Guest editorial: CALLing out culture: the interplay between language, technology and culture

Language education in the contemporary global context transcends the boundaries of linguistic proficiency, necessitating a nuanced understanding of cultural nuances and effective intercultural communication skills. This special issue aims to delve into the paramount importance of integrating cultural components into language education, emphasizing (inter)cultural awareness, understanding, communication competence and skills and sensitivity. Furthermore, it scrutinizes the transformative potential of technology in augmenting the language learning process, which is called computer-assisted language learning (CALL), facilitating telecollaboration, and addressing the multifaceted challenges inherent in the integration of technology into language education. In addition, it investigates the critical aspect of maintaining academic integrity while leveraging emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) in language education.