Abstract:

Course-share between universities via synchronous distance learning (DL) has been conducted as a way to address low enrollments, a lack of experienced teachers, and financial constraints in the area of less commonly taught languages (LCTL) programs. Instructors of these distance language courses face some deep-rooted pedagogical obstacles, particularly regarding interpersonal activity, i.e., how to facilitate interactive tasks among students across hosting and receiving sites, how to encourage negotiation of meaning, and how to establish engaged, student-centered classrooms and a sense of community.

Institutions can share resources, allowing a wider range of students across institutions to learn a Less Commonly Taught Language. Collaborative synchronous distance learning (DL) expands the pool of students and takes advantage of the linguistic, cultural, and pedagogical expertise present on very few campuses.

The paper will discuss:
1) the collaborative efforts and challenges in teaching synchronous DL LCTL courses;
2) the creation of blended learning activities to engage the students both in and out of the classroom;
3) the modifications of activities to maximize interaction across sites;
4) community-building efforts.

Keywords:

Course-share, distance learning, less commonly taught languages, collaborative, collaboration, community, interpersonal activities.