Teaching Languages with Technology: Communicative Approaches

In this review of Teaching Languages with Technology: Communicative Approaches to Interactive Whiteboard Use, the bottom line is simple: this is a focused academic resource for language teachers and teacher trainers who want to integrate interactive whiteboard practice with communicative language teaching. The book links second language acquisition theory with classroom practice and is most valuable for educators seeking evidence-informed strategies rather than quick tech tips. Our review finds it strongest where it connects interaction, negotiation of meaning and focus on form to concrete activities for primary, secondary and vocational classrooms.

Key Features

• Theoretical grounding: Draws on contemporary second language acquisition ideas so readers understand why particular interactive whiteboard tasks can support learning.
• Classroom interaction focus: Examines interaction, collaboration and negotiation of meaning to show how IWBs can foster communicative exchanges among learners.
• Practical settings: Covers primary, secondary and vocational contexts so teachers in different sectors can adapt activities to their classrooms.
• Technology integration: Treats interactive whiteboards as tools within computer-assisted language learning rather than as standalone gimmicks, helping teachers plan pedagogy around the device.
• Motivational perspective: Argues that IWBs can increase learner and teacher engagement, providing a rationale for investment in training and resources.

Who It's For

Language teachers, teacher educators and curriculum designers who want a research-informed account of how interactive whiteboards can be used to support communicative language teaching will find this book useful. Those delivering CPD or designing training materials for schools and vocational programs will appreciate the links between SLA theory and classroom practice.

This is not a how-to manual for specific software or step-by-step hardware setup, so readers seeking a quick troubleshooting guide or a catalog of apps should look elsewhere. It also assumes some familiarity with communicative teaching principles rather than introducing basic language pedagogy from scratch.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Connects SLA theory to classroom activity, helping teachers make principled choices about task design.
• Emphasizes interaction and negotiation of meaning, which supports communicative competence rather than rote practice.
• Addresses diverse settings-primary, secondary and vocational-making the guidance broadly applicable.

Cons

• Not a technical manual: it does not provide detailed hardware setup or stepwise software instructions.

Specifications

Title	Teaching Languages with Technology: Communicative Approaches to Interactive Whiteboard Use
Series	Advances in Digital Language Learning and Teaching
Focus	Interactive whiteboard use in language learning
Approach	Second language acquisition, communicative classroom practice
Levels covered	Primary, secondary, vocational schools
Use case	Teacher training and classroom activity design
Authors / Editors	Euline Cutrim Schmid; Shona Whyte; Michael Thomas; Mark Peterson; Mark Warschauer

Our Verdict

For educators committed to principled technology use, this book offers a solid bridge between communicative methodology and interactive whiteboard practice, making it good value for teacher trainers and curriculum planners. It is best purchased by those who want theory-informed classroom strategies rather than hardware how-tos.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the book explain how IWBs support communicative activities?
The book links SLA theory to interactional classroom tasks and explains how IWBs can be used to foster negotiation of meaning and collaboration.

Is this suitable for primary school teachers?
Yes. The text explicitly covers primary as well as secondary and vocational contexts, with examples adaptable to younger learners.

Will it teach technical setup or software usage?
No. The focus is pedagogical and theoretical rather than step-by-step technical instruction.