Blended Learning in English Language Teaching: Course Design and Implementation

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10 The Cambridge CELTA course online Jacqueline Douglas and Colin Paton Introduction to the CELTA Programme CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) is an initial qualification for people learning to teach English as an additional, second or foreign language who have previous teaching experience but no formal qualification. It is one of the most widely taken qualifications of its kind. Each year, over 10,000 people take CELTA in accredited centres around the world. This qualification is validated by Cambridge ESOL. Typically CELTA courses are run entirely face-to-face, either as an intensive four-week course or on a part-time basis over several months (or up to an academic year). Each CELTA cohort usually contains up to 18 trainees, who may differ widely in age and background. A CELTA course teaches trainees the principles of classroom management and of teaching communication skills. They learn how to teach English through hands-on teaching practice, input sessions with a tutor, regular written assignments, and ongoing assessment and feedback by course tutors. The CELTA Certificate has two components of assessment: teaching practice (a total of six hours to at least two different student levels) and four written assignments. To be awarded the certificate trainees must pass both components. Why develop a new blended model? In 2010 Cambridge ESOL wanted to develop CELTA Online, the name emphasising the innovative mode of delivery of input. It clearly shows that trainees will have the freedom to study where and when they wish, and emphasises the need for an appropriate level of IT literacy and internet connectivity. International House London (IH London) entered into partnership with Cambridge to develop a new blended format for the part-time version of the programme. IH London, due to its extensive experience designing teacher training materials, was tasked with developing the course content and overall course design. There were a number of factors impelling us to develop a new blended course format: ■■ A new blended programme would increase access for teachers and trainers to the qualification. The Cambridge CELTA course online | 111
■■ Cambridge ESOL was reporting significant demand for a more flexible version of CELTA. ■■ Other teaching awards were already deliverable fully online or in a blended format, such as the Distance DELTA. The new blended programme would help consolidate Cambridge ESOL’s competitive advantage over other English Language Teaching (ELT) awarding bodies and reinforce CELTA’s status as the qualification of choice, by bringing CELTA firmly into the technological age and by reaching candidates in geographical areas not previously provided for. The blended CELTA would introduce new ELT professionals to online learning, empowering them to take advantage of other online courses and educational technology in their continued professional development. The principles behind this project have been outlined in the literature on blended learning: 1. Most writers on the subject, Garrison and Vaughan (2011), for example, describe blended learning as combining the best of face-to-face and online approaches, achieving coherence by integrating the strengths of both. Sharma and Barrett contribute that it is ‘potentially greater than the sum of its parts’ (2007: 7) while Bersin comments that blended courses ‘extend the classroom “people-centric” experience in space and time’ (2004: 12). In the words of Thorne: ‘it represents an opportunity to integrate the innovative and technological advantages offered by online learning with the interaction and participation offered in the best of traditional learning’ (2003: 2). 2. Glazer notes in broad terms that blended learning supports many of us who are already embracing technology and leading ‘blended lives’ (2012: 1). Increasingly ELT is involved and in tune with technology and course participants will find they have the opportunity to experiment with computer-mediated communication and virtual learning environments in their own teaching post-CELTA. 3. There is emphasis on exploitation of readily-available technology, Littlejohn and Pegler, for example, writing: ‘Blended e-learning offers the possibility of changing our attitudes not only as to where and when learning takes place, but in terms of what resources and tools can support learning and the ways in which these might be used.’ (2007: 2). Hofmann adds that with blended learning, institutions and individuals can minimise costs, maximise technology and increase instructional value: ‘The tools are in place to support blended learning’ (2011: 2) and ‘there is a push to take advantage’ of resources already invested in technology’ (ibid. p.1). Bonk and Graham (2006) also refer to the cost advantages, stating that blended learning opens up the possibility of running courses with a small number of participants. 4. Glazer focuses on another efficiency benefit: ‘blended learning creates time’ (2012: 4), echoing the point made by Sharma and Barrett that course participants can ‘continue working and take a course’ (2007: 7). 5. Sharma and Barrett also make the point that ‘the use of technology outside the classroom can make learners more autonomous’ (ibid. 11) and this is something beneficial for a CELTA trainee, both for the tutors and for trainees themselves, 112 | The Cambridge CELTA course online
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Blended Learning in English Languag
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ISBN 978-0-86355-706-4 © British C
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Part 3 - English for Specific Purpo
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Acknowledgements We would like to t
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To address this deficit I proposed
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Introduction This introductory chap
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an almost identical definition in h
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■■ Learners’ expectations - l
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To achieve a ‘principled approach
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its weakness in speaking.’ Contra
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References Adair-Hauck, B Willingha
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Rossett, A, Douglis, F and Frazee,
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1 A collaborative online reading an
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engaging approach to teaching, wher
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page evaluation strategies, and col
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Conclusion Students received course
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2 Blended learning in English for A
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All in the blend Reports on the app
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level of agreement or disagreement
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Hyland, K and Hyland, F (1992) Go f
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Why blend? The decision to offer th
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to complete during the before, whil
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In addition, there are a number of
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Turgut, Y (2009) ‘EFL learners’
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■■ English for Academic Purpose
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Figure 1: Stages of the incorporati
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Page 55 and 56: Internet - links and WebQuests: Som
Page 57 and 58: References Allan, M (1985) Teaching
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Page 73 and 74: Clearly there are advantages to hav
Page 75 and 76: Lessons learned When deciding what
Page 77 and 78: References Osguthorpe, RT and Graha
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Page 83 and 84: where possible, to bring them toget
Page 85 and 86: 8 Blended learning: The IDLTM exper
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Page 91 and 92: their own style of learning. At the
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Page 115 and 116: ■■ Fine-tuning of online course
Page 117 and 118: Comments on Part 2 Brian Tomlinson
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Page 121 and 122: 11 Blended learning: Podcasts for t
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Page 125 and 126: Making recommendations My friend An
Page 127 and 128: Sustainability Blended learning oft
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Page 143 and 144: 14 A longitudinal case study of the
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Page 151 and 152: 15 Using a wiki to enhance the lear
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Figure 4: Student created listening
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Teaching methodology The blended de
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Figure 8: Student reaction to probl
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Lund, A (2008) Wikis: a collective
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hazard a guess that it was over con
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the management of the centres would
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There was a steady increase in the
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3. User experience - feedback on th
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Comments on Part 3 Brian Tomlinson
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17 A thinking-based blended learnin
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In each of the above parts, the lea
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Figure 1: Cycle of working with gra
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Model by JP, Form 10 Structure Mode
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Recommendation 2 Ensure that the on
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Sokol, A (2008) Development of Inve
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Moreover, as a result of increased
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In general, the students remarked t
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19 Students’ CALLing: Blended lan
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The students were taken to the comp
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When considering blended learning,
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Introducing Macmillan English Campu
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In both scenarios, the ratio of con
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attending scenario 1 courses. The o
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Comments on Part 4 Brian Tomlinson
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Conclusion Claire Whittaker
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Table 1: Neumeier’s (2005) framew
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Reasons given in the literature for
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Software Author and Chapter New Lea
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Keedwell’s (Chapter 13) blend on
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Table 7: Learning theories, languag
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What will the interactional pattern
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Whittaker (Chapter 16) believed tha
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Summary This chapter draws on the l
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Appendix 1 - Questions for blended
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Contributors Peter Aborisade lectur
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Jody Gilbert taught in post-seconda
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Juanita Pardo-González (BA Hons in
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The British Council is pleased to o
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Blended Learning in English Language Teaching: Course Design and Implementation

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