Davies, R. J. (2011). Second-Language Acquisition and the Information Age: How Social Software has Created a New Mode of Learning. TESL Canada Journal/Revue TESL du Canada 28(2), 11–19.
The author argues that the use of social software can – rather than as some fear, lead to isolation for students – enhance and build on traditional forms of social learning which, he posits is an integral element in the learning process. Social networking sites, wikis, blogs and podcasts, he argues, provide many benefits to students allowing them a much wider range for communications with peers, to shape content collaboratively and to develop learning autonomy. He further argues that instructors can use these technologies to collaboratively build curricula, share lesson plans and support collaboration and cooperation – he also says that the proliferation and embedding of social networking in our lives will alter how teachers teach and how curricula are developed and organized. His recommendation is that the second language field should embrace these technologies and that the field will benefit by becoming part of what he describes as the “ever-changing educational landscape”.
Retrievable from: http://www.teslcanadajournal.ca/index.php/tesl/article/view/1069