Abstract:

2020 Project- “Foreign language teaching and learning in the national education system in the 2008-2020 period”- is the national project focusing on the improvement of foreign language teaching and learning in Vietnam education system. The period of 5 years from 2011 to 2015 is one of the significant periods of the project with the duties of equip the schools or institutions of all grades and implement teaching some particular disciplines in English in some teacher training universities. To achieve the aim of this 5 years’ time, English teacher training programs have been designed into short courses with the combination of traditional methods (face-to-face learning) and online learning through e-learning system.

It is, however, beyond dispute that e-learning training system for teachers teaching foreign languages in particular, and in Vietnam training context in general, exists problems to be solved. Among these obstacles are the drawbacks of the e-learning system along with Vietnamese culture and its people’s distinct characteristics. A question, therefore, arises “How can an effective and of high quality e-learning program in this foreign teaching and learning situation be designed?”

This paper presents an approach to design the e-learning short courses and describes experience in the short training course offered for English teachers- B1-level intensive programs in Vietnam within the scope of 2020 Project. Pedagogical strategies adopted in the program are the applications of blended learning model in which the situation of English teaching and learning is divided into two- traditional learning (face-tp-face learning) and online-learning using particular LMS/LCMS/ or CMS. In traditional learning situation, the teacher organizes, guides and handles all learning activities inside and outside the classrooms to convey knowledge by authentic materials. Through the direct interaction between teachers and learners, teachers understand learners’ characteristics and abilities in order to draw up pedagogical strategies in a more appropriate way for each kind of learner. In online-learning situation (with the experiment of M-learning system), learning comprises two teaching contents – course books or online materials and online learning activities such as Online learning contents, self-study activities, group-based activities, and collaborative activities.

M-learning system was operated in Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, Vietnam in December 2015 using LMS, Moodle 2.9, especially designed and installed several new functions for facilitating English teaching and learning such as group discussion, room chat, audio/video record. These functions can be done in smart phones or tablets. Besides, evaluating this experimental course was taken into great consideration. We studied on 2 classes for 2 courses with students of the same English level for pre-test. The first course was taught with traditional method. The second one was taught with blended-learning system. The comparison of students’ learning results as well as feedback from the students about the course help in analyzing and assessing the course in the most objective way.

Keywords:

e-learning, LMS/LCMS, e-Course, blended-learning, on-line learning, pedagogical strategy.