TESOL in times of change

This paper locates the field of TESOL1 within a broad and complex social context marked by dramatic and dynamic technological and socio-economic changes that have taken place over the few last decades in many countries in the world. Understanding these transformations is crucial for educators because it facilitates understanding of the educational and professional needs of people (Saha 1997; Allen 2004; Ballantine & Spade 2008). I begin this paper with a review of the literature which describes macro-level transformations in contemporary society and the economy, and their implications for the employment market and practices. I argue that digital literacy provides opportunities for development of these professional capabilities. Taking into account the professional requirements for contemporary employees, I then review current literature (from the last five years) from the field of TESOL to examine if and to what extent technology use and existing approaches address learners’ professional needs. Finally, I refer to Literacy Studies (Scribner & Cole 1981; Street 1984; 2009; Barton, Hamilton & Ivanic 2000; Gee 2000; 2004; Lankshear & Knobel 2003; Pahl & Rowsell 2005; Snyder 2009; Warschauer 2009) as a useful theoretical paradigm and digital literacy as the approach to language teaching it offers for TESOL educators to rethink what else (in addition to mastering language proficiency) they might and, in fact, need to do with digital technologies. After the review of Literacy Studies research, the implications for the field of TESOL are discussed.