ICT

Definition

ICT (information and communications technology - or technologies)

ICT (information and communications technology - or technologies) is an umbrella term that includes any communication device or application, encompassing: radio, television, cellular phones, computer and network hardware and software, satellite systems and so on, as well as the various services and applications associated with them, such as videoconferencing and distance learning. ICTs are often spoken of in a particular context, such as ICTs in education, health care, or libraries. The term is somewhat more common outside of the United States.

 

According to the European Commission, the importance of ICTs lies less in the technology itself than in its ability to create greater access to information and communication in underserved populations. Many countries around the world have established organizations for the promotion of ICTs, because it is feared that unless less technologically advanced areas have a chance to catch up, the increasing technological advances in developed nations will only serve to exacerbate the already-existing economic gap between technological "have" and "have not" areas. Internationally, the United Nations actively promotes ICTs for Development (ICT4D) as a means of bridging the digital divide.

Rabat – Nobody would deny the fact that the emergence of modern tools of communication, especially the Internet, has enabled most teaching institutions to change their modes of teaching, including the Moroccan school system. Many opportunities offered in the employment business sector are based on the new ICT. Chris Abbot, author of “ICT: Changing Education”, pointed out, “ICT is already changing society, and therefore education, even if schools do continue. The impact of change is not only technological but also social. The Internet is already changing practices in banking and shopping and in the creation of virtual communities, and any vision of the future of education has to recognize new methods of accessing information and new ways of relating to others.”[i]

Ultimately, technology integration in the teaching of foreign languages has two major goals: First, to achieve technological literacy, where students are expected to become digitally literate, hence they become well-prepared for a skilled work force in the global market that relies deeply on new technologies. The second goal is pedagogical, since ICT improves student learning through innovative approaches, most of which attempt to create authentic contexts for learning rather than depending absolutely on traditional old methods of teaching and learning.