Septembre 2024 – Septembre 2027
Reframing oral interaction in blended and online settings in second language teaching and learning
A major challenge teachers and learners face in foreign language (FL) learning is oral interaction. The paradigm shift in language education towards blended and online learning environments necessitates a re-evaluation of oral interaction practices in second language (L2) teaching and learning. This shift fails to fully utilize the advantages of online learning, such as increased practice time and improved feedback through recording and annotation tools. Despite the potential of online environments, there is reluctance among educators to implement oral interaction online, partly due to negative experiences during emergency remote teaching (ERT) during the past pandemic. ERT, characterized by unplanned, synchronous sessions trying to mimic face-to-face methodologies, has led to a gradual return to traditional teaching, with many lessons learned during the pandemic being overlooked.
The INTERAC-TIC research project aims to reframe oral interaction practices in blended language learning programmes to assist with their transition from the face-to-face part of blended courses to online contexts. The study explores the dynamics of teacher-student and student-student interactions, examining how these interactions differ from traditional face-to-face settings and how they can be optimized in blended environments. The project also focuses on the didactic processes of task presentation, task implementation, and feedback to find out how they differ in face-to-face and online modes of delivery and which is the most effective in terms of learners cognitive, behavioural, and affective engagement.
The first step of the project will be to analyse how teachers are experiencing the challenges of implementing oral interaction in blended and online language learning programmes. The results of this analysis will inform the design and implementation of a series of face-to-face and online oral interaction activities. The analysis will focus on how the different components are carried out to identify which are best done online and which in class, based on learner engagement. Through a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative data from learner performance metrics and questionnaires with qualitative insights from learner and teacher interaction recordings and interviews, the study evaluates the three dimensions of learner engagement in each of the components of oral interaction teaching and learning analysing variables that include linguistic and pragmatic competence, communicative skills, motivation, foreign language anxiety, peer/teacher feedback, mediation and interpersonal skills. The oral interaction practises involved in the research design will help investigate how online sessions can be effectively integrated with in-person sessions to create a cohesive and meaningful learning experience. The project also explores the role of generative AI-powered tools in enhancing oral interaction strategies in L2 learning.
Key outcomes of this research include a best-practices framework for L2 educators to implement effective oral interaction practices in blended L2 learning environments. The project offers insights into how digital transformation can be harnessed to enrich the learning experience and outcomes in second language acquisition and holds significant implications for language educators, curriculum developers, and online instructional designers to refine their approaches to fostering oral proficiency in blended learning contexts.