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Results of a European Union (EU)-wide study by the EU Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) have revealed that language teachers are failing to take advantage of social networking, and also perceive it as threat to their classroom authority. However, there are several teachers who feel that there is a growing grassroots network of teachers who use online interactive, collaborative and social media to teach modern languages.

An overview of the VerbCast pilot project undertaken by a Partners in Excellence group in North Ayrshire, East Ayrshire, and Argyll and Bute. The project was designed to help a group of 15 to 17-year-olds become more confident in their use of French verbs and involved a series of 20 daily podcasts lasting 15 minutes which concentrated on one verb. The students believe that using the podcast method helped make what would have been dull more interesting.

Advice is given to languages teachers on how to use the Internet and online resources to motivate students and add excitement to lessons. The main advantage of using the Internet is that it gives students a chance to access authentic language used in real-life situations.

An overview of a number of educational technology and software products which may be of interest to modern foreign language teachers that are being exhibited at the BETT educational technology show 2006.

Advice is given to visitors to the BETT 2004 event on what to see if they are interested in ICT use in languages. Article also includes details of some of the products which will be on display and some of the companies with stands at the event.

Lymm High School, a specialist languages college in Cheshire, is using a combination of software and teacher support to offer students a choice of 88 languages which they can learn. The school is using the TalkNow! and WorldTalk! CD-ROMs from EuroTalk to provide such a wide range of languages. The CD-ROMs enable students to work independently under the supervision of language department staff.

Sheilagh Crowther, a teacher of English as an additional language at the Centre for Intercultural Resources in Gloucestershire, has devised a number of multimedia tools which are intended to help pupils and teachers across the curriculum. Crowther is convinced that ICT can make a difference when deployed correctly, In particular, Crowther encourages teachers and pupils to create their own talking books.

Didcot Girls' School in Oxfordshire is making rapid strides in language teaching by using information communications technology (ICT). It is a language college with 1,340 pupils, of which 230 are in the 6th form. It is a beacon school and recipient of two school improvement awards. French, German, Spanish, Italian and Latin are the main languages taught. The school uses the 'Hot Potatoes' programme, created by the University of Victoria in Canada, to create pupil worksheets. The school has a computer-based language lab with 32 stations.