Digital Tools in English Language Teaching and Learning

There is a broad range of digital tools available to English language teachers and learners, with new and updated applications being added all the time. While this is a positive development, particularly in light of school syllabus requirements to include digital tools in learning (Skolverket 2018: 12), many teachers in Sweden report difficulties in identifying appropriate tools (e.g. Bunting et al. 2021; Santos Muñoz and White 2020). Keeping up to date with new applications and exploring their potential use in the classroom can be time-consuming, and may not be a priority for some teachers. Similarly, learners may not be aware of the range of applications available and how they might use them for independent study. This project aims to provide a focal point for such teachers and learners, providing links to useful online tools and support into their use.

The project follows on from an online symposium organised by Professor Terry Walker and Dr Rachel Allan, Incorporating Corpora in Teaching, held at Mid-Sweden University in October 2020, featuring key speakers in this field. A special issue of the Nordic Journal of English Studies including papers from this event will be published in 2022, edited by Dr Rachel Allan, Professor Virginia Langum and Professor Terry Walker.

Bunting, Leona, Ylva Hård af Segerstad and Wolmet Barendregt. 2021. “Swedish teachers’ views on the use of personalised learning technologies for teaching children reading in the English classroom.” International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction 27: 100236. doi:10.1016/j.ijcci.2020.100236.

Santos Muñoz, Arantxa and Jonathan White. 2020. “Digitalisation in schools in Sweden: Needs and experiences of trainee teachers of languages. Lingua 2: 28-31.

Skolverket. 2018. Curriculum for the compulsory school, preschool class and school-age educare 2011 (Revised 2018). Accessed September 2021. https://www.skolverket.se/download/18.31c292d516e7445866a218f/1576654682907/pdf3984.pdf.