Abstract:

Blended learning and flipped classroom, digital natives and digital immigrants, 21st century skills and information and communication technologies (ICT) for language learning, gamification and game-based learning — these are the terms that modern language teachers are faced with more and more often nowadays. However, ubiquitous and uncontrolled use of digital technologies for all types of exercises might not only be of no use in language learning and skills development, but even do it a disservice. The question of how not to get confused with the growing number of applications, programs, and e-learning platforms, and develop the very own balanced strategy for using information technologies in language learning is of great importance.

In this article, results of introduction of some applications to the education process are shown. This entails not only practical courses of language learning, but theoretical ones as well. The programs used ensure development of language skills: listening, reading and writing; they help concentrate on the content as well as the form, improve grammar, build and expand vocabulary, and better pronunciation in an interactive way, for example, comparing the way people from different regions speak. Thus, what is meant here is a complex support and provision of the education process with different programs and applications. This includes not only acquisition of language skills, but introducing the culture of the country where the foreign language in question is spoken to students in an interactive, interesting, and exciting way by using, for example, project method with support of ICT.

Keywords:

ICT in education, language skills, gamification, social networks.