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4 iatefl voices June–July 2005 Issue 185 June–July 2005 Issue 185 iatefl voices 5
E-learning and language teaching
Blanka Klímová shows how the move towards computer basedlearning management systems can enhance language teachingand learning.
Background
Over the past decade, the use of computers and newtechnologies has become an important aspect of foreignlanguage learning. They have enabled the languageteaching community to redefine some of the strategies andconcepts of teaching and learning. Moreover, teachers havealso been looking to increase the quality of their teachingwith the help of new and modern information technologies.In this climate, computer-based distance learning courseshave emerged.
E-learning at the University of HradecKralove
One of the supports for distance learning is the learningmanagement system (LMS); at present the highest form of e-learning. This is special software which providesmultipurpose support for teaching and learning. It contains a set of tools for creation, administration and distribution of e-learning courses and the tools for communication, testingand feedback, which distinguishes it from web-basedtraining.
E-learning started to be widely used at the faculty in2001 (Poulova 2004: 171) when a few selected coursescreated in WebCT (web communication tools) wereintroduced for part-time students. In 2002 these and otheronline courses, often called OLIVA—OnLIne VyukA (onlineteaching)—also began to be used as a new quality supportfor full-time teaching. At present more than 60 e-courses are being fully exploited in teaching at the faculty. (Seehttp://oliva.uhk.cz/webct/public/show_courses.pl.)
To demonstrate certain advantages, disadvantages,constraints, and evaluation of e-language classes, one e-English subject will be discussed.
E-learning course: Teaching WrittenBusiness English (TWBE)
The TWBE online course focuses on the production oflearning texts aimed at teaching written business Englishlanguage because the written language will dominatefuture communication with the EU, either in writing officialdocuments such as contracts or regulations, or in formalelectronic communication. This online course is acomponent of a one-year course of professional/academicEnglish. The aim of the course is to improve students’knowledge and skills of written business English language;to motivate students to proceed according to their ownpace and use knowledge of other subjects, such as
Blanka FrydrychovaKlímová teaches ESPand British culturalhistory at the Facultyof Informatics andManagement (FIM) ofthe University ofHradec Králové, CzechRepublic.
information technology; and to provide students with animmediate feedback on their assignments. Furthermore, theincentive for developing this course came as a response to alack of students’ experience with the written Englishlanguage, but also with writing their Bachelor paper inEnglish.
The online course can be exploited several times inprofessional English teaching at FIM. But it means that theentry level of students’ English must be lower-intermediate.In the winter term of academic year 2003/2004 the coursewas used by 30 students who had been registered on theonline course by their teacher.
The course consists of the following parts:
• course content, • communication, and• evaluation.
Course content makes full use of the following WebCTtools: syllabus, study materials/tools, calendar, glossary, andcompile/print. Each part starts with a self-study informationinput and concludes with tasks, quizzes or assignments. Theonline course TWBE has nine main chapters and sixsubchapters. (See Appendix 1.)
Communication is carried out mainly by two WebCTtools: mail and discussion. (See Appendix 1.) In languagelearning, students still prefer face-to-face contact with ateacher or school e-mail.
Evaluation is based on submission of individualassignments which can be found at the end of the selectedchapters. Within the nine content parts, there are fiveproportionally distributed assignments (Èech et al.03.05.2003). They are as follows: translation of a formalletter, reply letter, e-mail correspondence, writing a resuméand a letter of application, and writing a C.V. and a letter ofapplication. Students are set dates for the submission ofeach assignment and a teacher/ tutor assesses themafterwards. The feedback is usually a little bit delayed as itrequires the help of a teacher or tutor. The teacher/tutor hasto read, check and comment on the overall student’sperformance, and finally, to mark it. Evaluation also includesmany interactive self-tests and quizzes which are employedthroughout the course to check students understanding ofthe subject. However, these are not included in a student’sfinal evaluation. Tests and quizzes range from ordering theskills used in the writing process to gap-filling andtranslations. Stress is put on giving students’ feedback as towhether they are successful or not. The WebCT provides aquiz editor that offers an easy way to create questions forstudents.
Featurearticles
Questions can have the following forms:
• multiple choice,• matching, • calculated,• short answer, and• paragraph.To pass this online course students must get at least 60 percent in each assignment.
