Open AccessEnglish for Social Sciences: development of language proficiency in a virtual learning environment
Author(s) -
Steffen Skowronek
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
eurocall newsletter
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1695-2618
DOI - 10.4995/eurocall.2009.16339
Subject(s) - german , computer science , premise , language proficiency , blended learning , mathematics education , language acquisition , test (biology) , control (management) , multimedia , psychology , pedagogy , educational technology , linguistics , artificial intelligence , paleontology , philosophy , biology
The two-part language course ‘English for Students of Social Sciences (UNIcert III)'(1) was developed in the period 2005-2007 within the framework of the Leonardo da Vinci project ‘EUROVOLT via VLE'(2). In the process, teaching and learning materials were created taking into consideration the specific experiences and requirements of German students of Political and Managerial Sciences and Sociology. The course aims at the requirements of the professional world of these students.(3) A further important premise was compatibility with the existing UNIcert training level and the levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. The material was specifically developed for a teaching and learning concept which implements innovative approaches in the combination of online and offline language learning (Blended Learning or BL) and investigates their success. To this end, a test and control group enrolled on the UNIcert III/1 level were available for each semester respectively; the test group had 2 sessions in the multimedia language laboratory and 2 in the classroom (contact sessions), and the control group had 4 contact sessions. Both groups used the same material and dealt with the same topics, the test group online and the control group as printed material.