Trainee teachers'perceptions of the use of digital technology in the languages classroom Linda Fisher Traineeteachersareinauniquesituationwhenitcomes to learning about ICT and its uses in the MFL classroom .The sum m ary below is structured around the trainees'initialthoughts aboutICT and its potentialfor languagesteaching,theinfluenceof'thesubjectculture'in movingtheirthinkingandpracticeonICT,thetrainees' developing understanding ofthe 'fit'ofICT with MFL pedagogy,theirusesofICTforpersonallearning,cautions aboutthe use ofICT and theirthink-ing on its future use.Alpriorexperiences wilhave contributed to the formationofbeliefsaboutthevalueofICTasapossible teaching toolforMFL,and these in turn influence the wilingnesstoincorporateICTintoclassroom practice,the speed of this incorporation and the variety of teaching approachestodigitaltechnologyadopted.Forthecohort of trainees under the spotlight here, this meant demonstratingforexamplethat'theyknowhowtouseICT efectively,bothtoteachtheirsub-jectandtosupport theirwiderprofessional(TTA,2003;9)andthatthey'use ICT ef fectively in their teaching'(TTA,2003;13).These measurescanbeseenasgovern-menttryingtoensure that new teachers leave training courses digitaly proficient by requiring that al l trainee teachers engage with it. Making trainees gain certain technical understandings and com petences (the skil ls test), and guaranteeingtheyhaveexperienceofusingitintheirwork intheclassroom (theQTSstandards),isawayof spreading more use ofICT into schools,with trainees potentialyfunctioningasagentsofchangewithinsubject

 departments.Neither qualified teachers nor trainees, therefore,have free rein to decide whetherICT is a suitable fit for their pedagogy, as they are required to incorporate it. In addition, trainee teachers must demonstrateknowledgeandcompe-tenceinICTinorder to gain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).Sem i-structured interviews were conducted lasting around 40 minutes each,withquestionsonthefolowingareas:how trainees felt about ICT and its af fordances Foreign-Language LearningwithDigitalTechnologyonbeginningthecourse; how thisdevelopedovertheyear;how theyhadused digital technology for languages teaching and learning; any cautions about its use; projections for future use.Despite the internet's appearance only in the m id- 1990s,andrelativelyfewTraineeTeachers'Perceptionsof DigitalTechnologyresourcesinschoolsuntilthemassive governmentinvestmentinthelate1990sandearly2000s, thegeneraldemographicoftrainees(modeage25forthe cohort under discussion) m eans that they are likely to haveencoun-teredsometeachingwithICTduringtheir ownlanguageseducation.Theywilhavehadexperiences involvingICTthatwilhavegiventhem aview astothe extentofpotentialeficacyintheclassroom:werethey themselves taughtlanguages using ICT,and did they consider this useful?She w as m ainly influenced by her aunt,ascienceteacherwhowasscepticalaboutICT,and whohadanIWBinherclassroom,butwasunabletouse it.Gemma's beliefs aboutthe dubious value ofdigital technology in the classroom were furtherreinforced duringtheveryfirstweekofthecourse,whichwasspent observinginaprimaryschool.increasedexposuretoICTin

 practice(forexamplethemodelingofteachingusingICT thattraineesobserve)?Clairedescribedcomingfrom a learning background where there was no ICT in the classroom atal,andcouldneverimagineherselfusingit in Trainee Teachers'Perceptions ofDigitalTechnology h e r o w n te a c h in g , w h ic h lin k s b a c k to L o rtie 's id e a s o f teachersteachinghowtheyweretaught:Ithinkit'spartof th is w a tc h in g -T V c u ltu re , a n d th e y k n o w a lo t m o re te c h - nologythanIknowIdo.Andthey'vebeenbroughtuponit.Intheclassroom,pupilsreceivea recording ofroles orsomething,then you can do peer assessment.factors.W hat does this
meanfortrainees?.er
Perceptions ofdigitalliterate teachers feltthey could avoidusingICTs.Asintheprevioussection,wheretrainees wereathomeorunabletouseICT.........Theyhavebeentriedtogetherintheworld.