Developing Distance Language Learners’ Interactive Competence—Can Synchronous Audio Do the Trick?

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Kötter, M. (2001). Developing Distance Language Learners’ Interactive Competence—Can Synchronous Audio Do the Trick?. International Journal of Educational Telecommunications, 7(4), 327-353. Norfolk, VA: AACE.
Retrieved from http://www.editlib.org/p/8412.

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Journal Information

International Journal of Educational Telecommunications
ISSN 1077-9124
Volume 7, Issue 4, 2001
Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE)  Norfolk, VA

Author

Markus Kötter, The Open University,

Abstract

This article discusses findings from two pilot studies that investigated the use of Internet-based audio conferencing and e-mail by distance language learners. Students enrolled in courses at the British Open University met once a week online with their tutor to complete a series of tasks that were designed to help them improve their spoken competence. In addition, learners were encouraged to use the online environment for further meetings without their tutors. It is suggested that the higher number of opportunities learners had to communicate in the target language as a result of the availability of an online environment increased both their interactive competence and their confidence in their target language skills. Another outcome was that students with different levels of proficiency appear to require different types of tutorial support and that communication and fluency-related tasks are ideally used in an online environment with learners of at least intermediate competence in the target language.

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