2.5 Conclusion

Some of our most important priorities for the teaching of second and foreign languages can be strongly supported by intelligent use of technology: "But these will not be accomplished unless and until teachers themselves take the initiative to think through what the technology should be able to do for them and for their students and make their needs known" (Garrett, 1991, p.95). The aim of the present research is to look at teachers' thinking about the technologies presently available to them in OLEs. The evolution traced in this chapter has provided important historical information, a theoretical background and concepts which frame current thought about the possibilities and potential of OLEs.

Behavioristic CALL fit well with the prevailing Audio-Lingual Method. Communicative CALL suits a communicative approach to language teaching. And constructivist use of the Internet suits and supports the vision of learning for the 21^st century outlined in this chapter. But what happens in situations where the teacher's didactic or transmissionist approach meets the potentially constructivist environment of the Internet? Prawat (1992) argues that constructivist approaches to teaching and learning are inconsistent with what many teachers believe. Will teachers' beliefs about teaching and learning FSFL using OLEs result in nothing more than old wine in new bottles or simply a means to digitize existing practices? Where do teachers' beliefs fall in relation to the evolution outlined in this chapter and, more specifically, in relation to the vision? Do teachers' beliefs about teaching and learning FSFL in online learning environments reflect elements of the vision of learning for the 21^st century espoused by this study? In responding to these questions, this study seeks to identify, describe, and analyze teachers' beliefs in order to be better able to gage the potential of the Internet to be effectively exploited as a learning environment. The following chapter will provide a review of the literature related to teachers' beliefs. The review will add to the framework provided in this chapter through its consideration of studies previously conducted in the area of teachers' beliefs. The chapter will also provide information about beliefs themselves, their characteristics and their relationship to practice and to change.