Innovation in Language Learning

The aim of this paper is to present how the Personal Learning Environment (PerLE) promotes the development of language skills through e-competencies and collaborative learning in a blended context, encouraging active participation by considering learner autonomy as one of the main goals of this process, as applied in the Department of Languages and Education Sciences of the University of Calabria (UNICAL). According to researchers in the field of language learning, an approach that allows students to construct their own knowledge and focuses on learning appealing to their needs, and real-life interests is required. As reported in research, by the year 2015, 90% of jobs in Europe will require basic ICT abilities and it’s interesting the fact that two of the competencies required for the 21^st Century are the ability to communicate in a foreign language and the acquisition of ICT skills. PerLE, in fact, enables and supports the simultaneous development of both competencies, in a context where ICT works as an aid for language learning through e-learning tools. This learning environment also privileges the communicative approach by offering students the opportunity to freely use blogs and wikis, create animated cartoons, conceptual maps, etc. It is also possible to use software for presentations focusing on what they need to communicate rather than language analysis/grammatical rules. At the same time, it fosters, on the one hand, motivation by allowing students to take responsibility for their own learning (learn how to learn) since they become authors and consequently more successful learners. On the other hand, it’s relevant the facility to improve self-regulated learning, social skills, and cognitive abilities as proposed by the Lifelong Learning approach and suggested from results obtained in programs carried out in Austria using this approach, and in Calabria as part of the project “Messaggeri della Conoscenza” (Knowledge messengers). In addition, more than a learning platform, PerLE is a Personal Learning Environment. Personal since it gives students the opportunity to be protagonists in the learning process through a series of e-tools they use in collaboration with their peers to improve language skills; working under 4 pillars (study, collaborate, create, communicate). It is a learning environment given that it facilitates learning and fulfills the four main elements a learning environment must have: tools, resources, people, and designs.