TANGOAn international
collaborative bilingual e-learning projectDesigned and developed by
Carmen Álvarez-Mayo Piloted in 2013/14 in conjunction with the
English Department at Universidad de Oviedo in Asturias, Spain.
TANGOIndex Introduction Topics & tasks Resources Aims Independent learners Continual professional development skills The pilot Guidelines Online student portfolios samples Feedback
TANGOIntroduction
TANGO: two websites = tasks + student portfolios
July 2011: how it started Autumn 2013: the first three tasks were
designed and consultation with our VLE team was initiated
Autumn and winter academic year 2013/14: the rest of tasks are written; the websites designed, populated and tested
TANGOTopics and tasks
The course syllabus Communicative approach Critical Pedagogy (Freire, Giroux)
TANGOResources included in the website Real Cultural Diverse
• Geography• History• Traditions• Music• Literature• Film
TANGOMain aims Practise TL with a native speaker & develop
oral interaction skills Enhance the learning experience Foster cultural awareness Develop intercultural communicative
competence (ICC) (Byram, 1997) Practise critical cultural awareness: the
ability ‘to question, to analyse, to evaluate and, potentially, to take action’ (Byram, 2008)
TANGOFurther aims
Practise and develop all 4 language skills Learn new vocabulary and idiomatic
expressions Reflect on their learning ► through ‘new’ eyes
(Proust) Become independent learners
TANGOExperimental Learning (Kolb)
TANGO360° skills:
Working with others & independently Time-management and planning Reading Document use, creation and publishing Oral communication & interaction Intercultural competence & communic
ation
TANGO360° skills:
Critical thinking Critical and creative writing Digital technology and creativity Using English and foreign languages Continuous learning Diversity awareness and respect
TANGOThe pilot
February-May 2014 Selecting and pairing students:
• 12 in York (with 2 tutors) – A2 • 12 in Oviedo (with 6 tutors) – B1
TANGOThe pilot (cont.)
Instructions by email & published online: Week 0
First contact: • introduce themselves to their partners• organise and agree work schedule• choose their preferred communication
method: Google Hangouts, Skype and/ or Tango app
TANGOGuidelines Safe environment: respectful and
professional manner Promoting understanding and respect
TANGOSamples of online student portfolios
• English portfolios
• Spanish portfolios
TANGOFeedback
Feedback from colleagues in Oviedo & York
Feedback from Oviedo students
Feedback from York students
TANGOThemed► topic basedAutonomous Navigation Global► worldwideOpus► online student portfolioshttps://sites.google.com/a/york.ac.uk/tango/
► student led