The CATESOL Journal

The Internet has become one of the most important teaching tools in recent years in terms of its power to change everyday practices in educational settings. In parallel with the expansion of Internet use in the classroom, both teachers and students have begun to accept the changes. However, some obstacles still need to be overcome before teachers can effectively integrate Internet-based activities into class practices. This paper presents a brief history of technology use in foreign language education, describes some basic benefits and challenges of employing the Internet through specific illustrations taken from the researcher’s educational experiences in the field of English language teaching, and provides several guidelines for teachers regarding effective use of the Internet in the foreign language classroom.