Promoting Basic Competences in EFL Instruction by Means of E-mail Tandem

Abstract

This paper intends to show how e-mail tandem (Brammerts & Little, 1996; Glasmann & Calvert, 2001; Stickler & Lewis, 2003) has been integrated in the English curriculum of a Diversificacion Curricular Programme (3rd and 4th grade of Secondary Education) to promote linguistic, intercultural, learning to learn and digital competences (LOE, 2006). The first part will be devoted to explaining the main characteristics of e-mail tandem and its close relationship with the aforementioned four competences, as well as with the Common European Framework of Reference (2001) and the European Language Portfolio (ELP) (Little & Perclova, 2001; Cassany, 2006). The second part will deal with the main characteristics of the students involved and the instruments used to practise the linguistic, intercultural, learning to learn, and digital competences, i.e. e-mails written by the students, learning diaries (Nunan, 1992; Otto, 2003; Oxford, 1996) and reflections on the ELP (Palacios, 2006). Finally, examples of student performance will be presented, together with the main conclusions derived from their work, including some suggestions for further research.