In 1980 Solveig Olsen published an article in the Modern Language Journal that provided a foreshadowing of an answer to the first question above on technology's impact. Moreover, it is quite interesting to consider the findings of her survey as a prediction of what seems to have in fact happened. In 1978 and 1979, Olsen surveyed foreign language departments in 1,810 four-year colleges. Computers can now teach computer language, not a living language. It is a very stupid idea.
Language is a living thing.
You must really be desperate to think of anything so dumb. It will be held against you when you argue the humanistic nature of language studies. In contrast with the negative attitudes of this group, other sectors of our society were of a different mind. Computer sales jumped from 724,000 in 1980 to 2.8 million units in 1982. This event most certainly raised anxiety to serious levels for many of the members of Olsen's survey group.