Abstract
I am currently experimenting with online tools that can replace and/or complement certain aspects of traditional classroom language teaching. In one study, I had students complete tasks on the Duolinguo application for the first four weeks of a 200-level French course taught abroad. The platform allows the course instructor to select specific learning goals, monitor progress, and set up achievement benchmarks for the students. In another semester-long project, I have students do intensive language learning on Duolinguo for a semester (two times a day for at least fifteen minutes for five days a week). To add a cultural component, I require students to find and follow three Instagram accounts that regularly post in French. One of these accounts has to be an account that uses posts and stories to explain specific grammar structures. In my paper, I discuss the parameters of these two experiments and the results that I collected. Language learning applications and other online tools cannot replace a structured classroom experience but they can effectively complement traditional forms of learning. I argue for hybrid modes of language learning that leverage tools that are free and widely available and that have the potential to increase student engagement and overall learning outcomes.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Considering Digital Pedagogies
KEYWORDS
Online Language Learning, Hybrid Modes of Learning, Duolinguo for Classrooms
