Innovation in Language Learning

The integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in classroom practices has gained prominent significance among scholars in recent years due to the necessity of preparing students for the requirements of the modern society and the possible benefits of using technologies as tools for learning. However, making sure that graduates of the faculty of education are equipped with the necessary skills and pedagogical knowledge to enhance their integration of today’s technologies in their teaching and to develop themselves in line with the recent developments in technology is one of the challenges that teacher educators face.  Hence, in this study the preparedness of pre-service language teachers to employ ICTs in their future career as a teacher is investigated. As a part of survey research design to determine pre-service language teachers’ perceptions regarding their preparedness to employ ICTs in teaching, the qualitative data are collected by means of semi-structured interviews with 20 pre-service language teachers to gain deeper understanding of the barriers to their preparedness to employ ICTs in their teaching. The interviews carried out in 5-10 minutes and voice-recorded are transcribed, and themes are detected and coded. The findings of this study reveal that the factors including pre-service language teachers’ attitude, motivation, confidence, content knowledge play a significant role in determining their preparedness. The implications of the findings are discussed in detail and suggestions are provided for policy makers, teacher educators, and pre-service language teachers.

Key words: ICTs, teacher education, preparedness, pre-service language teachers, perceptions