@ SALAMIS - THE ONLINE COMPONENT OF F2F ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION

Abstract

With the recent advances in computer and telecommunication technologies, leading countries in the world and in europe are improving their teaching effectiveness by employing online material and various forms of interactivity between the teachers and students. In general, for language learners, face-to-face teaching still remains a major component, however, it is suported with web-based educational material and online interaction tools like chat or discussion programs. A great deal of multimedia content can also be supported through the web, which turns out to be a big advantage in language teaching. Another advantage of integrating technological devices like computers into education is the fact that they inevitably allow us to process and access information more quickly and efficiently. Along with this, computer usage is also very popular among teenagers, as it is also a game tool, making it a very motivational device. By integrating computers into foreign language education is aimed to show teachers, students and parents that computers are also very valuable devices in the learning and teaching process. Not only will computers contribute to the motivation of students, but it will also help deal with the 'insufficient learning time in schools' problem by allowing pupils to learn outside their weekly scheduled face to face lessons. Being aware of these developments, and the fact that in the near future, blended learning is going to be a must in foreign language teaching, the project '@ Salamis' has been initiated and this paper will report the decisions made and issues regarding the design of the online enironment.