How to teach languages using digital tools

It is not always easy for a teacher to keep up with the digital skills required to keep a classroom motivated, engaged and enthusiast when it comes to teaching languages. Using technology in language learning allows students to assume an active role and to communicate and cooperate with their classmates. Technological tools in support of language learning can be used for a variety of purposes such as introducing a new subject or summing up an old one, personalizing  lessons and assess and challenging the students to create their own work in order to engage their creativity.
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The new edition of the course “Teaching languages in the digital era: the best apps, web platforms and ICT solutions for learning languages​” took place in Porto from 23/03/2025 to 29/03/2025. The participants came from all across Europe, with Katarína Vinczeová from Gymnázium Jána Papánka in Slovakia; Eva Sofia Moberg and Petra Timper from Källvindsskolan, Norrköping (Sweden), and participants coming from three different german schools: Angela Nizic; Cecilia Soriano; Christine Niehoff; Carla Pezzini-Fischer and Heike Schwarz from Bayerischer Volkshochschulverband e.V, Berit Ebeling-Ringkowski and Stefanie Höhl from Europaschule Humboldt-Gymnasium, Yvonne Riechert from Heinrich-Heine-Gymnasium.

During this course the participants learnt how to use a vast range of technological tools and to put them into use by integrating it into their teaching methods. These tools are useful not only for engagement and motivation but also to monitor progress for example in vocabulary learning, communication and individual work.

This course allowed the participants to engage in a great number of practical activities and to experience these tools first-hand. For example, they competed in  live quizzes  while learning how to create interactive language presentations, assignments and activities  by using IT and A.I. tools. Quiz flashcards for instance can be useful to increase students’ vocabulary and spelling skills.

Among  the tools discovered in this course there were web platforms dedicated to lesson planning and assessment of language skills. They had the chance to create and present their own work in a motivating environment, so that next time they can use it in their own classroom context. 
In addition the participants also learnt about tools that allow the user to outline and recap the contents of the lesson and prepare for example grammar presentations, pose questions and monitor students’ attention in the classroom, especially during these times where distance learning is very common. They also explored platforms that can be useful to create worksheets and explainer videos easily.

The participants also discovered specific platforms that are also very useful for language learning because they allow teachers to add voice notes, questions and voiceovers to educational videos, turning them into lessons. They also had a look at tools to edit pictures and videos that are very effective when it comes to teaching. Such tools can be used in fact for a variety of purposes: preparing multimedia content, introducing a new subject or summing up an old one, challenging the students’ to create their own work in order to engage their creativity. 

Learning languages can be challenging, however by using the right tools and incorporating technology into the classroom there is no doubt that this can increase motivation, attention, engagement and learning skills while transforming a simple lesson into an immersive experience.
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Discover more about this course here.