Innovation in Language Learning

The author of this paper will present the idea that the development of foreign language skills when using English collocations may be enriched through an intensively scrutinised application of modern technologies (e.g. e-learning using VoiceThread, Vocaroo, Voki and/or YouTube). It is assumed that these modern technologies are in general beneficial in reinforcing the students’ willingness to acquire foreign languages and can thus be viewed as a supportive tool for communication. Thus, implementing them as a didactic energiser in second language teaching can turn ordinary classroom exercises into more challenging and engaging routines. Moreover, modern technologies can foster the students’ knowledge of the English language and boost their confidence in their learning abilities. The aim of this paper is to investigate how modern technologies can be applied not only in the teaching and learning of English collocations but also to prove whether they are truly beneficial for foreign language pedagogy. Accordingly, the results of the empirical research, which consisted of observations and tests that were conducted among Polish students of higher education who were engaged in the process of searching for selected types of English phraseological units and their interpretations, will be presented in order to estimate how the students’ communicative skills may be developed and improved.