Learning theory and technology in university foreign language education The case of French universities

Abstract

Second language study in French universities includes both modern language (literary) and foreign language (communicative) approaches, although teaching is dominated by the literary strand. Traditional educational models based on the transmission of knowledge are unable to accommodate recent progress in our understanding of learning theory, which offers cognitivist and constructivist approaches to learning and teaching. Similar advances specific to second language learning and teaching cannot be reconciled with the standard grammar-translation method, but instead call for communicative, task-oriented classrooms. This article traces the development of learning theory and second language teaching with respect to the roles of teacher and learner, conceptions of language as process or product, and individual versus group learning. It recommends an activity-oriented, project-based approach to second language teaching, learning and evaluation as an appropriate foundation for foreign (non-literary) language learners, including future school teachers, and calls for greater academic recognition of second language research.

Research in ESP teaching and learning in French higher education: developing the construct of ESP didactics

“…Turning now to ESP teaching, courses are generally intended to prepare students for nonteaching uses of the target language. As shown in several recent studies (Whyte 2011;Braud et al 2015), the majority of ESP teachers in French higher education do not have disciplinary training and are not involved in research activities. However, the need for a research foundation for ESP teaching has been addressed at institutional level through the activities of academic and professional LSP organisations such as the vocational language teachers' association APLIUT (Association des Professeurs de Langues en IUT) and the higher education ESP research group GERAS (Groupe d'Étude et de Recherche en Anglais de Spécialité); both seek to bridge the gap between research and teaching in LSP (Trouillon 2010: 15).…”

Evidence from a blended remote learning intervention in Greek small rural primary schools

“…Indeed, this is a crucial difference because an important challenge for blended EFL instruction remains the fact that successful learning in this environment requires students to become at least somewhat autonomous, which may be difficult for some, especially if they're coming from K-12 contexts that are mostly characterised by learner passivity and minimal engagement (Kuh, 2009). While a web-based learning platform can afford students flexible opportunities to engage with linguistic input and guided practice at their own pace, Whyte (2011) remarks that successful language learning requires more than that; encouraging effective and sustained use of online content requires 'imagination and effort' so that it becomes an integral part of the course (p.…”

English for Business: Student Responses to Language Learning Through Social Networking Tools

“…For this reason, it may not be natural for the latter to integrate Web 2.0 tools in classes where the teacher includes computers in the instruction as a simple support for more traditional activities (Keren-Kolb, 2013;Whyte, 2011;Whyte & Alexander, 2014). At the same time, not all students may feel that social networking plays an important role in their future, either as students or as professionals, and as such, it may also be necessary to integrate the use of Web 2.0 tools and social networks within the student needs' framework, at least, for educational purposes.…”