USING A BLENDED-LEARNING APPROACH TO BUTTRESS TERTIARY STUDENTS’ BURGEONING LANGUAGE SKILLS DEVELOPMENT IN ASIA

With an overall move towards setting international standards for Higher Educational Institutes (HEIs), projects such as the Bologna Process are providing a catalyst for educational reform worldwide. One area in particular that has been affected is that of language instruction and programming. Throughout Asia, where tertiary students are often required to complete their university training using English as a medium of instruction despite the fact that it has only been learned in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context throughout their formative education; there is a need to implement program support to ensure successful development. At the Macao Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT) all students are required to attend four semesters or the first two years of English Language instruction which are organized using an English for Special Purposes (ESP) and English for Academic Purposes (EAP) content design. An online learning platform using the Modular Object Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment (MOODLE) has been introduced to expand and enhance students’ interaction with the target language and to provide them the means to carry out independent investigation or to secure assistance in the development of their communication skills. This research explores how this blended-learning approach has affected the ways in which one cohort of students preparing for a career in the area of Tourism and Hospitality related industries are being supported to meet the linguistic challenges they encounter over the first two years of their undergraduate studies.