ICT and Language Learning Interconnections: A Review of the Literature

The effects of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the field of education have long been discussed and argued by many educational scholars worldwide. Today's youths are surrounded by information technologies. They use and interact with digital media on a constant basis, to the point where it becomes part of their daily lives. The current review provides clear evidence about the complex nature of social media and its relationship with language teaching and learning¬—an issue that has perplexed numerous scholars and led to controversial views. While some scholars blame social media for being a source of distraction, others view it as a valuable educational tool, and others take a balanced approach, highlighting its pros and cons. Given that social media utilization is a behavior, this study provides a critical synthesis of theoretical and empirical research and highlights several relevant theories, on top of which comes the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model, which offers a theoretical framework for probing students' perceptions and attitudes towards technology adoption. The studies reviewed in this paper highlight learners' perceptions of and attitudes towards the use of ICT in the learning process, and the present review aims to provide valuable insights for education stakeholders.