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Running head: TECHNOLOGY AND

LANGUAGE

Final Paper- Literature Review

Technology and Language Production
Jennifer Salazar
Sonoma State University

Running head: TECHNOLOGY AND

LANGUAGE

The early childhood years is a critical and crucial time for developing language acquisition.
Bond and Wasik (2009) suggest that developing language skills is one of the most important
milestones in childrens early years. Children best develop language skills by engaging in
conversations with competent adults who scaffold language and create opportunities for them to
learn the syntax and semantics as well as new vocabulary words. During child development a
range of influencers affect and impact a Childs ability to learn and produce language. Influencers
contribute to different milestones in language growth. Studies of particular environments reveal
children are influenced by educators. A study by Justice (2004) examined children and the effects
of the learning environment they are subjected to. The article states, By developing a
philosophy, teams can take a principled approach to creating language-rich classroom
environments (Justice, 2004, pg. 37). Historical perspectives and technology are a major impact

on language production. Historical perspectives connect the past with the future to understand
the development of technology and where it is headed. Technology serves language development
in two ways. It allows researchers innovative ways of collecting data, like audio and video
recorders. Secondly, there are tools that engage young children in new literacy practices such as
e-books. This paper will connect the importance of language development to the following
studies and will support the language phenomena.
Historical Perspectives on Literacy in Early Childhood
Historical perspectives evaluate background information to connect and compare the past with
current research. Throughout time the importance of language acquisition has advanced on
many levels. Kleeck and Schuele (2010) expand on changes in literacy. Today in the United
States, the goal of education is to ensure that every child becomes literate. Historically, it is
important to recognize the evolution of whom in Western society was expected or allowed to

Running head: TECHNOLOGY AND

LANGUAGE

learn to read. During the Roman times it was only the males that learned to read. The second half
of the twentieth century developed higher expectations for literacy. Shifts in teaching methods
have unfolded over time, causing direct reading to transform into informally fostering
foundational skills. The evolution of cultural mainstream perspectives shifted from 1 century AD
st

believing that males should only read at the age of seven to Quintilian, a rhetorician, challenging
those beliefs and suggesting reading in younger years was preferred if given the proper tools
(Kleeck & Schuele, 2010). The trend on literacy importance and awareness by the late eighties
suggested research from the emergent literacy perspective was beginning to provide substantial
evidence (primarily, although not exclusively, from mainstream culture families) regarding the
specific activities and resultant skills and knowledge about literacy that young children can
acquire in their home environments before they reach formal schooling (Kleeck & Schuele,
2010). Currently, it is common for preschool children to attend schools that are center-based
prior to enrollment. Keeping the future in mind, today the main focus is setting children up for
literacy in later years. Over the last 40 years, the number of children attending preschool has
grown tremendously, and thus the potential impact of preschool education on childrens literacy
skills is great (Kleeck & Schuele, 2010). Learning environments foster and set up the very
basics for childrens ability to learn.
Technology
Technology has rapidly advanced over the years, and has become increasingly popular as a
medium used in classrooms. In the article, The Song Remains the Same: Looking Back to the
Future of Educational Technology, Mishra et al., (2009) talk about the history of technology and
how change has occurred. The authors state, Today the world of the learner is almost
unbounded. He [sic] must acquire facts relating to a bewildering variety of places and things; he

Running head: TECHNOLOGY AND

LANGUAGE

must acquire appreciations of far-reaching interrelationships. The curriculum and methods of

teaching must undergo a continuous appraisal. New subject matter and new devices for
instruction are being scrutinized for their potential contributions to the learning process.
(Mishra et al., 2009, p. 49).The advancements in technology can be useful for classroom
curriculum. In another article, Teaching for Meaningful Learning with New Technologies, by
Martha Stone Wiske, she speaks about meaningful learning. The author states, The elements of
the framework also suggest specific points of leverage where new technologies may contribute
significantly to teaching and learning for understanding (Wiske, 2006, pg. 30). Technology has
many uses available to educators and researchers such as: document research, aid curriculum,
and communication. Throughout the last decade, technology has become a device to record and
document behavior, actions, language, and all forms of preschool aged children. Previous studies
such as Einarsdottir (2014) used video tapes and recording devices to document their research in
early childhood language production.
Play and Literacy: A Collaborative Action Research Project in Preschool
This section and throughout the paper, will review and highlight specific studies using
technology to produce ideas and explain the language phenomena. Einarsdottir (2014) crafted a
study in Iceland on two preschoolers. The findings indicate that participation in this action
research empowered the preschool teachers and influenced their practices and ideas. By adding
literacy materials to the childrens play area, the teachers noticed a change. They became more
aware of the value of play in childrens learning. The author wrote in the abstract, Data were
gathered using video recordings, photos, interviews, observations, notes from meetings,
documents, and diaries (Einarsdottir, 2014, pg.93). These digital tools help researchers collect
data on the children. In another study, microphones were used to record children during free play.

