Teaching and Learning English in the Digital Age

Professor Dr. Inez De Florio-Hansen lehrte seit 1996 als Universitätsprofessorin für Romanistik/Fremdsprachenlehr- und -lernforschung an der Universität Kassel und ist emeritiert.

TEFL in the 21st centuryFirst of all, teaching and learning English in the digital age means using digital tools in TEFL classrooms. This introduction exemplifies how to implement them in a meaningful way in combination with reliable methods (for additional practice-oriented teaching and learning suggestions see: https://deflorio.de/blog . A further important aspect of digitization is teaching and learning about media. Teachers have to create and deploy opportunities that allow students to develop a critical stance toward media in general and digital media in particular. This introduction to TEFL shows that the rapidly increasing influences of digitization lead to more internationalized and globalized science-based approaches to teaching and learning English. In this perspective, digitization offers an opportunity to rethink and reshape didactic concepts.

First of all, teaching and learning English in the digital age means using digital tools in TEFL classrooms. This introduction exemplifies how to implement them in a meaningful way in combination with reliable methods (for additional practice-oriented teaching and learning suggestions see: A further important aspect of digitization is teaching and learning about media. Teachers have to create and deploy opportunities that allow students to develop a critical stance toward media in general and digital media in particular. This introduction to TEFL shows that the rapidly increasing influences of digitization lead to more internationalized and globalized science-based approaches to teaching and learning English. In this perspective, digitization offers an opportunity to rethink and reshape didactic concepts.

Introductory remarks 9Part 1: Basic issues of TEFL1. Introduction:Fremdsprachendidaktik and Foreign Language Pedagogy 111.1 The aims of Fremdsprachendidaktik 121.2 The contributions of Sprachlehrforschung to Foreign Language Teaching 162 Scientific disciplines related to Foreign Language Teaching(Bezugswissenschaften) 202.1 General remarks: Allgemeine Didaktik 212.2 Processes of learning EFL 232.3 Processes of teaching EFL 272.4 Contributions to content aspects of TEFL 323. Research methods 423.1 Research design and research methodology 433.2 A conventional differentiation: qualitative and quantitative research methods 453.3 Further approaches: descriptive and explanatory research 483.4 Evidence-based research and meta-analyses 534 Communicative Competence and Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) 614.1 The occurrence of CLT 624.2 The development of CLT in Germany 624.3 The development of CLT in the English-speaking countries 644.4 Further influences of CLT 664.5 Trivializations and misunderstandings 675 Implementing CLT: issues of methodology 735.1 Approach, strategy/method and technique 745.2 Implementing CLT in TEFL classrooms 776 Official recommendations: Council of Europe and European Centre for Modern Languages 986.1 Relevant aims of the Council of Europe (CoE) and the European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML) 996.2 Threshold Level, Common European Framework of Reference and the Companion Volume with New Descriptors 1016.3 The European Language Portfolio 1097 Official studies and guidelines: Standing Conference (KMK) and affiliated institutions 1187.1 From PISA to DESI 1197.2 KMK-Standards and the Institute for Quality Development in Education (IQB) 1267.3 KMK Strategy-Paper: Education in the digital world 137Part 2: Learners and teachers in the context of digitization8 Successful learners 1438.1 Learning styles 1448.2 Learning models 1478.3 Motivation and interest 1538.4 Digital natives and computer competence 1579 Being a better teacher 1639.1 Teaching styles and subjective theories 1649.2 Fundamental preconditions: classroom management and classroom climate1709.3 A major challenge: inclusion and heterogeneity 17510 Teacher education in the digital age 18010.1 Digital immigrants 18110.2 Pre- and in-service training 18710.3 KMK requirements for teaching in the digital world 193Part 3: Practical issues of TEFL11 Th e interplay between reliable methods and digital media 19711.1 Computer, Internet, and digitization: a brief overview 19811.2 Th e integration of digital tools into TEFL classrooms 20111.3 Th e interdependence between analogical and digital knowledge, skills and attitudes 22812 From language to literature: Intercultural Discourse Competence 23012.1 Plea for an integrated view 23112.2 From Communicative Competence to Intercultural Discourse Competence 23212.3 ICD: the power of language 24112.4 ICD: the power of cultures 24312.5 ICD: the power of literature 24513 A teaching model as starting point 25013.1 The MET - a science-oriented teaching model 25113.2 Planning and starting the lesson 25513.3 Presenting knowledge and skills - assertive questioning 25913.4 Guided and independent practice 26213.5 Cooperative and project-based learning 26814 Feedback: formative assessment 27514.1 Newer research into feedback 27614.2 Formative feedback given by teachers to students 28214.3 Formative peer feedback 28814.4 Feedback given by students to teachers 29015 Feedback: summative assessment 29615.1 Formative and summative assessment: common features of feedback 29715.2 Summative assessment: general traits 29815.3 Guidelines, regulations and laws 29915.4 Suggestions for meaningful summative assessment 304Conclusion: simple, unexpected, concrete, credible, emotional and narrative 310References 311Glossary 329