1. Blended learning, Web 2.0 and learner beliefs – promises and realities of students’ use of technology for language learning Ruth Trinder

2. Structure  Background: Promises (new media) and realities (Business English at WU)  Rationale for blended learning approach at WU  Study 1: Student perceptions and use of blended learning (traditional CALL)  Study 2: Student perceptions and use of new & social media for language learning

3. Promises of new (web 2.0) media in LL&LT  Any time, any place, any pace, any focus access to (authentic) input or adapted/dedicated content  Reading (plus annotations, access to dictionary, exercises...)  Listening/watching  Writing/publishing (Wikis, blogs)  Corpora, concordances  Native speakers and non-natives  Interaction (oral and written)  Cooperation  Socialising e.g. Social media (Facebook, Skype): all four skills Individualised access to material resources Access to social resources

4. Realities: Constraints of Business English programme  Large class sizes: EBC 1 (70-90 students, no mandatory attendance ); EBC 2,3,4 (25-40)  Standardised programme  Heterogeneous groups  Strong emphasis on content and terminology  Focus on receptive skills; reading comprehension, vocabulary, collocations  Formal register  ‘General’ English neglected  Little opportunity for oral interaction

5. Rationale for online support  Need for individualised practice opportunities  E-materials complement class topics  Content, terminology and language tasks  Grammar and glossary  Best case: independent learning; students can choose ‘path to goal’

6. Empirical data (Study 1) Classes: expectations and functions Linguistic/content: Global introduction to new topics Listening (and speaking) Social: Keeping in touch with fellow students Competing and comparing Strategic: Regularity and structure Exam hints

7. Empirical data (Study 1) E-learning: expectations and functions Linguistic/content: Detail-focused learning; checking of understanding; practice; self-testing Social: Forum – opportunity for contact with all students of EBC 1 Strategic: Exam-oriented studying; swapping of hints and tips via forum

8. Empirical data (Study 1) Student use of online materials Why failure to use regularly?  Teacher dependence – lack of endorsement  Inexperience in self-directed learning  Overconfidence  Reliance on ‘just-in-time’ cramming for examination  Learner beliefs

9. User perceptions: Positive factors  choice of time, place and speed  individualised practice  immediacy of explanations & feedback  monitoring and consolidation of knowledge RUTH TRINDER, VIENNA UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION A great advantage of e- learning is that you can study at any point-of-need and concentrate on special topics. What I like about e-learning is that you can do the tasks and learn whenever you have time and you want to and you can do it on your own, with a tempo that suits you best. That it explains the right answers and explains why others are wrong Helps me understand what we have learnt in class, reinforce my knowledge and prepare for exams

10. User perceptions: Negative factors  Learner beliefs about language learning  Belief in importance of oral interaction  Too much use of e- learning in general RUTH TRINDER, VIENNA UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION in english i don't like it, cause in my opinion discussing in groups or just speaking with other people is much better. I didn’t use it because that’s not how languages are learnt I don't really like working with computers all the time

11. Conclusion 1: Influences on use of online materials Contextual factors  endorsement by opinion leaders  external structure  exam relevance Learner factors  perceived need  capacity for self-regulated learning  learner beliefs, learning styles and main goals

12. Conclusion 2 Student beliefs and aims shape their use of new technologies  Aims: study-related and job-related  Job-related skills: focus on oral competence – negotations, presentations; prerequisite: fluency (vocab & pronunciation)  Beliefs: learning by speaking and imitating; superiority of native speaker as model; overt corrections help  Communicative oral competence: benchmark of good English

13. Study 2: Students’ use of material and social resources outside class  ‘Old media’: books, films, SAT-TV, English text books for other courses...  Online reading: newspapers, blogs, journals...  Online listening/watching: American sitcoms...  Native speakers (f2f) preferred!  New media: rarely used for oral communication; often with non-natives ->useful for “keeping in touch”, but not seen as learning/practice opportunity material resourcessocial resources

14. Conclusion – promises not fully realized  Facebook etc. replace one-to-one electronic communication, change nature of communication  Value of written communication and communication with non-natives underestimated  Independent learning opportunities of CMC (mail, chat…) overlooked “ I’m convinced that speaking would be much more helpful to improve your language skills than simply writing emails or communicating via Skype ”

15. rtrinder@wu.ac.at Thank you for your attention RUTH TRINDER, VIENNA UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION