LLAS Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies

Language teaching at a distance: establishing key principles to develop professional practice
What skills, knowledge and attributes do distance language teachers need? How do these differ from classroom teaching? Although the requirements for teaching a range of subjects at a distance and for classroom language teaching have been examined, few studies explore the nature of the distance language teachers role, despite increasing numbers of distance language teaching programmes. Although researchers have emphasised the importance of the tutor in distance learning, the tutors voice is undervalued. This paper reports on a research project to articulate and recognise the skills, knowledge and attributes deployed by distance language teachers in order to enhance professional development.

Virtual learning and virtual teaching: challenging learner and teacher identities in a distance learning professional development programme
This paper examined the dual roles - student and teacher - played by participants in a postgraduate programme for language teachers, the Master's in Teaching Modern Languages to Adults (TMLA), run in online mode at the University of Dundee, Scotland, since 2003. It was explained that in order to enrol as a student on the programme, an individual must already be a practising teacher of languages, usually at post-compulsory level. Participants are spread across the world, from Asia and the Middle East to Europe and the Americas.

Implementing videoconferencing and e-learning environments for widening participation in education: the languages for e-Business (Le-B) and ATLAS programmes

The Language and Culture for Business (LCB) Programme at the University of Luton (UoL), partially funded by the European Social Fund (ESF), has designed innovative business language programmes targeted at Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) and focused on widening access to learning for learners from rural areas and time challenged business students. In this paper we will report on the success of the LCB programmes in relation to academic achievement and qualifications, and discuss issues on 'Best Practice' related to two programmes: LCB’s Videoconferencing delivery which is the teaching and learning of business language skills via an inter-active two-way video link between tutor and learners, replicating a classroom situation. LCB’s ATLAS which is an on-line distance learning programme providing opportunities for independent learning in a networked environment.

The gruppo 62 Italian project: undergraduate collaboration between the universities of Hull and Leeds

This paper reports quite briefly on a project in progress, funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) through the Collaboration Programme in Modern Languages proposed by the University Council for Modern Languages (UCML) and directed by Professor David Robey.

On-line and face-to-face language learning compared: the student experience

This paper discusses the student experience of Lagelands, an on-line Dutch course for beginners. It will compare the experiences of students who took this course in combination with face-to-face teaching as part of their degree at the University of Hull, with that of students who took the course completely on-line. Before embarking upon the comparison itself, the Lagelands course and the two learning contexts in which it is offered will be briefly outlined.

Computers and the internet in Area Studies teaching
The essay explores the application of Internet technology in the teaching of Area Studies. It is a descriptive commentary on recent good practice in this area. Special attention is given to the role played by 'virtual seminars' in teaching and learning.

Technology-mediated learning
Introduction to the use of educational technology in higher education in the UK and beyond. This article provides an overview of the available tools and their effective use. It also mediates three major beliefs about the reasons for employing technology-mediated learning - appropriacy for flexible, distance and open learning, widening participation and cost-effectiveness.

Resource-based learning
The entry covers what Resource-Based learning - or RBL - refers to, the history of RBL and the issues raised by RBL in relation to conceptions of the transmission of knowledge in Higher Education.