The 10 commandments of teaching 'generation Y' with technology

Official URL: http://www.hltmag.co.uk/dec14/mart02.htm

Contemporary research on Generation Y originated in developed nations, although examination of this age group is increasing throughout the entire academic world. Whereas Generation Y has received much attention in the academic literature of many fields, this is not yet the case in ELT research. This lack of consideration is regrettable, as most Generation Yers are currently English language learners. This article hopes to address this shortcoming by presenting the results of action research conducted with learners of this generation. In doing so, the aim is to enlighten ELT professionals as to the nature of Generation Y, how they engage with technology, while also presenting teaching strategies aimed at leveraging everyday technology practices in teaching this age group in the English classroom. The participants were students studying in a university preparatory program at Sabancı University School of Languages in Istanbul and were intermediate and upper intermediate level (B1 / B1+) level students. The participants firstly responded to a writing assignment, and secondly took part in focus group interviews. The results indicated that learners are comfortable with technology rather than innovative in their tech use. Furthermore, although they use technology on a daily basis, in some respects they vastly over-estimate their proficiency. Nevertheless, technology should be utilized to facilitate the meeting of teaching objectives in ways that match our learners’ tech culture.