Bridging Tech and Language Pedagogy: A Review of Integrating Information Technology in Foreign Language Education (HCMUE Press, 2025)

Abstract

Integrating Information Technology in Foreign Language Education by Tran Tin Nghi and Ly Cong Khanh (2025) is a timely and substantive contribution to how technology can be meaningfully embedded in language teaching. It stands out among CALL and TELL resources by coupling clear theory with classroom-ready exemplars situated in Vietnamese higher education, a context often underrepresented in the mainstream literature (Bax, 2003). The authors advance a persuasive thesis: technology is not a bolt-on accessory but a transformative lever that reshapes pedagogy and learner experience. In doing so, they align with the TPACK view that effective tech integration requires the intertwining of technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge, and they echo SAMR’s call to move beyond substitution toward redesign and redefinition of tasks (Mishra & Koehler, 2006; Romrell et al., 2014). These frameworks provide a useful yardstick for readers to gauge their own practice and underscore the book’s emphasis on principled, not merely enthusiastic, adoption.