Backward design vs. technology-first adoption, or why EdTech will not save you

Image & concept credit: Dr. Donna Lanclos

Haga clic aquí para la traducción al español (Google Translate) Introduction In Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL), curriculum design decisions increasingly occur in technology-saturated environments where platforms, tools, & analytics promise efficiency & innovation. Instructional designers are persistently bombarded with demands by pundits & the EdTech industry to adopt the latest buzzword technology or risk becoming… Continue reading Backward design vs. technology-first adoption, or why EdTech will not save you

Report: The cognitive & pedagogical implications of generative AI in education

Haga clic aquí para la traducción al español (Google Translate) Introduction This report synthesises findings from recent research on the application & impact of Large Language Models (LLMs) in educational settings. The evidence indicates that while LLMs present opportunities for efficiency, their integration poses significant cognitive hazards for learners & complex pedagogical challenges for educators.… Continue reading Report: The cognitive & pedagogical implications of generative AI in education

Integrating extramural English: Developing stronger communicative proficiency in universities & colleges

Haga clic aquí para la traducción al español (Google Translate) Introduction As universities & colleges seek to internationalise, English is becoming established as the de facto common medium of instruction, communication, & participation. English language teachers in EAP departments frequently note that students have broad repertoires of vocabulary & can parse complex grammar structures with… Continue reading Integrating extramural English: Developing stronger communicative proficiency in universities & colleges

Why traditional EFL coursebooks fail to develop communicative & linguistic competence

Haga clic aquí para la traducción al español (Google Translate) Introduction Despite decades of development & innovation in language pedagogy, most commercial EFL coursebooks continue to present English through a linear, grammar-based syllabus organised around discrete structures introduced in a fixed sequence. This article argues that such materials are fundamentally misaligned with the actual nature… Continue reading Why traditional EFL coursebooks fail to develop communicative & linguistic competence

Explicit instruction vs. corrective feedback

Haga clic aquí para la traducción al español (Google Translate) Introduction Feedback is often portrayed as the pedagogical heart of writing instruction. Orthodox “process writing” practices encourage teachers to respond extensively to student drafts, conference individually, & guide students through multiple rounds of revision. However, this model implicitly assumes that learning happens primarily after students… Continue reading Explicit instruction vs. corrective feedback

Digital sovereignty or digital colony? A wake-up call for Europe

Haga clic aquí para la traducción al español (Google Translate) An interview with Prof. Harald Wehnes: Introduction & summary “Without radical measures to reduce dependency on digital monopolies, the digital future of Germany & Europe is lost.” – Prof. Harald Wehnes In this alarming & thought provoking episode of Open Matters, host Richard Brock speaks… Continue reading Digital sovereignty or digital colony? A wake-up call for Europe

Making the student writing process transparent: Version control as a practical & pedagogical response to LLM enabled academic misconduct

Haga clic aquí para la traducción al español (Google Translate) Introduction: From policing to process Since the release of ChatGPT to the general public in late 2022, large language models (LLMs) have progressively blurred the lines between authentic student writing & ‘LLM assisted’ writing. Such writing is not entirely the student’s own work & does… Continue reading Making the student writing process transparent: Version control as a practical & pedagogical response to LLM enabled academic misconduct

Rethinking grammar instruction: Why usage-based, Construction Grammar-informed language learning outperforms skill-acquisition approaches

Haga clic aquí para la traducción al español (Google Translate) Introduction For decades, second & foreign language pedagogy has been dominated by skill-acquisition theory, which views learning as the gradual automation of explicit knowledge through repeated practice (Anderson, 1982; DeKeyser, 2006). According to this model, students first acquire declarative knowledge, “knowing that,” about grammatical rules… Continue reading Rethinking grammar instruction: Why usage-based, Construction Grammar-informed language learning outperforms skill-acquisition approaches

Rethinking error correction: More effective pathways for grammatical development

Haga clic aquí para la traducción al español (Google Translate) Introduction The role of error correction in second language (L2) instruction has long divided scholars & practitioners. On one side, researchers such as Dana Ferris (1995, 1997, 1999, 2012; Ferris & Roberts, 2001) contend that selective & focused corrective feedback can promote accuracy & aid… Continue reading Rethinking error correction: More effective pathways for grammatical development

ELT methodology is chronically under-defined: When we teach without definition, we teach in the dark

Haga clic aquí para la traducción al español (Google Translate) Introduction Gaining sufficient competence in the English language is not a luxury, it is a make-or-break reality for millions of learners worldwide. English proficiency has become a gateway to higher education, career mobility, & global citizenship. Given what is at stake, our students cannot afford… Continue reading ELT methodology is chronically under-defined: When we teach without definition, we teach in the dark