Review of "Disruptive Technologies and the Language Classroom: a complex systems theory approach"

Abstract

Which dynamics of language learning and teaching change when traditional face-to-face language classrooms are moved to the online medium? And more importantly, does the advent of online technologies change the ways language teachers teach and language learners learn? In “Disruptive Technologies and the Language Classroom”, Hampel (2019) provides new insights into these important questions. She points out that online language learning and teaching destabilizes the language classroom by affecting its overall dynamics and by opening up new venues for language learning and teaching. By referring to her years-long experience in online language teaching and research, she argues that understanding the effects of these online technologies will better help language learners to communicate successfully in the second language (L2). Viewing communication as an aim and instrument in language learning, she focuses on the idiosyncrasies of computer-mediated communication and presents a theoretical discussion of computer-mediated communication’s unique features and affordances in reference to related literature.