'Web-based and Interactive Italian' is a detailed and progressive programme developed by the author for the Maastricht University Language Centre. The course started in 2013, with the intention of catering for the variability in the number of students following the regular courses, as well as broadening the language offer using blended learning.…

This pilot study provides a preliminary account on students' attitudes toward using specialized corpora in English for specific purposes (ESP) classes. Learners (N=39) were introduced to the EcoLexicon corpus and trained to use its basic query tools. The rationale behind this activity was to introduce learners to contextualization patterns and…

MIRELE is an interactive tabletop for situated domain learning that helps students learn names of the physical objects and their relationships by projecting the names, relationships, and additional information onto the real objects. It is built based on a camera-projector system and offers a domain-independent fast authoring system. Using the…

Designing and sharing Open Educational Resources (OERs) requires teachers to develop new competences, in particular with digital resources. In this paper, the case of a language resource production group is introduced. Due to the centrality of the OERs in their collective activity, I show that the documents they produce are essential to the…

With the growing popularity of digital technologies and computer-mediated communication (CMC), various types of interactive communication technology are being increasingly integrated into foreign/second language learning environments. Nevertheless, due to its nature, online communication is susceptible to misunderstandings and miscommunications,…

Teaching listening and speaking in English in China has been given top priority on the post-secondary level. This has lead to the question of how learners develop communicative language ability (CLA) effectively in computer-assisted language learning (CALL) environments. The authors demonstrate a self-developed language skill learning system with…

A review of research on writing textbooks suggests that in general, they do not reflect current theories in either content or instructional approach. Examination of some second language writing textbooks reveals three types: (1) those with a traditional approach emphasizing grammar, form, and models; (2) books acknowledging but not integrating new…

The use of the learning task as a basic planning and instructional tool for communicative second language instruction is discussed, and considerations and procedures for designing such tasks are outlined. A task is defined as a piece of classroom work that involves learners in comprehending, manipulating, producing, or interacting in the target…

The design of instructional materials for second language listening comprehension is discussed, based on the premise that such materials must reflect a view of the nature and processes of listening. Two distinct kinds of cognitive processes involved in listening are examined: bottom-up processing, or the use of incoming data as a source of…

An examination of the role of the principle players in second language learning--teachers, students, and instructional material developers--offers insight into the field of language pedagogy during a period of rapid technological change. All are living in a technologically changing environment but are all affected in different ways. Materials…

Student-generated materials are a means by which students may be brought into the role of active participant in their own second language learning processes. To create their own materials, students can engage in the following types of activities: (1) performance, or those in which the student prepares and delivers a message to the group (e.g.,…

The concluding conference of the Council for Cultural Cooperation's Project on Foreign Languages is summarized according to the following framework: (1) the aims, the principle themes discussed at the conference, and the general results; (2) the considerations, proposals, and needs that were identified by the conference and the working groups; (3)…

The design of computer materials for self-directed language learning is discussed from two points of view: (1) adaptability or flexibility of computer materials; and (2) the potential and limitations of computer-assisted instruction for enhancing autonomous learning. Important considerations in designing flexible materials through careful…

The development of interactive video materials for developing listening comprehension in beginning learners of Hebrew as a second language is described. Initially, videotapes presenting stories in the form of interviews set in Israel were designed and produced according to current instructional design theory. These were viewed by the prospective…

A discussion of computer-assisted second language learning focuses on the kinds of computer software currently available and discusses briefly how they can be used in language instruction. Four types of software are distinguished, including: (1) that in which the computer controls, to a great extent, the nature and order of events (e.g., drills,…