Valérie Demouy

On the spot: using mobile devices for listening and speaking practice on a French language programme

This paper presents and discusses the initial findings of a mobile language learning project undertaken in the context of an undergraduate distance‐learning French language programme at The Open University (UK). The overall objective of the project was to investigate students’ experiences when using their own portable devices for additional listening and speaking practice within a course. Experience data were collected via weekly online questionnaires, recorded oral feedback and email. The use of iPods and MP3 players was quickly adopted by project participants; but whilst the challenge and the authentic aspect of doing activities on the phone appealed to some learners, we conclude that other learners will need to be helped towards recognising the specific value of this type of practice as a stepping stone towards authentic communication. We suggest further areas of investigation and potential applications.

The Interactive Oral Assessment (IOA) project: Using Talkback ® for practice and assessment of listening and speaking skills in languages

The Open University has always sought to exploit new technologies to deliver its language modules more effectively. Although students are offered regular tutorials (face-to-face and online) and work through a series of speaking activities on DVD-ROMs, oral practice is a crucial issue in distance learning. In collaboration with Learnosity, we offered a 6-week free pilot module aimed at two groups of students who had just completed French Beginners or level 1 English for Academic Purposes (EAP). We designed activities practising oral competency by using Talkback® (powered by Learnosity). Students accessed them on their mobile, landline, Skype or through an iPhone App. Recordings were instantly available on the Learnosity website to both students and tutors, who could mark and provide feedback. Both groups reported weekly via short online questionnaires recording their experiences. This paper discusses the findings of the project and their implications.