Technology as a Mediation

“CMC provides a third platform where L2 students can transcend the spatial and temporal confines of the classroom via the internet.”(10) 

It reminds me of sociocultural theory which is brought up by Vygotsky. In Vygotsky’s theory, human being use mediation to  establish a relationship between ourselves and the world. For ESL teacher, technology is the tool as mediation  in second language learning, it helps students to build connection between students and the second language.  For example,  the chapter gives an example about how E-mail offers students the highest level of interactivity.   Warschauer (1997:475) points out that with reference to computer-mediated-communication, long distance exchanges with native speakers’ provides an excellent example of students through interaction with more capable peers.  Compare with classroom-based second language learning, CMC  gives rise to a different kind of discursive practice than normally occurs between people in face-to –face interaction.   For example, L2 learners  could chat with native speakers online, and through the interaction, L2 learners have opportunity  to learn something of new such second language culture.  For me, CMC definitely will help ESL teachers to build close relationship between students and L2 during  their second language learning process, but the question is, by using internet, the way people “talk” to each other electronically is different from the way they converse with each other in face-to-face encounters , can the  technology  such as the use of CMC  have an impact on the way face-to-face interaction?  And this is the question that I am still looking for the answer by using CMC in my classroom.

Warschauer, M. (997), Computer-mediated collaborative learning: theory and practice. The Modern Language Journal, 81, 470-481.