Is Integration of Technology a tool or a catalyst for systemic change in the Paradigm Shift in English language teaching in Albania?

Abstract: Over the past three decades, English Language Teaching (ELT) has undergone an extensive paradigm shift from teacher-centered, grammar-oriented instruction toward learner-centered, communicative, and technology-mediated pedagogies. This study presents a mixed theoretical-empirical analysis exploring how Information and Communication Technology (ICT) drives pedagogical change, drawing on a class observation and personal interviews with 10 English teachers across Albanian primary and secondary schools. The article introduces a new conceptual model, the Tri-Layered Digital Mediation Framework (TDMF)to explain how cognitive, pedagogical, and socio-digital dimensions of technology shape the ELT paradigm shift. Findings reveal that although Albanian teachers demonstrate strong awareness of ICT’s pedagogical value, they face barriers related to digital infrastructure, uneven digital competences, and institutional inertia. The article contributes a novel perspective and proposes forward-looking implications for curriculum reform, teacher training, and digital policy. It positions technology not merely as a tool but as a transformative mediator that reconstructs the nature of language learning, teacher identity, and communicative competence in the 21st century.