The document discusses the evolution of the English language in the context of technology, suggesting a shift towards 'panglish' due to influences from various local languages. It outlines traditional methods of learning a second language and introduces the concept of technological language immersion, which may lead to future learning through advanced tools like nanocomputers. Ultimately, it raises the possibility that language could become obsolete as communication evolves into a universal code facilitated by human-computer symbiosis.

1. Redefining TESOL in the Digital Age
Technological Language Immersion
3/30/2011 © 2011 American TESOL Institute 1

2. TESOL2 - Technological Language Immersion
•How the English language is evolving today.
•How humans learn second languages now.
•How humans will learn languages in the future.
•Will language become obsolete?
3/30/2011 © 2011 American TESOL Institute 2

3. Evolution of the English Language
 Do you speak Panglish?
Any language is constantly evolving, so it's not  A growing body of research
surprising that English, transplanted to new shows electronic
soil, is bearing unusual fruit. Nor is it unique communications channels like
that a language, spread so far from its instant messaging have created a
homelands, would begin to fracture. The
obvious comparison is to Latin, which broke
kind of semi-speech - language
into mutually distinct languages over
that is between talking and
hundreds of years — French, Italian, Spanish, writing. Some say it is evidence
Portuguese, Romanian. A less familiar of evolution, not of decay.
example is Arabic: The speakers of its myriad
dialects are connected through the written
language of the Koran and, more recently,  Technology allows us to
through the homogenized Arabic of Al communicate faster using
Jazeera. But what's happening to English may symbols and abbreviations,
be its own thing: It's mingling with so many while expending less energy to
more local languages than Latin ever did, that convey the same ideas.
it's on a path toward a global tongue — what's
coming to be known as Panglish. Soon, when
Americans travel abroad, one of the languages
they'll have to learn may be their own.
3/30/2011 © 2011 American TESOL Institute 3

4. How do we learn a 2nd language?
Traditional Methods It can take 5 to 10 years using
 Art/Music traditional methods to become
 Direct Based
fluent in a language you are not
immersed.
 Communicative
Factors
 Vocabulary
 Your age - the younger you are
 Total Physical Response when you start, the better
 Rassias Method  Your aptitude for language -
 Computer Assisted Language some people are just better at
Learning language than others
 The effort you put into learning
- if you practice every day you'll
learn and remember a lot more
than someone who goes to class
once a week but never practices
outside of class
3/30/2011 © 2011 American TESOL Institute 4

5. Technological Language Immersion
How we will learn languages in the
near future.
 Augmented Reality
 Technological Language
Immersion is the
total immersion
into a second language
achieved through
machines.
3/30/2011 © 2011 American TESOL Institute 5

6. How We Will Learn Languages in
the Distant Future.
 Eventually humans will  Human-Computer
perfect nanocomputers Symbiosis
for wireless  Nanocomputers
communication over
networks. These
nanocomputers will
symbiotically fit into
areas of the brain
responsible for
transmitting and
receiving information.
3/30/2011 © 2011 American TESOL Institute 6

7. Will Language Become Obsolete?
In the distant future it is conceivable that communication
will be achieved through human-computer symbiosis, and all
forms of communication will be represented in a universal code.
Sources: Wired.com, About.com, Seeingwithsound.com, AmericanTESOL.com
3/30/2011 © 2011 American TESOL Institute 7