Pros and cons of the online course TWBEIntroduction of online teaching contributes to theenrichment of methodology in foreign language teaching(Klímová 2002: 58–60), and a higher motivation for, andintensity of, foreign language learning. Motivation isreinforced by an almost immediate feedback onassignments, the chance to practise more, and by moreopportunities for communication (such as the use ofdiscussion tools) and more consultations. The WebCT studymaterials are more attractive and dynamic. Furthermore, italso means easier access to foreign language learning.Students can proceed at their own pace whenever andwherever they feel like it. Moreover, they can use theirknowledge of other subjects, such as the humanities,information technology, or economics. That means furtherimprovement of interdisciplinary relations within individualstudy programmes at the faculty. In addition, it can beexploited not only by the university’s full-time students butalso by those studying part-time, or ordinary working peoplewho are interested in taking classes at the university. It canbe also used in preparation for the English for Businessexam, organised and evaluated by the London Chamber ofCommerce and Industry, which students can take at thefaculty. Finally, the creation of a database of formal writtendocuments in English, which correspond to standard writtendocuments of the EU, provides the faculty/ university withbetter communication with foreign partners and institutions.
On the other hand, there are some disadvantages. Inlanguage teaching, a teacher is a necessary face-to-facemedium for developing perceptive language skills. As withall online courses, the creation, preparation, and updating ofTWBE is time-consuming and demanding. Such courses alsorequire twice as much work as in traditional teaching,because, besides preparation, teachers have to combinethem with traditional classes. Sometimes there are problemswith technology. Teachers/tutors can be overloaded withassignments which must be marked and assessed as soon aspossible. Finally, some students complain about a higherprice when accessing the online course from outside.
ConclusionThe above describes the efforts by institutions and teachersto improve the educational quality of teaching and learningat FIM by applying new technologies such as e-learning.Although there are some drawbacks, it attempts toemphasize a certain number of advantages, for example, anopportunity for distance learning, which undoubtedlyincreases the quality of education and goes beyondtraditional ways of teaching and learning, and thus extendsfurther possibilities of learning.
As far as language teaching is concerned, moderninformation technologies do offer challenging ways ofteaching and learning, such as easy access to studymaterials, individual pace, time and place of studying oralmost immediate feedback on writing with email tutorialsupport. These benefits are, however, a partial solution forlearners who need to develop speaking skills.
Appendix 1
Contents of the online TWBE course 1 Key characteristics of successful written business English2 Writing formal business letters
2.1 Letter layout and its phrases2.2 Model letters2.3 Linking words
3 Formal versus informal written business English4 Email correspondence and abbreviations5 Writing reports
5.1 Reports5.2 Paragraphing5.3 Punctuation
6 Writing C.V. and a letter of application7 Writing a resumé and developing ´revamping´ vocabulary8 Miscellaneous business writing9 Final consolidation
References
!ech, P. and B. Klímová. 2002. Formal versus InformalWritten Business English. http://oliva/SCRIPT/TBE/scripts/serve-home (accessed 03.05.2003).
!ech, P. and B. Klímová. 2003. ‘Kurz Teaching WrittenBusiness English (TWBE)’ in J. Sedlá"ek (ed.). Sborníkp!ísp"vk# ze seminá!e a sout"$e e-learning 2003. HradecKrálové: Gaudeamus: 23–6.
E-Learning http://www.elarningeuropa.info (accessed05.04.2004).
Klímová, B. 2002. ‘Úloha psaného anglického jazyka p#ivstupu !R do EU z pohledu vysoko$kolského pedagoga’(‘The role of written English language on CR´s accessionto the EU from the university teacher’s point of view’) inÚloha celo$ivotního vzd"láavání v oblasti ekonomiky alingvistiky v období p!ípravy vstupu
!R do EU (The Role of Lifelong Learning in Economics andLinguistics in the Period of Czech Accession to the EU:Conference Proceedings. Liberec.
Olivahttp://www.uhk.cz/oliva/pruvodce_studenta.htm (accessed
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(accessed 11.03.2004).Oliva Courses.
http://oliva.uhk.cz/webct/public/show_courses.pl (accessed01.07.2004).
Poulová, P. 2004. ‘E-learning na FIM UHK v roce 2003 FIMUHK v roce 2003’ in K. Kvìton (ed.). E-learning v %eské aSlovenské republice, stav a perspektiva. Praha: !VUT:171–9.
