Year: 2006
Type: article
Abstract: The potential of online tools as resources to implement learner-centred approaches to language learning (see Warschauer and Kern 2000; Felix 2003) has led to their progressive integration into language classrooms. Collaborative learning is one of the types of learning for which Internet technology can be most helpful: the Internet facilitates many-to-many communication, both synchronous and asynchronous tasks, timeand place-independent communication, long distance exchanges, communication in real life situations, and student publishing (Warschauer 1997). Computer-mediated communication (CMC) helps learners develop interactive competence through practice (Chun 1994) and gives them the sense of having an audience (Warschauer 1996). In the field of ESP, teachers can design activities where learners use computer tools to interact freely and instantaneously with one another, and to collaborate with other learners in the performance of shared tasks related to their disciplines. These activities may help them to develop a critical skill in their future careers: the ability to communicate and collaborate with others to access, interpret and use information (Warschauer 1997). However, in order for online collaborative tasks to be effective in the ESP classroom, their design needs to be informed by sound pedagogical principles of ESP learning. The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the pedagogical principles that should inform the design of online collaborative tasks for ESP. We will begin by discussing some necessary conditions for optimal learning in ESP. In the second part of the paper we will describe some online collaborative tasks for ESP which meet these conditions.
Author: María José Luzón
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W90483171