Innovation in Language Learning

The purpose of this paper is to present a model for a professional development programme for language teachers which aims to contribute to the conversation about the reshaping of language education with the support of ICT.

The tangible setting of this study is an online degree programme, the Masters degree in Digital Technologies for Language Teaching, offered by University of Nottingham, UK, which targets language professionals worldwide interested in deepening their understanding of the theoretical and practical aspects of the use of digital technologies for language learning and teaching. It is one of the aim of the programme to pay attention to the teaching of English as well as of languages other than English.

The programme has been designed by combining different pedagogical approaches -cognitive/constructivist pedagogies are merged with elements of experiential learning - to suit the diversity of  language teachers’ professional, cultural and language backgrounds. Thus, the constructions of knowledge is based on open dialogues and open practice along side reflection, critical thinking and above all personally relevant learning.

Within this context, Multimodality, i.e. the practice of representing content knowledge in different modes, beyond spoken and written language, plays a central role in our catering for a diverse of student body. Although Multimodality does not necessarily equate to digital technologies, in the context of our programme it is understood that digital technologies provide infinite multimodal opportunities for the benefit of learning.

Therefore, building on the affordance of digital technologies, Multimodality is deployed to address the needs of language teachers to engage with diversified learning in which practice and theory are strongly related to their own professional contexts. A multimodal approach is embraced throughout the programme for presenting, building and sharing knowledge within the Community of Inquiry of students and teachers alike.

The abundance of multimodal artefacts created in response to the programme’s requirements is an indication of the impact of Multimodality not only in supporting the learning experience of our learners’, but also in reshaping the learning experience of our learners’ learners, i.e. the next generation of language students.

The programme is at its early stages and it is anticipated that the strength of its pedagogical model lies in its affordances to cater for language professionals from diverse contexts and to prepare them for language education in the digital age.