Schedule: 2009-09-11 (18:15 - 19:00)
Parallel Session 5 (Room A-32)

Title: Blended Learning and Tasks to Offset an Unfavourable Institutional Context
Authors: Jean-Paul Narcy-Combes
Abstract: This presentation will deal with the implementation in the form of action research of ESP courses for students in a French university. The constraints of the institutional context (such as limited time – one 90-minute session per week over 12 weeks, group composition – no streaming and up to 30 students, and resources – tutors who are not permanent members of staff and no access to a resource centre) led the team to make a number of hypotheses: (1) a blended system would help sort out the effects of heterogeneity and of large numbers, (2) tasks would provide a motivating and effective mode of working, (3) learners could be the providers of their resources (4) learner training based on the results of previous courses would facilitate student work when time was limited. In most of the courses, ten tasks are required (one per week but with a degree of flexibility: a free choice of abstracts, oral or written reports of aural or written sources, or oral presentations) and chosen in accordance with the academic demands of the institution and their face validity (real-world activities). In the introduction to the course, learners are advised to see these tasks as realistic practice to acquire more English and not as exams (grading is global over the term and takes investment and progress into account). Adapted techniques (such as ‘creative’ copy and paste) or references to tools such as Text to Speech or corpora are suggested to enhance the link between meaning and form and to favour instance-based as well as rule-based language production. Owing to the workload of checking 360 such tasks per term per group, tutors are trained to give feedback in the form of advice for improving working techniques rather than in the form of linguistic feedback, and to restrict this feedback to what each student can take on board. The students now only meet their tutor four times a term, but are in regular e-mail contact with her. Tools have been devised to monitor the research and data have been collected to measure learner progression and satisfaction and tutor response. As a result, specific software has now been designed to facilitate learner and tutor work and a virtual learning centre added to the system (to enable the learners to cope with specific problems negotiated with the tutor: pre or post task). The results do not invalidate our hypotheses but they also indicate that learner motivation has to be maintained by regular interaction both with peers and tutor and that a number of learners experience some discomfort when starting such courses in an otherwise traditional university.
References
Ellis, R. (2003) Task-based Language Learning and Teaching, Oxford: OUP.
Lamy, M.-N. and Hampel, R. (2007) online Communication in Language Learning and Teaching, Basingstoke: Palgrave McMillan.
White, C. (2003) Language Learning in Distance Education, Cambridge: CUP.
Keywords: Not provided

Main topic: Innovative e-learning solutions for languages

Biodata: Jean-Paul Narcy-Combes is a professor at Sorbonne nouvelle-Paris 3 University. He is interested in espitemology, action research and innovations in the field of Second Language Learning. He has published a number of books since 1990, and is presently co-authoring Second Language Distance Learning, Theoretical Perspectives and Didactic Ergonomics (date of publication July 2009, IGI Global).
Type of presentation Paper presentation

Paper category Reflective Practice

Target educational sector Higher education

Language of delivery English

EU-funded project Yes

Schedule:	2009-09-11 (18:15 - 19:00) Parallel Session 5 (Room A-32)
Title:	Blended Learning and Tasks to Offset an Unfavourable Institutional Context
Authors:	Jean-Paul Narcy-Combes
Abstract:	This presentation will deal with the implementation in the form of action research of ESP courses for students in a French university. The constraints of the institutional context (such as limited time – one 90-minute session per week over 12 weeks, group composition – no streaming and up to 30 students, and resources – tutors who are not permanent members of staff and no access to a resource centre) led the team to make a number of hypotheses: (1) a blended system would help sort out the effects of heterogeneity and of large numbers, (2) tasks would provide a motivating and effective mode of working, (3) learners could be the providers of their resources (4) learner training based on the results of previous courses would facilitate student work when time was limited. In most of the courses, ten tasks are required (one per week but with a degree of flexibility: a free choice of abstracts, oral or written reports of aural or written sources, or oral presentations) and chosen in accordance with the academic demands of the institution and their face validity (real-world activities). In the introduction to the course, learners are advised to see these tasks as realistic practice to acquire more English and not as exams (grading is global over the term and takes investment and progress into account). Adapted techniques (such as ‘creative’ copy and paste) or references to tools such as Text to Speech or corpora are suggested to enhance the link between meaning and form and to favour instance-based as well as rule-based language production. Owing to the workload of checking 360 such tasks per term per group, tutors are trained to give feedback in the form of advice for improving working techniques rather than in the form of linguistic feedback, and to restrict this feedback to what each student can take on board. The students now only meet their tutor four times a term, but are in regular e-mail contact with her. Tools have been devised to monitor the research and data have been collected to measure learner progression and satisfaction and tutor response. As a result, specific software has now been designed to facilitate learner and tutor work and a virtual learning centre added to the system (to enable the learners to cope with specific problems negotiated with the tutor: pre or post task). The results do not invalidate our hypotheses but they also indicate that learner motivation has to be maintained by regular interaction both with peers and tutor and that a number of learners experience some discomfort when starting such courses in an otherwise traditional university. References Ellis, R. (2003) Task-based Language Learning and Teaching, Oxford: OUP. Lamy, M.-N. and Hampel, R. (2007) online Communication in Language Learning and Teaching, Basingstoke: Palgrave McMillan. White, C. (2003) Language Learning in Distance Education, Cambridge: CUP.
Keywords:	Not provided
Main topic:	Innovative e-learning solutions for languages
Biodata:	Jean-Paul Narcy-Combes is a professor at Sorbonne nouvelle-Paris 3 University. He is interested in espitemology, action research and innovations in the field of Second Language Learning. He has published a number of books since 1990, and is presently co-authoring Second Language Distance Learning, Theoretical Perspectives and Didactic Ergonomics (date of publication July 2009, IGI Global).
Type of presentation	Paper presentation
Paper category	Reflective Practice
Target educational sector	Higher education
Language of delivery	English
EU-funded project	Yes