The context for collaboration in language learning.

An overview of telecollaboration for language teaching.

What is telecollaboration?

• “Online communication used to bring together language learners in different countries in order to carry out collaborative projects or undertake intercultutral exchanges” (O’Dowd and Ritter, 2006)

“Perhaps the most exciting application of the web in language learning is its capacity for bringing together students and native speakers” (Klapper 2006, p191)

“Combining new ideas about computer-mediated technologies and well-loved theories of learning results in fantastic possibilities but they need a little human time and energy to make them work.” (Salmon,2002, p4)

“The changing patterns of language education that support this tendency [to learner autonomy] are essentially a continuation of those which supported the mainstreaming of Communicative Language Teaching : the ever increasing quantity of language education and the growing importance of media and information technologies.” (Benson, 1997)

“networked multimedia environments provide opportunities for asynchronous and synchronous dialogue in which meaning can be negotiated in modes other than written or printed text. The interactions between and among learners… enhance the “learning as knowledge” process” (Warshauer 2000, p161).

Support and resources• INTENT project: EU report by Sarah Guth,

Francesca Helm and Rob O’Dowd available from UCML website.

• UNIcollaboration: to be launched in February providing a community for those innovating in this area.

• HEA/UCML event on collaboration• HEA report: e-tools for international

collaboration

To start exploring, click on the ‘partners’ tab in the top menu bar. Start here to find databanks of classes, institutions and practitioners

who are interested in establishing contacts…

If you choose ‘classes’ then you’ll be able to search or browse a list of classes which are interested in taking part in online exchange

projects...

When you see a class that you would like to connect to your own class, simply click on ‘Contact the author’ to get into contact and discuss a

possible exchange…