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“We are in the midst of a communications upheaval more significant that the introduction of the printing press. The World Wide Web emerged in the 1990’s but exploded into its most decisive phase in 2004 with the arrival of Web 2.0. Web 2.0 is about opening up the internet to ordinary users, where they add and share their content. It signifies the transfer of control of the internet, and ultimately the platform for communication, from the few to the many.” Rob Brown 2009 (Blurb)

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As communicative and social language teachers this new development in communications should be of interest to us all. This transfer of control means that we as teachers and students can control, collaborate and contribute with others to the World Wide Web. This dissertation seeks to explore what this shift in the communications landscape means for us as teachers and for our students.

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I will first endeavour to set out and explain exactly what “Web 2.0” is and what makes it such a radical step forward in terms of human and global communications. Within this first section, it is hoped, that the reader will gain a better understanding of “Web 2.0” and why it might have a significant part to play in all aspects of our lives and specifically, for the purposes of this dissertation for English Language Teaching and Learning.

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During the main body of the literature review “Web 2.0” will be viewed from a number of theoretical perspective, Communicative Language Teaching, Constructivism, Socio-cultural theory, Task Based Learning and Language Acquisition. It is hoped that within this section that different feature, characteristics and applications of “Web 2.0” will be able to be looked at and viewed in terms of their ability to facilitate, enhance or even reach some of the aims of a number of different language learning theories.

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The research element will seek to discover what we can learn from those that are already active participants i.e. those using “Web 2.0” either for teaching, learning or both. During this section I will enquiry into what is happening now and how “Web 2.0” is being exploited by teachers and learners of English. I will draw directly from my own experiences and that of others that I know both professionally and socially both on and off line. The dissertation will use a mix of self reflection, including diary notes kept by myself, Face to Face and online interviews and questionnaires handed out in person and/or electronically.

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The goal of this dissertation is not to find out what teachers aren’t doing or why they aren’t doing it but rather to find out what teachers and students are doing and what we can all learn from these people. It is my hope that from this dissertation we will be able to explore just some of the potential benefits of using “Web 2.0” for teaching, learning and communicating in English. Also to discover what might be considered as good practices so that those who are not yet involved may learn from those that have already begun the journey. To give this dissertation a balanced perspective on “Web 2.0” I will also seek to find out some of the fears teachers and learners have about using technology in general and some of the dangers and drawbacks of this new technological development.

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The fact that this dissertation is online is in responce to what W. Richarson (2009) said that is that not "every teacher needs to start a blog or creat a wiki or Podcast, but as educators we must tap into the potentials that these tools give us for learning" P8 Also that "the best way to fully understand the potential of weblogs, (wikis, websites, podcasts or Web 2.0 in general) is to become a bogger" P43  Wikis, Websites, Podcasts creator and Web 2.0 user and contibutor. So this is what I have done.

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