Language and Learning in the Digital Age

In Language and Learning in the Digital Age, linguist James Paul Gee and educator Elisabeth Hayes address the forces unleashed by today's digital media, forces transforming language and learning for both good and ill. They argue that the role of oral language is almost always entirely misunderstood in debates about digital media. Like the earlier inventions of writing and print, digital media actually power up or enhance the powers of oral language.

Gee and Hayes also discuss current digital transformations of language and literacy against the backdrop of a growing crisis in traditional schooling in developed countries. With the advent of new forms of digital media, children are increasingly drawn towards video games, social media, and alternative ways of learning. Gee and Hayes explore how these alternative methods of learning can drive a paradigm shift in schooling.

This is an engaging, accessible read both for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as for scholars in language, linguistics, education, media, and communication studies.