Canadian Second Language Teachers’ Technology Use Following the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

If teachers have previously used technology (e.g., Learning Management Systems, document sharing, video-conferencing, gamification, social media or video-recording), they are likely to use it again. For second language teachers, sudden or planned-for online instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic may have resulted in their using new or familiar technology to support their pedagogy, engage students, or provide authentic target language input. However, since online instruction was temporary, perhaps their use of certain technologies was temporary as well. To investigate L2 teachers’ use of technology before, during, and (anticipatedly) after the pandemic, this study statistically analyzed data on technology use ( n = 18 items) from a survey of Canadian L2 teachers ( n = 203). It inquired about their use of Learning Management Systems, document sharing, video-conferencing, gamification, social media, and video-recording. Findings reveal that teachers’ use of technology during the pandemic predicted their anticipated use post-pandemic. Teachers who used any of the six technologies during the pandemic were significantly more likely to anticipate using those same ones post-pandemic than those who did not. Despite the challenges of implementing these tools under these circumstances, these six technologies may remain as part of L2 teaching in the future.