Managing Infinity – Language Teaching in the Post-Digital Age

As language teachers we are deeply aware of the effects of technological developments on society, and on our teaching context. This paper aims to show how post-digital awareness (meaning understanding the social effects of digital technology) should be used to help teachers navigate the complex choices we face, every time we enter a classroom or search for new resources or techniques. The language teachers’ task today is to deal with rapid technological development, but also drastic social change and transformations in communicative behaviour. The immediate challenge for teachers is identified as ‘the infinite choice problem’: the plethora of materials, websites, apps and the sheer availability of text is stressful for teachers and confusing for learners. Feelings of disempowerment or increasing disengagement risk diminishing the importance of language learning. Accompanying this is an ever-increasing pressure to ‘do a good job’. This is exacerbated by significant changes in language itself: interactions are more complex than envisaged by traditional linguistics (the spoken-written dichotomy is inadequate to explain language use, and grammar rules founded upon the ‘centre’ are questioned); the uses of language may be changing; transactional language skills are becoming less important than the ability to present oneself – to express (or create) identity. The paper then attempts to offer solutions to these dilemmas. Firstly, AI is considered, and through reference to research data and current thinking, it is proposed that we educators should accept artificial intelligence and use it to the advantage of our classes. Data collected suggest we will have to alter traditional means of assessment, but do not indicate that ‘all is lost’. The huge amount of learning material available leads us to understand the importance of authenticity in every teaching context: the selection of text (in its broadest sense) for learning must be based on local meanings. Teacher training should take complexity into account and help future teachers select and benefit from the richness of textual opportunity on offer. Lastly, language education presents as the ideal forum for discussion of human values in the age of fake news and Tik-Tok superficiality: it develops skills of analysis, and evaluation of meaning and so encourages discernment.