Paper short abstract:

In this paper, I discuss how language teachers can 'survive' technology and 'make a difference' for language teaching. I aruge that the rapid advancement of new technologies can drive toward the de-standardization of teaching, the professionalization of teachers, and critical education.

Paper long abstract:

This paper addresses one question: how can the language teacher 'survive technology' development and 'make a difference'?

As paper 1 and paper 2 of the present panel will show, IT development of online self-learning urges language teachers to re-think their role in classrooms and the aims of foreign language pedagogy. Previous research (Hosokawa, Otsuji, Mariotti 2016; Sato 2016) offers a valid base to consider language learning as a meaningful 'place' (ba) for

"citizenship" formation. How can language teachers harness rapidly advancing technology to become "citizenship educators"?

By analyzing a case study of a zero beginner level class in a European university ("Practice Research: Action Research Zero"), we will present data to discuss the following two crucial points from the perspective of critical language pedagogy:

1. While technology can surely enhance learners' motivation and acquisition processes (e.g. JALEA, Reading Tutor, FluentU), it still lacks feedback on the content production process as a result of human interaction.

2. When we consider language acts as a means of expressing one's identity, focusing, in so doing, on the learners' micro-level, it will become clear that checking grammar errors cannot be considered the aims of teachers anymore.

IT development will allow language teachers to finally have the opportunity and 'new duty' to be educators who can 'make a difference', facilitating discussions and dialogues based on authentic content, such as learners' histories and worldviews, carrying out a concrete de-standardization of language teaching, the professionalization of teachers, and critical education (Freire 1970).