As part of the IDEAL project (“Integrating Digital Education in Adult Language Teaching”) – which is focused on supporting language teachers through digital tools – we we are some comparative projects and resourcess which may be used to support language teachers.

In identifying language teachers needs are/ what students’ needs are, potentially the national source for this is in the national research project “Enhancing Digital Literacies for Language Learning” which is referenced in the implementation plan for Ireland’s Strategy For Foreign Languages In Education and which is funded by the National Forum for Enhancement in Teaching and Learning (https://www.teachingandlearning.ie/) – the national body responsible for leading and advising on the enhancement of teaching and learning in Irish higher education.

The Enhancing Digital Literacies for Language Learning and Teaching Project (DigiLanguages – https://www.digilanguages.ie/) in particular, outlines a range of resources and approaches designed to act as a significant student support mechanism, and also as an online learning tool for language learners and teachers. As part of the results, the project has developed a series of competencies related to digital learning elements for language learners, with one such strand being Digital Literacies” (This can be seen at https://www.digilanguages.ie/#/roles/10?_k=hkv264).

This set of digital literacies for language teaching/ teachers provides a clear set of suggested digital competencies, spread across 4 broad categories: 1. Language (Print Literacy, Texting Literacy, Code Literacy, etc.) 2. Information (Search Literacy, Filtering Literacy, Tagging Literacy, etc.) 3. Connections (Personal Literacy, Network Literacy, participatory Literacy, etc.) 4. Redesign (Fair Use, etc)