Browsing by Author "Landa Buil, Maria"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Incorporating a Language Learning Platform to Promote Independent Study: The case of Spanish at UWI St. Augustine [PowerPoint presentation]
    (2013-09-17) Mideros Camargo, Diego; Landa Buil, Maria
    The rapid growth and increasing access to the Internet have become key elements in the teaching and learning processes in different disciplines. Foreign language (FL) learners and teachers have benefited from the multimodal contents available online. Several blogs, wikis, webquests, videos, among others, provide authentic and didactic materials for FL learning. The variety of options is wide and varies from free content to structured language courses for which users have the option to pay. In 2011, the Centre for Language Learning (CLL) at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus purchased a learning management system (LMS) that sought to promote independent study among FL learners. The LMS was developed in Europe and provides structured lessons for different language skills and different levels. This LMS was piloted with non-specialist Spanish learners at the CLL and with specialist students of the Spanish degree programme. This paper reports on the initial analysis of incorporating this ready-to-use platform from the perspective of the learners. The focus is on evaluating the perceived value of the experience as expressed by the students. Different data collection strategies, both qualitative and quantitative, were used for this case study
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Telecollaboration in Spanish as a Foreign Language Learning in Trinidad
    (Ikala, 2010-04) Neva, Carolina; Landa Buil, Maria; Carter, Beverly-Anne; Ibrahim-Ali, Amina
    Objective: To study how participation in tandem partnership influences the motivation towards the target language and culture and the autonomy of learners of Spanish as a foreign language in Trinidad and Tobago. Method: An action research project was conducted with 33 learners of Spanish in Trinidad and 33 learners of English in Colombia, who engaged in a seven week telecollaboration during which they used email and Web 2.0 technologies to communicate. Data were collected through questionnaires and a weekly journal. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were carried out. Results: The objectives of the project were all met. Conclusions: The project was a rich source of learning for all the participants and stresses the need of a deeper understanding of learners' language learning, an analysis of the sociocultural, psycholinguistic, and linguistic dimensions of intercultural competence in a specific context, and the critical assessment of the role of Web 2.0 technologies in fostering autonomy. Link to article