are then described in terms of their potential to support the teaching and
learning of the skill. This is normally followed by a summary and a discussion
of future research directions. 

Part II of the volume presents another 10 chapters on the issues that have
emerged at the intersection of technology and second language pedagogy. The
first six chapters address the following configurations for
technology-assisted second language teaching: distance language teaching,
blended language learning, telecollaboration, virtual worlds, digital gaming,
and mobile technologies. The authors provide definitions of and theoretical
underpinnings for using these technologies and summarize existing research
into the corresponding pedagogical approaches. In Chapter 13, for instance,
Randal Sadler defines virtual worlds and chronicles signposts of their
evolution. Using a classification of virtual worlds based on age, game,
socialization levels, education focus, and technical requirements, he gives an
overview of several modern-day virtual worlds. Randal then summarizes the
existing research into the effects of virtual worlds on language teaching and
learning, including the effects on language learners’ collaboration, anxiety,
and beliefs, and discusses the future pedagogical directions of using virtual
worlds for language learning. The remaining Chapters 16 through 19 explore the
affordances of modern technology for four areas, namely task-based language
teaching, language-for-specific-purposes teaching, development of new
literacies in a second language classroom, and teacher education. Each chapter
situates the respective area in the contemporary literature, summarizes the
research-based knowledge about the role of technology in the area, and
discusses burning challenges and future research agendas for the area. For
example, in Chapter 18, Paige Ware introduces the reader to the origins,
theoretical bases, and affordances of new literacies. Ware further synthesizes
research on new literacies, showing how they contribute to the construction of
learners’ identities, development of classroom-based language instruction, and
development of learners’ intercultural competence. A number of challenges are
then discussed, including a digital divide and assessment-related issues. 

Part III of the volume explores current trends in the use of technology for
second language assessment. Three chapters in this part are devoted to the
role of technology in low-stakes instructional assessments, high-stakes second
language tests, and validation of tests. In Chapter 20, Joan Jamieson and
Matteo Musumeci review twelve online second language learning programs’ and
thirty-six language textbooks’ online assessments to see how well they match
with the contents of the corresponding marketed courses, what feedback is
provided, and how effective this feedback is for learners’ understanding. The
authors conclude the chapter by discussing possible ways to improve online
instructional assessments. In Chapter 21, Jonathan Schmidgall and Donald
Powers describe the use of technology in three stages of high-stakes language
testing, namely test development and administration, scoring, and security.
Relying on knowledge and findings from previous research, the authors provide
specific suggestions on how to facilitate each of the stages. Current
challenges and suggestions for future research close the chapter. Building on
the work by Jonathan Schmidgall and Donald Powers, Yoo-Ree Chung in Chapter 22
points to the need for looming adjustments for the argument-based approach of
validating technology-enhanced second language tests. You-Ree provides
specific questions for evaluating each of the validity inferences in the most
recent version of the argument-based validation framework (Kane, 2006;
Messick, 1989; Bachman & Palmer, 2010; Chapelle, Enright, & Jamieson, 2008). 

Part IV of the volume zeroes in on two aspects of using technology for
language learning – research and development. Chapter 23 by Robert
Godwin-Jones opens this section by discussing the role of authoring courseware
in language learning. Robert provides a definition and a brief historical
overview of courseware in computer-assisted language learning, followed by the
discussion of specific software tools that fall in one of the four categories:
multimedia courseware, intelligent language tutors, commercial courseware or
open educational resources, and web-delivered courseware. Chapters 24 through
29 are more research-oriented, with the foci on the following: empirical
investigations through the improvement of the design of a technological tool
(Chapter 24 by Julio Rodriguez), research methods supporting different
argument-based approaches to evaluating technologies for language learning
(Chapter 25 by Carol Chapelle), research methods for investigating effects of
technology on various facets of language ability, namely grammar and
vocabulary, reading and writing, listening and speaking, and pragmatics
(Chapter 26 by Dorothy Chun), procedures for conducting meta-analyses and for
researching transparency of the existing meta-analyses in the field of
computer-assisted language learning (Chapter 27 by Hsien-Chin Liou and Hui-Fen
Lin), theoretical and methodological considerations for researching
technology-mediated multimodality in language education (Chapter 28 by Thierry
Chanier and Marie-Noëlle Lamy), and approaches to conducting research,
including specific data collection methods, in the field of second language
acquisition (Chapter 29 by Bryan Smith). 

