For teachers in general, and for language teachers in particular, the pandemic has not only been a temporary change in the way we work, but it has meant a substantial change in the way we carry out our educational work and even in how we live our lives. We have had to make major adjustments in our performance and, as we have pointed out on previous occasions, things will never be quite the same as before the onset of this global scourge. We must be prepared and anticipate all the changes that are taking place and that will come in the future, not only in relation to post-pandemic life, but also to the dizzying technological advance.
The circumstances of a completed year of virtuality, and another that we have begun, have determined many innovations, such as, for example, that the reluctance that many teachers had to bring technology into the classroom collapses and that they had to embrace it in order to survive. In this way, they have developed skills in the use of different internet platforms. The very concept of the classroom has been transformed. The students have also changed. They now need to be more autonomous and aware of their learning. In addition, digital resources provide them with new possibilities, such as, for example, going at their own pace and knowing how to easily get answers to their questions or doubts. For this they have Google, YouTube and endless resources. Parents have also changed their involvement and intervention in their children’s learning. Many have become more critical and demanding of their children and also of teachers.
The time is ripe for foreign language teachers to seek new opportunities using the language they master in new fields. Of course, this requires special learning for themselves, since they are specialized fields, but it would make it easier for teachers to maintain their validity. They could engage in translation, the field of international examinations, teaching Spanish to foreigners, or even apply their linguistic aptitude in the field of international business. The essential thing is not to let up.
