Rosanna Miiller Salas

To learn a new language is a long term goal. I had the opportunity to experience it as a student and a teacher. This demanding process combines internal and external factors such motivation, personal agenda, purpose, and desire to learn. The acquisition process is frequently perceived by the student as slow and difficult and this can negatively affect the student’s interest and desire to learn.

One of the most engaging factors in a language course is the flexibility to adapt the student’s expectations and personal circumstances. I am constantly reflecting about the application of distant education on the language acquisition process. What are the potential advantages of taking an online language acquisition course? Which are the best practices in the eLearning education that can be successful in this specific area? What are the resources and tools most convenient to improve the student experience? What can be the different teacher approaches depending on the student’s native language and their desire to learn?

The incorporation of emerging technologies opens enormous possibilities in the second language acquisition process. Some advantages of using online instruction are time flexibility, accessibility, adaptability to the learner’s specific needs, and student’s ability to control during his own process. This is aligned with important educational theoretical frames as the Adult Learner Theory and the Constructivism Theory.

Another aspect to consider are the variety of activities to experience with each lesson such as joint learning communities, conversations with native speakers, translation experiences, pronunciation exercises, researching and discovering traditions, geography, grammar, culture, music, lectures, and news. These are some of the infinite real life experiences that can be incorporated into an online course.