Contribution to presentation for #aulc2013 on theme of telecollaboration.

1. The context for collaboration in
language learning.
An overview of telecollaboration for
language teaching.

2. What is telecollaboration?
• “Online communication used to bring
together language learners in different
countries in order to carry out collaborative
projects or undertake intercultutral
exchanges” (O’Dowd and Ritter, 2006)

3. “Perhaps the most exciting application of the
web in language learning is its capacity for
bringing together students and native
speakers” (Klapper 2006, p191)

4. “Combining new ideas about computer-
mediated technologies and well-loved
theories of learning results in fantastic
possibilities but they need a little
human time and energy to make them
work.” (Salmon,2002, p4)

5. “The changing patterns of language education
that support this tendency [to learner
autonomy] are essentially a continuation of
those which supported the mainstreaming of
Communicative Language Teaching : the ever
increasing quantity of language education and
the growing importance of media and
information technologies.” (Benson, 1997)

6. “networked multimedia environments provide
opportunities for asynchronous and
synchronous dialogue in which meaning can
be negotiated in modes other than written or
printed text. The interactions between and
among learners… enhance the “learning as
knowledge” process” (Warshauer 2000, p161).

8. Support and resources
• INTENT project: EU report by Sarah Guth,
Francesca Helm and Rob O’Dowd available
from UCML website.
• UNIcollaboration: to be launched in February
providing a community for those innovating in
this area.
• HEA/UCML event on collaboration
• HEA report: e-tools for international
collaboration

9. To start exploring, click on the ‘partners’ tab in the top menu bar.
Start here to find databanks of classes, institutions and practitioners
who are interested in establishing contacts…

10. If you choose ‘classes’ then you’ll be able to search or browse a list of
classes which are interested in taking part in online exchange
projects...

11. When you see a class that you would like to connect to your own class,
simply click on ‘Contact the author’ to get into contact and discuss a
possible exchange…