Web 2.0 is a word that represents the tools and resources that have developed in popularity in the last 5 years or so on the internet. They are such things as Facebook, Ning, Wikis, Twitter and a plethora of others. These tools and resources mentioned started out as personal applications, but then teachers started wondering about their potential for being used in the classroom and in online or even hybrid courses. Other sites that deal with developing online learning have played on the words Web 2.0, such as Classroom 2.0, a ning with some great place for digital dialogues about e-learning.
I think it's great to bring authenticly popular tools into lessons, because they can be very motivating for students. Authentic materials create powerful, meaningful tasks which increase intrinsic motivation and decrease Krashen’s affective filter at which point students can be more productive (as cited in Ducate & Arnold, 2006). Murray and Hourigan (as cited in Ducate & Arnold, 2006) also noted that authentic materials increase student awareness of the target language writing styles and registers, thus further adding to students’ skill sets. Bringing web tools into the classroom helps students develop multiliteracy skills that are needed in our multimedia society (Garrett, 2009).
Younger students especially like using them to complete assignments or talk about. That being said, it's important to note who your students are when choosing to introduce various 2.0 resources into your lesson. You won't usually have any trouble with the "younger" students, but older adult students may be new to all of these applications, so if you don't provide enough scaffolding and "how to use this tool" teaching, students are going to be frustrated, rather than motivated.
Another important point to look in regards to your students when choosing tools to use, is the issue of privacy. Web 2.0 tools are usually free and relatively unmonitored, because they can become big really fast, for example, Facebook. ESL students are considered to be a vulnerable group, due to language barriers but also potential background issues. Some ESL students are refugees who are running from persecution. People don't have to be running for us to take care; most people just really value their privacy and without the language to read and manuever all the privacy settings, ESL students can fall victim to identity theft and other annoying issues related to online communications.
The bottom line is that there are some great resources, like Nings, that can control who participates in the discussions and keep the community private. Instructors need to be diligent about which resources they choose to use in their lessons, and if they are, I believe that Web 2.0 tools can be good for the classroom.
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Ducate, L, & Arnold, N. (Eds). (2006). Calling on CALL: from theory and research to new directions in foreign language teaching. San Marcos, USA: CALICO.
Garrett, N. (2009). Computer-Assisted Language Learning Trends and Issues Revisited: Integrating Innovation. Modern Language Journal, 90, 719-740.
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Taking into consideration the privacy issues and the scaffolding needed to assist learners with the technology, (even for younger learners who may know a lot but often have big gaps)it might seem overwhelming for some teachers to bring in new tools. But as you pointed out, learning to manage the online environment is a literacy skill today, that if not developed, may interfere with our students' success in their future endeavors. Therefore these skills have a very legitimate place in the ESL/EFL classroom.
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