Tapping into technology for foreign language learning is important, given that such learning is seen as vital to the nation's economic and cultural well-being. The development of technology has dovetailed nicely with a new paradigm of foreign language education, says Marty Abbott, director of education for the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. Rather than having students just learn vocabulary from static textbooks and interact primarily with the teacher, foreign language teachers are attempting to make classes more communication-oriented, participatory, and connected to the real world. Teachers are using the new technologies to open up the classroom--to enable students to connect more closely with their daily lives and to make learning more relevant. In this article, the author discusses new technologies that are available to teach language more effectively and explores ways to use these technologies in the classroom.