A Systematic Review of Technology Reviews in Language Teaching and Learning Journals

Abstract

Technology reviews are a specific article genre published in several language teaching and learning journals. Their emergence is likely due to the proliferation of technology that facilitates and supports language acquisition. These reviews aim to increase teachers’ and learners’ awareness of the forms of technology available and succinctly describe their benefits and limitations for language teaching and learning. As education enters a new digital age, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential to determine which forms of technology support teachers’ professional learning and how they can be utilized. This article presents a systematic review of technology reviews published between 2017 and 2022 in five Q1 SCOPUS-indexed language teaching and learning journals: RELC Journal, TESOL Journal, CALICO Journal, Language Learning and Technology and Teaching English as a Second Language Electronic Journal (TESL-EJ). These five journals were the only Q1 language teaching and learning journals we identified that publish technology reviews. All 73 technology reviews published in the 5-year period in the 5 journals were reviewed. Using professional digital competence as a framework, we explore what the articles reveal about how technology is used, as well as the knowledge gaps that remain. We examine the types and features of the technology described in the reviews, the language skills and educational levels of the learners, and the pedagogical implications of technology use. We found that the technology reviews mainly introduced the technological features and functions of the reviewed technologies with less emphasis placed on their pedagogical utilities and social aspects of their use for language teaching. The article concludes with recommendations for authors and journal editors regarding the content that should be included in a technology review to ensure that it is helpful to the profession. We also offer advice to practitioners on how to benefit from technology reviews.