Research on English language teaching has found that information and communications technology (ICT) can potentially enhance pupils’ language learning, alter teaching strategies and teaching activities (Golonka, Bowles, Frank, Richardson, & Freynik, 2014; Colleague & Author 3, 2015). In their literature review, Golonka et al. (2014) point out that digital video could have positive benefits on pronunciation. Also, their study on History and English teaching in Norwegian secondary schools, Colleague and Author 3 (2015) found that the textbook’s dominant position as the only source of information in the classroom was being challenged by online resources. Thus, to use ICT in English language teaching in innovative and pedagogically sound ways requires teachers of English to have both subject related knowledge and professional digital competence (Author 3 and colleagues, 2014). This is especially the case for Norway where the use of digital tools or digital competence is regarded as the fifth basic skill in the national curriculum along with reading, writing, arithmetic and speaking, and is to be a part of every subject discipline such as English (Ministry of Education and Research, 2006/2013). Here, the term professional digital competence can be understood as “the teacher/TEs’ [teacher educators’] proficiency in using ICT in a professional context with good pedagogic-didactic judgement and his or her awareness of its implications for learning strategies and the digital Bildung [ethics] of pupils and students (Krumsvik, 2011, pp. 44-45).

Despite the growth of research on ICT with English language teachers and pupils in school, little is known about how future English language teachers in teacher education are prepared to integrate ICT for teaching English (Author 1 & Colleague, 2014; Author 1 & Colleague, 2016). For example, it is a paradox that teacher education does not focus on discussing digital reading, multimodality and promoting digital learning strategies when several studies on education point out the complexities involved with these aspects including comparing and drawing on multiple conflicting web sources (Anmarkrud, Bråten & Strømsø, 2014; Blikstad-Balas, 2015; Strømsø, Bråten & Britt, 2010). Another paradox is pointed out in a recent study on Norwegian general teacher education where Tønnessen and colleagues (2016) note the dominance of the textual modality in assignments along with the (mis)use of basic digital tools such as word processors and presentation tools. Therefore, the purpose of this theoretical paper is to discuss current and potential future use of ICT with pre-service/student teachers in English didactics in Norwegian teacher education. The paper is based on a trial lecture from a doctoral thesis on digital competence development in English as a second language student teachers in teacher education (Author 1, 2016a).

A number of cases from Norwegian teacher education will be used to illustrate current and potential pedagogic-didactic use of ICT in English language teaching. For instance, the learning potential of using digital video in teacher education will be discussed in light of an ongoing study on student teachers filming and reflecting on their classroom teaching during their school practicum (Author 3 & Colleague, 2015). Another study regards the use of a digital storytelling workshop in teacher education where student teachers had to create their own digital stories and later reflect on the use of the method in their future teaching (Author 1, 2016b). A third example derives from a study on collaborative learning in teacher education where student teachers used social media instead of the institution’s learning management systems to communicate and solve assignments (Birkeland, Drange & Tønnessen, 2015). Although some of these studies are situated in other disciplinary contexts, the paper will show how the findings can be related to an English language teaching context.

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