Abstract:

The Division of Foreign Languages at Tel Aviv University offers courses for academic purposes in approximately fifteen languages. Over the past six years, most English instructors in the division have incorporated blended learning principles in their courses, using Moodle as the exclusive LMS (learning management system), while teachers of other languages have been slow to follow suit. Since 2011, however, Spanish and Turkish instructors have taken the initiative to adapt Moodle in innovative ways, hoping to encourage teachers of other languages to do the same in their courses.

In this digital age where Kindle is more popular than printed literature and course websites have replaced traditional textbooks, the question arises as to what is the ideal format for such a website. What parameters should be considered when designing a course for blended language learning and how should its contents be formatted? How can course design help enhance reading and writing and engender meaningful communication in the target language?

The aim of this paper is to illustrate an effective, user-friendly way of organizing materials (readings, videos, grammar and vocabulary lessons as well as forums and custom made on-line tests) for language teaching using the Moodle platform. A university Turkish course will be presented as a model for blended language learning and the advantages of the proposed layout will be discussed. The guidelines given here will help language teachers design an aesthetically appealing course website. Ideally, this website will be both engaging and enriching, and students will be eager to explore its contents, in which educational materials will be easy to locate. Thus, teachers will gain confidence and will be inspired to develop their own uniquely tailored websites, meant to cater to the specific needs of their classroom populations.

Keywords:

Moodle, language teaching, blended learning, course design.