Running head: TECHNOLOGY AND

LANGUAGE

Language of Children With Disabilities to Peers at Play: Impact of Ecology

Mills, Beecher, Dale, Cole, and Jenkins (2014) examined the significance of play time by using
thirty eight participants for the first study and twelve for the second whom were eligible for
special education services. The children were to engage in free play, with play materials and
toys. Instruments used for this study was microphones attached to vests. Recordings went on for
forty minute increments. Children were to attend school two hours a day for one hundred and
eighty days. In order to increase the language interaction with peers, young children with
language disabilities need help from adults to structure the play situation, requiring that the child
remain engaged with the same play group for a specified period of time (Mills et al., 2014).
Producing a study that uses a different population gives diversity to research and explains how
influencers impact on multiple levels. Researchers were able to record the childrens voices,
which enabled them to investigate the findings. Furthermore, technology is incorporated into
curriculum, giving educators and children a chance to use a new medium to foster language
production. Studies have explored this phenomenon to better understand its impact on language
acquisition. Technology aids studies on language development because the use of recorders
(video and audio) enables researchers to revisit the data to look for information they may have
missed the first time and use the documentation for later studies.
Click, Swipe, and Read: Sharing e-Books with Toddlers and Preschoolers
With technology rapidly changing, children need engaging activities to stimulate language
development. Currently, other ways of reading, such as e-books has been introduced into early
childhood programs. Hoffman and Paciga (2013) explored e-books used with toddlers and
preschoolers. E-Books share some key features with traditional printed picture books, but also

Running head: TECHNOLOGY AND

LANGUAGE

include distinct features such as live animation, interactive components, and the operation of the
technology that require new approaches to shared reading with young children. Hoffman and
Paciga (2013) state in the article, For example, when the big, bad wolf arrive[s] in the
neighborhood, readers hear looming, suspenseful music in background and the tires of the
wolfs van screeching as he pull up near the pigs houses. These audio components effectively
contribute to the mood of the story. Another finding occurred when a child heard sounds coming
from the e-book during the story of other animals, and asked the teacher what the sound was.
This shows that e-books grab the reader's curiosity visually and by audio. The authors state,
Finally, e-books function in different ways from printed texts and therefore children can learn
new and important skills and literacies that are absent from interactions with printed texts
(Hoffman & Paciga, 2013, pg. 379). E-books support children practicing new digital tools for
future use in classroom curriculum. The findings resulted in e-books promoting results similar to
printed books on childrens language and literacy development.
The Podcasting Playbook: A Typology of Evidence-Based Podagogy For PreK12Classrooms with English Language Learners
Technology has many forms used by educators today. Acosta and Garza (2011) researched
podcasting and its effects on pre-k through high school. The authors mention other researchers
such as Cheung and Slavin (2011a) who define technology used for educational purposes as,
electronic tools and applications that help deliver learning materials and support learning
processes in K-12 classrooms to improve academic learning goals (p.3) Today, technology is
advancing not only in the world, but in classrooms. Educators now use technology as an
academic goal. Childrens language production is assisted by technology enabling them to learn

Running head: TECHNOLOGY AND

LANGUAGE

in new forms. The findings of this study mentions podcasting as economical, adaptable, and
easily shared with others. This digital tool meets the National Educational Technology Standards,
and the International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE). One goal of this study Acosta
and Garza (2011) pointed out was to give educators insight on podcasts and to their professional
development. Why podcast? Acosta and Garza (2011) argue that podcasting is mobile and
flexible. The findings of the study suggested teachers benefited from using podcasts both inside
and outside the classroom. Riddles, games, and songs are forms of phonological awareness that
also count as play time. Including family gives children the opportunity to continue learning at
home. Child development, specifically language acquisition, is important in the early years.

In conclusion, language production in the early years of childhood is extremely important.

Each milestone children reach are critical and crucial throughout their youth. A series of factors
influence language development. The environment, in which children are subjected to
manipulate the process of learning language, historical perspectives create awareness on past and
future advancements in technology and how they connect to language development. Technology,
a rapidly growing phenomenon, provides researchers with innovative ways to collect data via
audio and video recordings. Secondly, digital tools engage children in new literacy practices like
the e-book and podcasts. The previous studies in this paper connect historical perspectives and
technology to the language phenomenon in the early childhood years.

References
Acosta, S., & Garza, T. (2011). The Podcasting Playbook: A Typology of Evidence-Based

Running head: TECHNOLOGY AND

LANGUAGE

Podagogy for PreK-12 Classrooms with English Language Learners. Research In The
Schools, 18(2), 40-57.
Ashburn, E. Floden, R. (2006). Meaningful Learning. New York: Teachers College Press.
Bond, M., & Wasik, B. (2009). Conversation Stations: Promoting Language Development in
Young Children. Early Childhood Education Journal, 36(6), 467-473.
doi:10.1007/s10643-009-0310-7
Einarsdottir, J. (2014). Play and Literacy: A Collaborative Action Research Project in Preschool.
Scandinavian Journal Of Educational Research, 58(1), 93-109.
Hoffman, J. L., & Paciga, K. A. (2014). Click, Swipe, and Read: Sharing e-Books with
Toddlers and Preschoolers. Early Childhood Education Journal, 42(6), 379-388.
Justice, L. (2004). Creating Language Rich Preschool Classroom Environments. TEACHING
Exceptional Children, 37(2), 36-44. Retrieved from http://ici-bostonready-pd-20092010.wikispaces.umb.edu/file/view/Creating Language Rich Preschool Classroom
Environments.pdf
Mills, P. E., Beecher, C. C., Dale, P. S., Cole, K. N., & Jenkins, J. R. (2014). Language of
Children With Disabilities to Peers at Play: Impact of Ecology. Journal Of Early
Intervention, 36(2), 111-130. doi:10.1177/1053815114561518

Mishra, P., Koehler, M., & Kereluik, K. (2009). The song remains the same: Looking back

Running head: TECHNOLOGY AND

LANGUAGE
to the future of educational technology. TechTrends: Linking Research & Practice
to Improve Learning, 53(5), 48-53.
Van Kleeck, A., & Schuele, C. M. (2010). Historical Perspectives on Literacy in Early
Childhood. American Journal Of Speech-Language Pathology, 19(4), 341-355.