Paper Title
The Use of Technology in the Teaching and Learning of African Language – A Sociological Approach
Abstract
Technology has brought about new knowledge forms in all aspects of human life. The new knowledgeforms have transformed not only human lives but also human ways of doing things. Education has alsobenefited from technological transformation which is witnessed through the delivery of teaching andreception of learning with technology. The use of technology in teaching has been a fundamental themein the 21st century as the world tends towards the fourth industrial revolution. Using Bourdieu’s socialtheory, this paper seeks to gain an understanding of how the use of technology is impacted by the socialcontext of language lecturers. The aim of this study, therefore, is to investigate how language lecturers’social context influences their use of technology in teaching African languages. To pursue the above aim,an in-depth survey is conducted with 34 languages lecturers from 3 universities in KwaZulu-Natalusing a stratified sampling method. This study provides a detailed account and analysis of lecturers’social context regarding the use of technology for their teaching. In addition, the value lecturers place ontechnology in teaching African languages shall be discussed. Finally, obtainable, and sustainable ways ofmaking the use oftechnologies in teaching African languages more effective considering the social contextof language lecturers are recommended for lecturers and other educational stakeholders.
Keywords – Bourdieu; Social Context; Language Lecturers; Language Teaching And Learning; African Languages