Page 6 - BLENDED LEARNING

Foreword

John Knagg obe

In recent years it has become the norm for publishers to include technology-
mediated elements alongside traditional printed materials in their publications.
At institutional level teachers increasingly include technology-mediated learning
in their courses. Yet there has been relatively little discussion and writing about
the principles that should be applied in blending elements which use technology
with more traditional face-to-face teaching in the same course. This volume is a
contribution to such a discussion.
While many of the principles will be applicable to wider educational contexts, this
publication is rooted in the world of English Language Teaching (ELT). It is centred
on the description of 20 real case studies from around the world in the areas of
English for Academic Purposes (EAP), English for Specific Purposes (ESP), teacher
education and general English as a Foreign Language teaching. These case studies
are prefaced, interspersed, and followed by exploration of the concepts of blending
and interpretation, and discussion of the application of the concepts in the case
studies. We hope that this approach will make the book practically useful as a
self-study guide to the area for educationalists, and also be a source of inspiration
for students on teacher training and academic courses in the areas of education,
language teaching, and applied linguistics.

The genesis of this book was an original idea by Claire Whittaker to build on her
practical and academic work in blended learning in ELT and to generate principles
that would be of real practical help to course designers, which in turn would lead to
more effective learning and satisfied students. Brian Tomlinson has edited the papers
and added his own commentaries to make the final product a true collaboration
between the two editors and the authors of the case studies. The British Council
thanks them all, and hopes that you find the book both useful and enjoyable.
John Knagg obe
Head Research and Consultancy,
English and Examinations, British Council

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