Abstract:

Technological advances can not only help students improve their learning of foreign languages but also create new educational needs. As we know, the development of foreign language skills is a fundamental issue in young European workers and trainees’ mobility fluxes. In this paper, we will review some of the more useful modern language autonomous learning approaches devised to help students learn a foreign language by the use of new technologies and which have made the European Project COMALAT possible. Previously to that, we will focus our attention on describing the two methodologies that support this project: Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) which puts its emphasis on specific student-centred materials that allow students to work on their own and Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL), a combination of both Mobile Learning (m-learning) and computer-assisted language learning (CALL), a methodological improvement that allows students access language learning materials anytime and at any location. Upon these two methodological foundations, the autonomous learning platform COMALAT was created, a Virtual Learning Environment that works on a flexible, web-based platform used with mobile devices and which is devised for foreign language autonomous learning skills. The system manages a language training platform adapted to the learners’ needs. This learning platform provides foreign language abilities and job-oriented counselling. It includes German, English and Spanish learning materials offered for free to all EU citizens as it is an Open Educational Resource (OER).

Keywords:

Foreign language teaching, Autonomous language learning, Virtual Learning Environments, CALL, MALL, LMS.