Techniques and Methods Change, Methodology Remains the Same: Web Technology Use as Cosmetic Change in CFL Classrooms

Abstract

Technology has been a staple in the language classroom for more than fifty years. From audio cassettes, to video tapes, to multimedia CD-ROMs, to static and interactive web technologies, language teachers have taken the time to learn these tools and integrate them into the classroom experience. Each new technology, each new app, creates an opportunity to alter the experience of teaching and learning—often supporting increased authentic interactions with the Chinese language. This potential however can go unrealized when the ways the technologies are used align with more traditional grammar and vocabulary-focused teaching methodologies and promote efficiency over communication. In this article we explore the way traditional methodologies (i.e. Structural/Cognitive approaches) influence the implementation of web technologies. We unpack the complex relationship between language teaching Methodologies/Approaches, Methods, and Techniques. We examine several popular Chinese as a foreign language [CFL] web technologies, along with descriptions of their use, as a way to consider the influence of teachers’ educational values on technology integration decisions. We highlight the way design decisions made during the technology design and development process can constrain fit across methodologies. Next, as a way to outline what is possible when new technologies are informed by recent pedagogical developments, we briefly describe DaZiBao—a multimodal web application for learning characters via writing. Finally, we unpack findings and challenges from a pilot study of DaZiBao’s integration in a somewhat traditional classroom setting and offer suggestions for teachers, researchers, and technology designers