Abstract:

The increasing need for language proficiency and the global growth in access to communication devices and the internet have contributed to the proliferation and variety of online language courses available. However, at the heart of the language learning process, making optimum use of the latest technologies and striving to implement the best pedagogical approaches, is the teacher. With the speed of technological changes, research cannot be updated too much and if the teacher plays such a key role in the implementation of technological advances, there is a clear justification for a review of research into the role of the teacher in online language learning.

The aim is to systematically examine both theoretical and methodological perspectives adopted in the research included in this review and also to understand how changes in pedagogical approaches over the last decade have affected the skills and competences the teacher needs to carry out her role in the most effective way possible, both for her and her learners.

The review reveals that online language pedagogy has evolved in conjunction with technological advances but the teacher remains a crucial part of the process, as a facilitator of communication as a means to learning a foreign language. This study emphasises the teacher’s role in helping students work effectively in online contexts, but also concludes that online language teachers must continue to strive to put technology at the service of pedagogy.

Keywords:

Online language teaching, online language learning pedagogy, technology advances, teacher roles in online learning.