Blended Learning in English Language Teaching: Course Design and Implementation
Blended Learning in English Language Teaching: Course Design and Implementation
Blended Learning in English Language Teaching: Course Design and Implementation
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Comments on Part 4<br />
Brian Toml<strong>in</strong>son<br />
There is no doubt that General <strong>English</strong> courses <strong>in</strong> schools <strong>and</strong> tertiary <strong>in</strong>stitutions<br />
are unable to devote enough classroom time to facilitate the effective acquisition<br />
of a second language (Barker, 2011). General <strong>English</strong> learners typically do not get<br />
enough exposure to the language <strong>in</strong> use <strong>and</strong> they do not get enough opportunities<br />
to communicate nor to make discoveries about the language for themselves. As a<br />
result, only those learners with the motivation <strong>and</strong> opportunities to seek language<br />
experience outside the classroom manage to actually acquire communicative<br />
competence <strong>in</strong> the target language. <strong>Blended</strong> learn<strong>in</strong>g courses, as po<strong>in</strong>ted out <strong>in</strong> the<br />
chapters <strong>in</strong> Part 4, are one solution to this problem, especially if they follow up work<br />
done face-to-face <strong>in</strong> order to provide onl<strong>in</strong>e opportunities for exposure, discovery<br />
<strong>and</strong> use.<br />
Another benefit po<strong>in</strong>ted out <strong>in</strong> the chapters <strong>in</strong> Part 4, as well as <strong>in</strong> many other<br />
chapters <strong>in</strong> other parts of the book, is the potential which blended learn<strong>in</strong>g offers<br />
for <strong>in</strong>dependent learn<strong>in</strong>g. The onl<strong>in</strong>e components can not only provide each learner<br />
with the possibility of recycl<strong>in</strong>g at their own speed <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong> their own time what<br />
they have already experienced, but can also offer extra opportunities for further<br />
learn<strong>in</strong>g both from course-specific materials <strong>and</strong> from materials from other web<br />
sources. In addition, such experiences can help the General <strong>English</strong> student to<br />
become less dependent on teachers <strong>and</strong> more self-reliant both dur<strong>in</strong>g the course<br />
<strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong> subsequent language learn<strong>in</strong>g experiences. Many contributors to the book<br />
stress though, that such <strong>in</strong>dependent experience can be enhanced by face-to-face<br />
preparation <strong>and</strong> follow up <strong>in</strong> class guided by a teacher.<br />
Preparation for future courses is another potential benefit for General <strong>English</strong><br />
students <strong>in</strong> relation to future academic or professional courses, which are becom<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>gly likely to be delivered us<strong>in</strong>g a blended learn<strong>in</strong>g approach. Most<br />
contributors to this book agree that unfamiliarity with blended learn<strong>in</strong>g can <strong>in</strong>itially<br />
hold learners back <strong>and</strong> that the more familiar with, <strong>and</strong> enthusiastic about, blended<br />
learn<strong>in</strong>g the learners are at the beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g of a course the more likely they are to<br />
maximise their benefit from it. Therefore, if students have done a blended learn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
General <strong>English</strong> course, they are more likely to ga<strong>in</strong> from a subsequent <strong>English</strong> for<br />
Academic Purposes (EAP) or <strong>English</strong> for Specific Purposes (ESP) course which uses<br />
a blended learn<strong>in</strong>g approach. This is a powerful argument but I would not like to<br />
see it used as the ma<strong>in</strong> reason for impos<strong>in</strong>g blended learn<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> situations where it<br />
is <strong>in</strong>appropriate. I am th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g, for example, of poorly resourced secondary schools<br />
from which most students are unlikely to progress to tertiary or professional courses<br />
<strong>in</strong> <strong>English</strong>, <strong>and</strong> which are struggl<strong>in</strong>g to provide basic library resources. Even more<br />
<strong>in</strong>appropriate would be to impose blended learn<strong>in</strong>g on primary school learners of<br />
<strong>English</strong> because it is modern, fashionable <strong>and</strong> a preparation for future courses. Such<br />
learners are <strong>in</strong> no hurry to acquire <strong>English</strong> <strong>and</strong> they need to have social fun whilst<br />
learn<strong>in</strong>g it (Ghosn 2013; Rixon, 2013). I have seen seven-year olds enjoy<strong>in</strong>g play<strong>in</strong>g<br />
with <strong>English</strong>, develop<strong>in</strong>g social skills <strong>and</strong> ga<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g positive attitudes towards <strong>English</strong><br />
Comments on Part 4 | 221