Online Language Teaching: The Learner’s Perspective

Abstract

Many institutions are making the transition from primarily face-to-face instruction to online or a blend of face-to-face and online learning across a range of disciplines (Edwards et al., 2011). Languages are no exception, particularly in the light of mounting evidence of the effectiveness of blended approaches to language learning (Comas-Quinn, 2011). The focus of this book is on support for language teachers who are keen to engage in online language teaching and covers theory, practice and tools, tasks, and skills development for teachers in this context. However, awareness of the expectations and responses of language learners is also crucial in developing effective online language teaching. The transition from face-to-face to online teaching represents a substantial change not only for many teachers, but also for the learners, so there is increasing interest in the way this transition impacts on practice and on the learner’s experience. For example, does this transition mean adding to the teacher’s skills repertoire, or a transformation of existing practice? How does it affect the relationship between the teacher and learner?