September 28, 2005

LANCELOT is unique, timely and needed

A major part of the proposals for funding by the European Commission is stating reasons, why the development project LANCELOT (LEONARDO DA VINCI, Language Competence Program, 9/2005-8/2007) is needed and why it is unique and timely. The needs analysis for the LANCELOT project fills 25 pages of the 90 pages long application and a) lists why there is a need for qualifying language teachers in the use in virtual classrooms, b) contrasts efforts of other European Projects and c) lists items of the European Action Plan for language learning which it purposes to meet. For a detailed project description, please look at the previous article.

a) Is there a need for qualifying language teachers in the use of virtual classrooms?

For a number of reasons, language training and virtual classroom seem a perfect match.

By nature, language tuition is typically held a few hours a week over longer periods of time and the use of Internet communication technology can cut the cost of travelling, which adds to the price of the lessons. Then there is lack of native speakers in many countries. Look at English classes filled with 40+ students in China.

An additional reason for employing virtual classroom technology could be the potential of earning better wages abroad. Whether a language trainer teaches in Japan or whether he or she teaches in his or her home country can make a big difference to their earnings. Worse still, in a large number of cases, when language teachers return to their home country, they may face unemployment.

Many lessons benefit from the Internet and this is especially so in the case of language tuition. Access to the Internet means access to authentical teaching material such as video files and audio files, news in the target language, online dictionaries and vocabulary trainers. Features such as co-browsing and live annotations of websites are an excellent tool in class.

Last but not least, using virtual classroom technology means a significant step into the direction of learning the very medium itself, almost as a by-product to learning a language. Some time in the not too distant future, web conferencing will replace telephone conferencing. Business people need to learn this technology so as to conduct business meetings. The use of virtual classroom technology in language training can help lay the very foundation of conducting business in a global world.

Considering all of the above, it is surprising that the use of virtual classrooms is still very rare. Web conferencing has been around for a number of years and prices have already dropped. Bandwidth requirements are low and cross-plattform solutions are available.

So, why aren't there many more language schools deploying this medium?

Most certainly one of the main reasons for not doing so is the lack of technical, pedagogical and didactical know-how. LANCELOT aims to develop a train-the-trainer programme to address this very need.

b) Efforts of other European Projects to qualify trainers in the use of Internet technology

The TELLRIGHT project has been funded under the LEONARDO DA VINCI Language Competence program. It started in November 2002 and finished in April 2005. In Tellright a language training course ware in form of an asynchronous e-learning course for medical personal was developed to serve as a model for similar developments of vocational language training courses. The TELLRIGHT trainer is directly involved in the development and the design. He or she does not actually teach. Synchronous communication tools such as chats are part of the project and are used for networking partners and their trainers, it is however not used for the teaching of languages.

LEONARDO DA VINCI also funded the EUROPEAN E-TUTOR project which finished in March 2003. A certificate and a train-the-trainer program was developed and had very specific objectives:

• to support teachers / trainers as their role is transformed from the classic "lecturer" to the "facilitator" of virtual learning processes,


• to master the technically and pedagogically skilful development of multimedia learning and teaching materials,


• to develop the technical and above all, the pedagogical competence of teachers.

Interestingly, getting to know virtual classroom technology is part of the curriculum . of a EUROPEAN E-TUTOR course. The EUROPEAN E-TUTOR learns that live online teaching can be compared to real classroom teaching as regards learning results, it is however also mentioned, that the very costs and the technical expertise needed do not justify a large deployment of such tools. Amongst others it lists the 'passive attitude' of students which in itself poses a pedagogical challenge in class.

The NET-TRAINERS development project under LEONARDO DA VINCI closed April last year. A NET-TRAINER is a facilitator and assists his or her students before, during and at the end of an asynchronous e-learning course. He or she analysis the student needs and helps to select appropriate course ware. At the end of course, the Net-Trainer evaluates the learning progress.

None of these certified train-the-trainer courses actually deal with teaching in a virtual classroom setting. A NET-TRAINER, a TELLRIGHT trainer and a EUROPEAN E-TUTOR do no longer teach, but design, facilitate and develop e-learning courses. What a change of role.

c) The European Action Plan for Language Learning

The European Action Plan 2004-2006 for Promoting Language Learning and Linguistic Diversity calls for every citizen to be able to have...

'meaningful communicative competence in at least two other languages in addition to his or her mother tongue.'

To achieve this goal, the following measures should be ensured by national and international efforts.

Action Plan II: Better Language Teaching.
A language teacher 'should receive opportunities to keep their language and teaching skills up to date via e-learning and distance learning'. Language teachers may 'often feel isolated, unaware of developments elsewhere with the potential to improve their work.' They may not have access to adequate professional support networks, it is therefore important 'to facilitate contacts and effective networks between them at a regional, national and European level'. It is understood that the language teacher 'plays a key role' and that inspectors of foreign language teaching and other professionals in promoting good practise have not received the 'attention it merits'.

Some Member States....

'face shortages of adequately-qualified language teachers, these may be general shortages or may relate to certain language. These shortages need to be addressed and sustainable solutions found.'

Action Plan III: Building a Language friendly environment
Teaching and learning other languages need to 'happen in every home and every street, every library and cultural centre, as well as in every education or training institution and every business.' The Action Plan calls for 'a healthy demand and a rich supply of language learning opportunities'. learning of so-called ''regional', 'minority' and migrant languages' to improve 'the quality of the teaching of these languages, access to learning opportunities, and to encourage the exchange of information and best practice in this field.' The Internet has the further advantage of facilitating contact between speakers of a very wide range of languages.

LANCELOT is indeed unique, timely and needed. The 2004 enlargement of the EU, which nearly doubled the number of official languages from 12 to 20, focused attention on the role of languages in the EU as never before.

LANCELOT aims to qualify language teachers in the use virtual classroom technology. The students benefit from acquiring language competence plus media competence, and this in turn will assist Europe in growing strong into a single market.

So far so good, as the project is about to begin.

Posted on September 28, 2005 at 08:34 AM

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