Blogs in the modern foreign languages curriculum. A case study on the use of blogging as a pedagogic tool and a mode of assessment for modern foreign languages students

Fran Beaton,Luca Di Gregorio

doi:10.1080/23752696.2019.1644660

Fran Beaton, Luca Di Gregorio

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1080/23752696.2019.1644660

Copy DOI

Abstract

ABSTRACTSince the early 2000s, the numbers studying Modern Foreign Languages at university has declined, although there is a strong body of evidence that language capabilities are valued and in demand by employers, operating in global markets and working with international partners. A significant element in the Higher Education MFL curriculum to these challenges is to adopt innovative and engaging approaches to teaching, including the use of technology to develop the range and confidence of students’ language skills and prepare them for formative and summative assessment. This paper, drawing on theoretical perspectives of social learning, peer collaboration and curriculum design, considers the role of blogging in developing language capability, engaging students with real life non-academic forms of reflective writing and addressing the interrelatedness of language skills, cultural awareness and personal growth. It discusses the challenges of embedding new assessment methods in the curriculum and potential implications for practice in and beyond Modern Languages learning and teaching.

Highlights

As the UK negotiates its departure from the European Union, the nation faces a language learning crisis (Kelly, 2018b; Tinsley, 2018) which could dramatically affect its socio-economic and political interactions with other countries, in particular those in which Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) are embedded into the school curriculum (e.g. France, Spain, Italy, Germany)
This paper explores the pedagogic potential of innovation in the MFL curriculum, through the theoretical lenses of constructive alignment (Biggs & Tang, 2011) and assessment for learning (Price, Carroll, O’Donovan, & Rust, 2011; Rust, O’Donovan, & Price, 2005)
In times where the Higher Education sector is under pressure and student numbers in MFL are dropping, it is challenging to introduce innovative projects, as it takes time and extra resources for both institutions and students to get accustomed to different teaching approaches and assessment practices

Summary

Introduction

As the UK negotiates its departure from the European Union, the nation faces a language learning crisis (Kelly, 2018b; Tinsley, 2018) which could dramatically affect its socio-economic and political interactions with other countries, in particular those in which Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) are embedded into the school curriculum (e.g. France, Spain, Italy, Germany). Over the same period the number of non-specialist language learners on Institution-Wide Languages Programmes (IWLP) studying elective language modules in university MFL departments or Language Centres, within or alongside a degree programme has grown steadily: ‘at least 53,200 and possibly as many as 62,200 students’ (Association of University Language Centres and University Council for Modern Languages, 2018) This increasing take-up by non-specialists clearly suggests an appetite for the challenges, personal and broader benefits of MFL study, boosting employment prospects in economic, political, diplomatic, educational and public services (health, justice and law for example) sectors (Panetta, 2010), with humanitarian and other NGOs and as a key feature in the exercise of influence (Hinsliff, 2018). All these considerations underpin the importance of MFL curricula and teaching, both in motivating students (Smith, 2012) and preparing them for myriad multicultural contexts and uses (Corradini, Borthwick, & Gallagher-Brett, 2016; Kelly, 2016; Lugea, 2016)

Methods

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion