2012 - A framework of learners’ digital skills needed for use in language learning environments

"A framework of learners’ digital skills needed for use in language learning environments"
Online Proceedings of 5th International Symposium: Emerging Technologies for Online Learning (ET4Online). 
USA: Las Vegas, Sloan Consortium & MERLOT, 2012

In an era of "digital globalization" (at least for most western societies) the increasing use of open technological platforms, such as CMC, VLS, LCMS, Blogs, Wikis, social networking sites, and online gaming and simulation environments, affect the entire adulthood of young learners.

This early digital adulthood of learners, whom Prensky already calls "digital natives" requires, in the field of learning a foreign language, language learning tools not only suitable to their needs but capable to assist them to construct personal technology-enhanced language learning experiences. The right use of these tools from learners' side becomes a crucial issue for language teachers who must guide them through the process of language acquisition.

In the above context, in this paper we initially propose a set of basic and extended digital skills needed in conjunction with specific linguistic tasks of the Common European Framework of Reference: Learning, Teaching, Assessment. It is well known that CEFR "… provides a practical tool for setting clear standards to be attained at successive stages of language learning and for evaluating outcomes in an internationally comparable manner".

The proposed liaison, structured mainly around the concepts of CEFR, provides a teacher's guide for learners preparation in terms of helping them to develop their ability to maximize online language and culture learning in modern Language Learning Environments. 

Get the full paper here

or at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki-Digital repository