・基調講演(2006)

基調講演　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（10：00〜11：00） Technology and Distance in Language Learning and Teaching: In Search of Reality 鹿児島大学 Robert J. Fouser Technology and distance have exerted strong influence on language learning and teaching since the middle of the 20th century. Technology has been used to bridge the physical and psychological distance between learners and the target language, either by bringing the "real world" of the target language into the classroom or by taking the classroom to "real-world" learners. Technologies have hit language learning in waves: radio, TV, audio-tape, film, video-tape, stand-alone software programs, CD-ROM, e-mail, the Web, DVD, electronic dictionaries, mobile commu_ nications, etc. Each wave has stirred enthusiasm, which has, in turn, stirred doubts about the effectiveness of technology in bridging distance. For all the doubts, however, each wave of technology remains in active use today, either in the classroom or for self-study. In this presentation, I will discuss the interaction between technology and distance in language learning and teaching from a historical perspective with reference to examples from a variety of educational contexts. In particular, I will focus on examples from China, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States. I will focus on how technological and social changes have forced change on traditional classroom-based institutions as well as on newer distance learning institutions. In doing so, I will offer answers to two seminal questions regarding technology in language learning institutions: 1) How does technology benefit language learners? 2) What are the conditions for successful integration of technology into language learning and teaching? Finding answers, however tentative, to these questions is important to understanding current trends in language learning and teaching in Japanese universities.