LLAS Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies

Maximising the use of your VLE for language learning and teaching
Event date: 8 February, 2012
Location: Coventry University

'English for Excellence': An innovative, comprehensive, web-based and tutor-supported programme of study in Academic English
This paper is a presentation of 'English for Excellence' (EfE): a web-based and tutor-supported programme of study in Academic English. The EfE is a project initiative jointly funded by the University of Luton and the Higher Education European Social Fund (HE ESF) programme, under the theme of Widening Participation. The paper discusses the research base of the teaching materials, their content and presentation, followed by interim evaluation results of its beneficiary effects on learners.

Content and language integrated university course: A task-based approach
The presentation discusses the results of an experimental study carried out at UCL, Italian Department, aiming at finding an acquisitional model in order to abolish the barrier between content courses and language courses through a task-based approach to teaching/learning, and at creating a bridge between language and content courses. The presentation shows how an input, relevant to the learner (i.e. related to content courses) to be processed through tasks, raises motivation and allows a rapid interlanguage change and development. Results of a two year experiment will be presented, acquisitional models will be discussed and operational solutions will be proposed.

Task-based learning
Tasks have a major role within language pedagogy, for educational as well as linguistic reasons. Courses studying task-based learning tend to explore the topic in terms of five major themes - the basis for using tasks; empirical research into tasks; in terms of socio-cultural and cognitive approaches; tasks and interpersonal engagements; tasks and tests; and task complexity. The entry summarises the range of teaching procedures that can be used to study the topic.