Online Language Courses

 

The idea of online learning courses is a new experience for the students. The learners can apply for professional, skills, or language courses. Distance language learning courses offer good opportunities for those who have limited time to develop their second or foreign language. These courses provide the learners new ways of learning with interactive methods. They can be short courses, long courses or even for specific purposes. http://www.rocketlanguages.com/free-language-resources Like any other invention, the online language courses have their own advantages and disadvantages. Moreover, some research frames these advantages in the many fundamental areas, referring to the learners, the learning environment and the tool itself. The online language course gives the learners the flexibility to study any time and in any place. It provides flexibility of access in terms of the learning settings. In addition, this flexibility requires more awareness and commitment on the part of the learners. They are more responsible of their own learning and progress. The students need to learn how to use the technology and implement it in their learning process. In this case, the teacher is less available to evaluate, monitor or manage the learning-teaching process. So the students should develop self-directing and self-managing skills to reflect on their learning. However, completing the students’ online readiness tool can be helpful for those who are not able to make their decision about starting an online study. One of the interesting questions in the tool was the amount of time learners need to devote to the course. I think 10-20 hours a week may crucial for a language course.  Students usually apply for online language courses because of its flexibility. Consequently a twenty-hour course may be overloading for some learners. Above all, these courses also address students who have computers with headset and access to the network. Finally, as MA TEFL professional, I think online language courses may deprive the learners from their main right to communicate face to face with each other and their teacher. While few learners may show commitment and continue learning, most of them may get de-motivated and quit the course.