The Linguist is a languages magazine for professional linguists, translators, interpreters, language professionals, language teachers, trainers, students and academics with articles on translation, interpreting, business, government, technology
Issue link: https://thelinguist.uberflip.com/i/135206
ONLINE LEARNING I found myself at the University of Caen, reading Cyrano de Bergerac and presenting in French advice is available via the website or regional centres; and OU learners come from all ages and walks of life. As an MFL Leading Practitioner, I became increasingly involved in language teaching, and it wasn't long before I started to think about doing a new language degree. The OU currently only does a first-level Chinese course, but I decided to give it a go. The Head Teacher then invited me to run a Chinese lunchtime club for Years 3 and 4. They loved it, learnt enough Chinese to have a conversation with native speakers, and entered a language competition, singing and speaking Mandarin. I am now the Chinese 'expert' Leading Practitioner in Suffolk, helping to introduce Chinese into schools here, and I have run several Mandarin 'taster days'. Lifelong learning Of course, it hasn't stopped there. I am, by nature, a 'lifelong learner', and the OU is helping me to achieve an ambition to become polyglot, and to pass these skills on to the next generation of learners. In January, I started a first-level Spanish course, as it appears to be one of the three languages that are perceived to be the most useful in the world today, along with French and Chinese. I can already read Spanish books, watch Spanish TV and listen to Spanish podcasts – something I would not have been able to do three months ago. The grammar points and intricacies of the language are supported by videos of native speakers to aid pronunciation, and once again I have an excellent tutor, access to online forums, and face-to-face tutorials. I am hoping to continue my Spanish with the OU via a second-level course and summer school at Santiago de Compostela, and a third-level course to gain my Spanish Diploma and add Spanish teaching to my portfolio. That's not bad for a physicist who started out as an engineer. Vol/52 No/3 2013 Virtually speaking Carolyn Batstone compares oral communication in online and face-to-face tutorials hen the Open University (OU) decided to offer students registered on beginners' language courses the choice of face-to-face or online tuition, it provided a rare opportunity to investigate tutorial activity in these two modes. Our research focused on a year-long German course, Rundblick, being studied by adult distance learners. OU students interact with other students and their tutor, but spend the majority of their study time working with distance learning materials: course books, audio/visual material and assessment. They can choose to attend tutorials with their tutor and students in their tutor group. This allows for spontaneous oral interaction in the target language, as well as discussion in English of assessments, study skills etc, which beginners could not do in German. Tutors are asked to adopt a communicative approach and are encouraged to use target-language teaching when possible and appropriate to the task and linguistic level of the students. W Face-to-face beginners' language tutorials take place across the country at study centres, and generally last for 2-3 hours. Online tutorials are shorter, lasting about an hour. They take place via an audio-graphic conferencing system. Tutors and students meet and talk to each other via headsets and their computers in real time. Some of the online tools include virtual classrooms, where tutorials and whole group spoken learning activities take place, and break-out rooms for pair and small group work. Tutors can post documents, photos, pictures and words for everyone to use. Interaction The importance of interaction within language learning is well recognised, but little had been published offering a detailed insight into classroom dynamics in both learning environments. Our premise was that interaction is an essential element in language learning. Our aim was to investigate whether it is possible for online teaching to provide LEARNING SPACE OU building in Milton Keynes JUNE/JULY The Linguist 21