Innovation in Language Learning

In this study, we explore students’ attitudes towards the use of digital tools in the learning of English in Sweden and Germany. English is the first compulsory foreign language in both countries. In both countries, there is also a new national strategy with proposals for actions to better exploit the potential of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education. The hypothesis of this study is that there will be differences in the treatment of, and attitudes to, digital tools between the students, and between the two countries. Data was collected through a semi-structured questionnaire answered by 155 German and 185 Swedish students, aged 15‒16. Our results show that the attitudes towards digital tools for language learning differs between the two countries. While the Swedish students use a variety of tools, there is a lack of access to digital learning tools in Germany. There are stark differences in the students’ attitudes towards how they seek value from the learning tools for English. The study shows differences in user behaviour and related appeals and challenges and discusses possible reasons for these differences in a cross-cultural context. The results give implications for the development and enrichment of digital tools in language learning.

Keywords: Student Attitudes, Digital tools, European, Language classroom, Sweden, Germany.

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