Emerging Technologies: Language in Action: From Webquests to Virtual Realities‪.‬

English is the lingua franca of the Internet and as a consequence the World Wide Web offers a rich bounty for ESL and EFL teachers and learners. It also represents a vast repository of misinformation, poor language use, and potentially offensive material. There are any number of possible approaches to avoiding the pitfalls of the Internet while exploiting efficiently its resources and connectivity for language learning. We will focus in this column on some of the methods pioneered particularly by ESL professionals such as Webquests, MOOs, and chatterbots, as well as some recent innovations made possible by advances in mobile technology. The emphasis throughout will be on technology uses which place language learners in the role of active participants and the teacher in that of facilitator. Webquests