Innovation in Language Learning

This paper examines e-learning in Applied Linguistics, in the specific areas of Adult Education and Lifelong Learning. It will report on findings from a research project carried out at the National University of Ireland Galway in 2014, funded by the Irish Research Council and investigating the demographic profile and learning style of adult online language learners at this university.

We will first review available literature specifically dealing with e-learning in language learning and position our research within the wider methodological framework. We will then outline our project and report on quantitative and qualitative data collected from adult online learners of Irish and Italian through questionnaires employing both Likert scale items and open-ended questions, and though a Vark (Fleming 2001) learning style questionnaire. We will map the profiles of current participants in our e-courses in relation to age, gender, educational and professional background, geographical collocation, motivation, expectations, learning style, level of technological proficiency, attitude towards and use of social networking tools. We will further comment on profile, motivational factors and learning styles of online language course users at NUI Galway and consider the implications for course design and curriculum development, choice of technology and pedagogical resources.  

Finally, we will discuss the implications of our findings for the design of language courses to be delivered in e-learning in order to stimulate further interest in language learning among adult and non-traditional students and help them to overcome the difficulties connected with the challenge of a new language.