The Virtual Forum as an Alternative Way to Enhance Foreign Language Learning

A web-based story sharing forum has been established to provide students in Bogotá, Colombia, New Brunswick, Canada and Dundee, Scotland with the opportunity to exchange cross-cultural stories as a complement to the regular ELT Curriculum. This paper will describe the process through which the excha...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inPROFILE issues in teachers' professional development no. 9; pp. 219 - 236
Main Authors Clavijo Olarte, Amparo, Hine, Nicolas Alexander, Quintero, Luz Mary
Format Journal Article
LanguagePortuguese
Published Departamento de Lenguas Extranjeras, Universidad Nacional de Colombia 01.06.2008
Subjects
EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
blogs as tools for language learning
blogs como herramientas para el aprendizaje de lengua
EFL learning mediated by ICTs
comunidades de aprendizaje
learning communities
Aprendizaje de inglés como lengua extranjera mediado por las TICs
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Summary:A web-based story sharing forum has been established to provide students in Bogotá, Colombia, New Brunswick, Canada and Dundee, Scotland with the opportunity to exchange cross-cultural stories as a complement to the regular ELT Curriculum. This paper will describe the process through which the exchange experience was established and the progress achieved by the group of Colombian students in their regular interaction through blogs, theme-based wikis, social forums and online debates. The teaching practices utilized in the forum have fostered the creation of communities of interest and practice among teachers and students in the forum. Early results suggest that this innovative way of implementing the ELT curriculum has promoted student involvement and language development through the use of ICTs.
ISSN:1657-0790
2256-5760