Best-practice Language Learning Online: A State-of-the-Art Review <p>References</p>

Abstract

Many metaphors have been used to describe the Internet or the World Wide Web, the most rehearsed being the Information Superhighway. This, however, immediately gives the impression that their major function is to make information highly accessible and to provide it very quickly. While this function has an important role in education, it is only one of many elements in a broad spectrum of considerations which need to be orchestrated carefully in the quest for best practice in online language learning. Bateson's (1977)* metaphor of the orchestra seems, indeed, to be much more fitting. An orchestra going through the process of learning a new piece with the ultimate goal of turning out a public performance is a useful analogy for the experience which. a group of students and their teacher might share in an excellent online learning and teaching endeavour. A good conductor will facilitate and guide the enterprise, allowing players singly and in groups to shape the interpretation, and ultimately share ownership of the creation. Successful musicians will be intrinsically motivated, in tune with each other, prepared to work hard and open to new ways of reaching the desired goal, constantly updating their skills at both micro and macro levels. Their instruments will be of the best quality, finely tuned, highly reliable and supported by specialists, and the surrounding acoustics will be impeccable. This scenario describes ideal conditions which are rarely found in educational settings, although the Virtual Wedding project (Svensson 2003) in which students build virtual worlds in a state-of-the-art laboratory comes very close. Most of us are still faced with a large number of constraints that include unmotivated students, institutional pressures, lack of time, malfunctioning technology, access problems and poor technical expertise (see Felix 2003a for a detailed discussion). The other significant * Full bibliographical references for this article appear on pages 186-190.

Using Adobe Connect application in an EFL context: Does it have an effect on learners' speaking skills

“…In addition, rapid technology advancements result in innovative learning experiences in language classrooms to practice speaking skills. everywhere, the tendency toward learning a language via online applications has gradually grown in especially the last two decades (Felix, 2003;Stickler and Hauck, 2006;White, 2003). According to White (2003), the popular notion that online courses are both cost-effective and time-effective has ended up multiplying the number of providers entering the online learning market.…”