Do you think technologies (e.g., videos, computers, etc.) should play a central or a peripheral role in second language teaching and learning? Why?

I think technologies should play a central role in second language teaching and learning because teachers can take a lot of advantages of technology in order to make the teaching and learning more effective. The usage of technology in the classroom can make the classes more intesting for students due to it is an unusual way of teaching; therefore, students learn more since they are interested and they pay more attention to the classes. Moreover, technology offers a wide ways of improving a second language. Students who study a second language need to learn how to use technology to improve their skills because it is not enough only with the classes their resive. However, technology sometimes can distract students with other things such as social networkings (facebook, twitter, hi5, tagged, etc) or web sites like youtobe. And they will not use internet or technology for the right purpose insted they will waste their time in unnecessary things and learning will not take place. In order to avoid this, teachers need to educate first themselves on the good usages of technology  and then educate their students , as well. Technology is an important and big source of knowledge but we have to learn how to use it; if we do this we will see the results on the improvement of students. But we also need to be really careful  and we need to make sure we use technology to a rela purpose. For example, a computer can`t teach studentsany more than a blackboard or a cassette recorder can. It will all depends on what you do with the tools. By using technology we allow students to be an active part of their own learning because they use it to go over their classes out side the schools or in their  houses. It is important to use different methods that technology offers us due to studets do not take seriously or they get bored when they have to read a book or when they have to go to the libraryand investigate, but if they have to read an information on a blog, they watch a video, or they have to make a discussion with their classmates on facebook, they will feel these more interesting and they will be more willing to participate on them. As a conclusion, we as future teachers do not have to be afraid of using new methods of teaching or using the technology to give our classes; indeen this has to play a principal role in our teaching.