In Chapter 30, Shannon Sauro and Carol Chapelle draw a conclusion about the
status and role of technology in the field of second language learning and
teaching. Synthesizing the discussions in the previous chapters of the volume,
the authors identify three fundamental themes that could guide the field of
computer-assisted language learning and teaching: the multimodal nature of
language abilities, “diffusion of innovation” (p. 463) in second language
classrooms, and the relationship between research and practice. The authors
conclude the chapter and the volume by discussing burning issues for the
future of technology-assisted language learning and teaching.

EVALUATION

The authors of the present volume have successfully described “the shape and
texture of the technology-rich environments that language learners inhabit
today as well as the relevance of these environments for second language
teaching and learning” (p. 1). As part of this overarching goal, the volume
has accumulated theoretical underpinnings for understanding and solving issues
in the field of technology-assisted language learning. Each technology (e.g.,
application or software) was discussed through the lens of the related theory
and/or history. This strong theoretical basis supported the authors’
interpretations of research on the effects of the technology on language
teaching and learning, strengthening the authors’ arguments. The practical
value of this volume lies in the extensive implications of specific
technological tools for teaching various facets of language abilities. Modern
tools and applications are discussed throughout the book in terms of their
effects on language learning and instruction, which can guide novice and
experienced teachers and researchers in the field. Articulated by some of the
best scholars in the assessment field, the volume is, thus, a valuable source
of contemporary theory, research, applications, and ideas about using
technology for language learning. 

The final chapter is particularly appreciated as it presents a comprehensive
synthesis of the major issues discussed in the handbook. Often, editors of
similar professional collections overlook the need for a concluding chapter
that would bring home to the reader the overall underlying message of the
volume. Shannon Sauro and Carol Chapelle did a great job bringing together the
myriads of issues discussed by the authors of the preceding chapters and
shedding light on directions future researchers may want to follow. This
effective closure, along with the detailed introduction and professionally
crafted chapters, make this handbook one of the most comprehensive in the
domain of technology-assisted language learning.

The excellent writing of this volume’s editors and authors leaves the reviewer
with very little criticism. One weakness of the volume might be the coverage
of issues related to technology-assisted second language assessment. Relative
to other issues, this topic seems to have been paid little attention. Focused
discussions of cutting-edge assessment topics by language skill area (e.g.,
reading and writing, listening and speaking, English for specific purposes)
might be a desirable addition to future volumes on technology and language
learning. Some notes on the handbook’s organization can also be made. The
table of contents could be broken down into four parts rather than having all
the thirty chapters in an undivided array. Also, the handbook seems to have a
few typos and slips in formatting heading levels. Fixing these minor issues
would have further improved the navigation through and the readability of the
prose. 

REFERENCES

Bachman, L., & Palmer, A. (2010). Language Assessment in practice. Oxford:
Oxford University Press.

Chapelle, C., Enright, M., & Jamieson, J. (Eds.). (2008). Building a validity
argument for the Test of English as a Foreign Language. New York, NY:
Routledge.

Kane, M. (2006). Validation. In R. Brennan (Ed.), Educational measurement (4th
ed). (pp. 17–64), Westport, CT: American Council on Education and Praeger.

Messick, S. (1989). Validity. In R. Linn (Ed.), Educational measurement (3rd
ed.) (pp. 13-103). New York, NY: Macmillan Publishing.


ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Roman Lesnov received his Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics from Northern Arizona
University. His research interests include second language assessment and
statistical methods in applied linguistics.





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