Do you think technologies (e.g., videos, computers, etc.) should play a central or a peripheral role in second language teaching and learning? Why?

Technology has become a very useful tool and an important component of education because we use it in many ways for instance, we can show a video to our students, we can play an audio, we can use e-books (instead of physical books), we can use blogs or online groups to develop topics, and so on; so that technologies should play a central role in teaching.

Technology has changed the paradigm of education because thanks to technology, education has gone from passive and reactive to interactive and aggressive. Students learn best when they are engaged and through the use of technology, students can become active participants as opposed to passive ones where they simply receive instructions or information.

Lately, the access to technologies is unlimited, we can use computers, tablets or even smartphones to have internet access and a large number of applications (like translators, dictionaries, recorders, applications to watch videos and to listen to podcast, etc.) that are very useful for teachers and students to improve their teaching and learning and as technology advances, it will be used to produce even more benefits.

Furthermore, we could use technology as a great advantage to make our teaching easier and more significant for our students, and also make our students get involved and participate actively in the acquisition of their knowledge. Technology used in the classroom helps students adsorb the material. For example, since some people are visual learners, projection screens linked to computers can allow students to see their notes instead of simply listening to a teacher deliver a lecture.