Themes

The activities of PERL are founded on the fusion of experimentation and research, bridging the gap between theoretical discussion of digital pedagogy and practical considerations regarding the creation and implementation of online resources. As such, contributions may include accounts of the creation and/or use of innovative teaching material, which could, in turn, inform theoretical discussion and serve as a model for the development of future digital resources.

Proposals should address one of the following conference strands.

Strand 1: Digital technologies in higher education: exploring innovative teaching methods

This first strand aims to examine the use of digital resources in higher education (specifically in language teaching, but also in open access online learning), with the intention of bridging the gap between theory and practice. Although these technologies cannot be described as “new”, they evolve rapidly, necessitating the constant evaluation of teaching methods. However, the innovative nature of such technologies, albeit sometimes only in appearance, does not necessarily lead to updated teaching practices. Contributions to this strand should  focus on issues linked to digital teaching methods and may address the following:

- Which theoretical models are best adapted to digital pedagogy?

- Which types of resources should be put in place to favour the development of different language skills, notably digital literacy (Springer, 2017) that are relevant in today’s digital society?  

- Which methods should be adopted to encourage active learning and creativity in learners? How can the effectiveness of such methods be evaluated?

- How does the online environment affect the nature of the relationship between teacher and learner?

- How can an individualised learner-based approach be reconciled with the teaching of large groups?

- How can “mass personalisation” of the learning process be implemented?

- How can online collaboration between students be encouraged such that tasks are transformed into social acts? What place should be given to “invisible didactics”  (Ollivier, 2012)?

- How should learners be evaluated online, especially in the case of diagnostic testing?

In the wake of the digital revolution, the European Council has paved the way for another innovative approach for the teaching of languages and cultures, by introducing the Framework of Reference for Pluralistic Approaches to Languages and Cultures (FREPA, 2012). Such “pluralistic approaches” aim to encourage the development of plurilingual and pluricultural skills (De Pietro, 2009). Language education now takes into account not only linguistic interference - such as translanguaging (Garcia, 2009) - but also inter/transculturality; integrated didactics; intercomprehension between related languages (Ollivier, 2011); and language awareness (Simon et al., 2015). Digital technologies make it possible to take account of plurilingual speakers in a multilingual and transcultural world (Narcy-Combes et al., 2019). How can such technologies be exploited to leverage plurilingualism? With this in mind, do networks have a specific role to play? In short, how can digital technologies be exploited in the field of language teaching to create a more plurilingual society (for instance, via higher education policy or by incorporating different languages into virtual learning environment interfaces)?

Since education can be viewed as the echo chamber of social evolution (Callon & Latour, 1991), key issues linked to the use of digital technologies in language teaching can be brought to light by broaching the subject from a range of different perspectives. The fields of information technology, communication, psychology, sociology, anthropology, economics, linguistics (notably political and educational linguistics), cognitive science, history, and philosophy could each shed light on different aspects of the way in which the use of digital technologies in education impacts the diffusion, assimilation and transmission of knowledge. How can an appreciation of the history of language education contribute to the development of innovative teaching methods? What are the processes by which knowledge is acquired and appropriated in today’s society? How does technology influence the learning process, first from the perspective of psycho- and cognitive linguistics, and secondly from political, economic and (psycho-)social perspectives? What role should be attributed to languages in the new knowledge-based society, (Ardourel, 2015) a concept that forms the subject of the European Council’s 2000 Lisbon Strategy and that is underpinned by the rise of digital technologies?

Strand 2: Corpus linguistics in language teaching for subject-specific, professional or academic purposes

With the development of language teaching for non-specialist students, university-level language teaching has been tending towards specialisation linked to students’ primary disciplines (history, geology, cultural project management, public health, medicine, etc.). This evolution has modified the content of language courses, which, in turn, has had an impact on learning objectives, leading to a fragmentation of the field of foreign language teaching. This can be evidenced by the proliferation of acronyms for the teaching of French as a foreign language, such as in FLE, FLS, FLSco, FLI, FOS, FOU, etc.

Subject-specific language teaching tends to borrow techniques from second language teaching, despite the fact that the differences between these disciplines outweigh what they have in common (Chnane-Davin et Cuq, 2009). Pedagogical methods derived from corpus linguistics (Cavalla & Loiseau, 2013; Boulton & Tyne, 2014) are being explored to develop fresh terminological, phraseological and discursive approaches. How can we evaluate not only learners’ needs but also the precise content of language courses? How should different discursive styles be conceptualised and introduced to non-specialist learners? To what extent can digital resources and corpus linguistics enable us to address these needs? How can corpora facilitate specialisation?

Alongside the development of language teaching for subject-specific and professional purposes, language teaching for academic purposes has become institutionalised in universities. This type of teaching can take various forms, including remedial language work, rhetorical training and academic exercises (such as writing essays and summaries or preparing presentations). However, student employability remains the priority (Nádvorníková et Dytrt, 2018).  How can these teaching and learning practices be integrated into blended or distance learning courses? Which online pedagogical resources and course designs (virtual collaborative environments, online peer correction and evaluation, etc.) are best adapted to accommodate such needs?

The linguistic needs of doctoral students and academic researchers, which differ from those of students enrolled in undergraduate and Master’s programmes, must also be considered: how should academic writing skills be taught, enabling researchers to develop an academic style that lends itself to linguistic analysis? Which didactic methods should be used to teach the writing skills required for academic research?

Strand 3: Training for Distance Learning Professionals

Given the constant evolution of technology and the way in which it is used in education, coupled with rising competition between language centres, the importance of providing adequate teacher training, whether in initial training or professional development programmes, cannot be understated. This is particularly important in light of the the diversification of language-based careers: the roles of the language teacher may include tutoring, developing pedagogical resources, community management, curriculum development, etc. This range of profiles requires the development of specific skills (Armao Méliet, 2017), as outlined in the following reference frameworks: the ROME index, the RUMEF (2011), ARIFOR (2011) and Referens frameworks, by the French Ministry for Economics, Industry and Information Technology and the Inffo Centre (2016). Despite the increasing need for training in this domain, the multifaceted character of language education and the consequent lack of uniformity raise a number of questions about how such training can be implemented in an effective manner (Fernagu-Oudet & Frétigné, 2011).

This strand will examine how best to train professionals involved in language education, whether in the use of existing digital resources or the creation of new pedagogical content. Which skills should be developed? Are existing training programmes effective in targeting these particular skills? How can potential shortcomings be overcome?

This strand will focus on ways of providing training in language teaching for specific and professional purposes through the use of CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning), or EMILE (enseignement d'une matière intégrée à une langue étrangère), for distance or blended learning modules. Which skills should be prioritised and which types of courses are best adapted to support the development of these skills? How can professional development be encouraged in a constantly evolving environment? How can a mutually beneficial relationship be established between teacher training initiatives and language centres? What role could research communities play in the implementation of such training programmes?