Digital tools through a K-3 teacher’s perspective

Technology is advancing at a rapid pace and more digital tools find their way into the classrooms as a means for educational purposes. The English language has also taken more space in our everyday life and is almost a necessity in today's global society. However, can the teachers in the Swedish educational society keep up with the rapid growth of both these subjects? The aim with this study is to get a better understanding about teachers’ perspective and knowledge about digital tools as an aid for English language development for young learners, as well as what challenges and benefits they find with using digital tools as a means for English language development. This study will present a summary of theoretical and literature background regarding the topic at hand. The data for this study was collected through interviews with five K-3 teachers in four different schools located in south of Sweden. The result showed that a majority of the five interviewed teachers, saw digital tools to be beneficial in the English classroom environment, and they had a positive view on English as a subject and its importance for young learners. However, the data collected exposed that the absence of guidelines, inadequate knowledge about how to use the tools within an educational approach, malfunctioning equipment and the lack of time to teach and plan the lessons was a substantial dilemm