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Blended Learning in English Language Teaching: Course Design and Implementation

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<strong>Learn<strong>in</strong>g</strong> a new language <strong>and</strong> reflect<strong>in</strong>g on the process of do<strong>in</strong>g so can be an<br />

extremely useful component of a teacher development course. Of course, the new<br />

language could be learned onl<strong>in</strong>e but this experience would have less value <strong>in</strong><br />

terms of professional development. I act as moderator for an <strong>in</strong>itial teacher tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />

certificate <strong>and</strong> tra<strong>in</strong>ees on its courses all over the world are very appreciative of<br />

the <strong>in</strong>sights learn<strong>in</strong>g a new language face-to-face gave them about such human<br />

attributes of the good language teacher as empathy, a sense of humour, patience<br />

<strong>and</strong> the ability to <strong>in</strong>teract <strong>in</strong>formally with the learners. It is appreciation of these<br />

human attributes (Toml<strong>in</strong>son, 2008) that is a pre-requisite for the personal <strong>and</strong><br />

professional development of the tra<strong>in</strong>ees <strong>and</strong> I th<strong>in</strong>k they can only be truly<br />

appreciated through reflection on live experience.<br />

References<br />

Toml<strong>in</strong>son, B (2008) The good language teacher. Folio 12/2: 20–23.<br />

Toml<strong>in</strong>son, B (2013a) Second language acquisition, <strong>in</strong> Toml<strong>in</strong>son, B (ed) Applied<br />

L<strong>in</strong>guistics <strong>and</strong> Materials Development. London: Bloomsbury, 11–30.<br />

Toml<strong>in</strong>son, B (2013b) ‘Materials development courses’, <strong>in</strong> Toml<strong>in</strong>son, B (ed)<br />

Develop<strong>in</strong>g Materials for <strong>Language</strong> Teach<strong>in</strong>g. Second edition. London: Bloomsbury.<br />

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