Language Teaching in Blended Contexts

This book is written for those teaching languages to adults in blended contexts in higher, further and adult education where a mix of delivery modes and tools may be in use. The edited volume offers a comprehensive overview of the key issues faced and of the developmental issues that may arise for teachers themselves and for those responsible for their professional development. The book examines the impact of different learning environments (online, face-to-face, telephone) on pedagogic practice and language learner support and recognises the particular socio-cultural, psycho-linguistic and cognitive issues that have to be taken into account when working with diverse adult language learners in blended settings. Research in the field underpins the chapters to better inform and develop good practice. The editors and contributors have all worked on the production and teaching presentations of Open University (OU) courses in French, German, Spanish, Welsh, Italian, Chinese and English. Many of them have also been responsible for the professional development of teaching teams working in varied blended models. The authors draw on pioneering and innovative work carried out in the fifteen years since the inception of language courses at the Open University, where blended models have been modified and become more complex over the years. The ideas they present are therefore well-formed, tested and have been approached reflectively. Language teachers, particularly those who teach adult learners at all levels, will find the book of immense value in enhancing their professional perspective, assisting the development of their own teaching practice and enabling them to make useful links between research and practice.

Table of Contents:
Preface. Section 1 The Learning Context; 1 Language Teaching in a Changing World, Introduction and Overview; 2 The Nature of the Blend: Interaction of Teaching Modes, Tools and Resources; 3 Learner Diversity; 4 Fostering Learner Autonomy and Motivation. Section 2: Assessment. 5 The Role and Nature of Assessment in Blended Contexts; 6. Teaching through Assessment. Section 3: Synchronous and Asynsynchronous Modes; 8 Teaching by Telephone; 9 Planning and Preparing for Synchronous Online Teaching; 11 Face-to-face Teaching in Blended Contexts; 12 Asynchronous Online Teaching. Section 4: Community and Indigenous Celtic languages: 13 Teaching Community Languages in Blended Contexts; 14 Teaching Celtic Languages in Blended Contexts. Section 5: Teacher Development and Final Reflections: 15 Teacher Development in Blended Contexts; 16 Practical Approaches for Teacher Development; 17 Present and Future Contexts. Bibliography. Index.

About the Author :
The editors are all Senior Lecturers in the Open University's Faculty of Education and Language Studies, and Staff Tutors in Languages, Margaret Nicolson for the OU in Scotland, Linda Murphy for the OU in the South of England and Margaret Southgate for the OU in Wales.

Review :
'Language Teaching in Blended Contexts can be a great core text for understanding blended learning and teaching environments. However, the veneer of language teaching might cause it to undersell itself to mainstream educators as it has great value for investigating and developing more generic blended learning contexts as well. This book can be considered a great text for introducing the concept of blended learning with a specific emphasis on language teaching.'Distance Education 'Language Teaching in Blended Contexts is a welcome contribution to language educators seeking to deploy technology for the benefit of adult learners with their complex backgrounds and varying motivations for language study. Written by educators at the Open University with first-hand experience in the topic, it provides research-supported, practical guidance on program design, instructional quality, student outcomes, and professional development in blended language contexts. The book is likely to be of special interest to adult educators in community college and continuing education programs seeking to create, expand, or improve the quality of their blended language learning offerings. It is also appropriate for those who might be well versed in online teaching, but are not specifically trained in language education. Particularly helpful for this broad audience is the inclusion of a glossary of frequently cited terms and concepts, as well as substantial information on language learning theory and pedagogy.' Language Learning & Technology