The Cambridge Guide to Blended Learning

for Language Teaching

Michael McCarthy (Ed.)

Cambridge University Press, 2016

Reviewed by Vanessa Todd

How important is technology in your teaching role? How do you keep up with new
applications of technology for language teaching? How do you know whether the latest
software will help your students any more than what you’re currently using? And what do you
know about the principles of blended (also called hybrid) learning?

The Cambridge Guide to Blended Learning for Language Teaching (hereafter The
Guide) aims to address these and related questions. Despite being called a 'guide', it doesn't
contain teaching tips or advice on which software to use. Rather, with contributions by well-
known researchers and practitioners, The Guide presents research and case studies about
second language acquisition, e-learning, classroom teaching and teacher professional
development. Running throughout is the message that, whether online or face-to-face, good
teaching must begin with principles rather than technology.

The Guide is divided into five sections, each with an overview by the editor, so you can
zero in on chapters which are of most interest to you. Theory is complemented by examples
of blended learning programs, which range from small initiatives by individual teachers, to
large projects run by well-resourced educational companies. Each chapter concludes with
suggested readings and discussion questions encouraging the reader to explore the topic
further and to reflect on their own teaching practice.

Section 1, ‘Connecting Theories and Blended Learning’, outlines issues important in

second language acquisition and classroom interaction. Chapters provide useful updates on
current research into these topics (if it’s been a few years since you’ve studied), or would be
a useful introduction to principles of language teaching (if your training was in something else).
Of particular interest is Scott Thornbury’s chapter, which contains 12 observations about
second language acquisition which could be used as a yardstick to evaluate technologies.

Lacking from Section 1, however, is a chapter specifically discussing the features and
issues of blended learning. Various aspects of blended learning are described in later
chapters, yet the book seems to jump over such questions as: What might be some of the
principles for combining face-to-face and online activities? How can a teacher evaluate the
effectiveness of the blend? How can blended learning support current educational trends (e.g.,
flipped learning, discovery learning, problem-based learning, collaborative learning)? This gap
becomes especially evident when reading a later chapter explaining key dimensions of mobile
learning (Chapter 13).

Section 2, ‘Implications for Teaching’, moves from language acquisition and classroom
teaching to the benefits of delivering some learning activities online. Johnson and Marsh
explain the rationale for using a ‘flipped classroom’ (assigning content-heavy material to be
completed online so that class time can be used for interactive learning) in a Laureate
University language program. Comas-Quinn outlines the benefits of an online
training/professional development program for teachers at the Open University, UK, in which
teachers are widely dispersed and the logistics of face-to-face training are problematic.

For me, Section 3, ‘Rethinking Learner Interaction’, was where The Guide started to
get really interesting, as it explores the implications and potential of online tools for learning.
Hojnacki demonstrates that careful design of online language activities (in a university-level
language course) can actually increase learners’ oral output. Mishan shows the evolving
nature of curriculum design thanks to Web 2.0 tools (software that allows not only the creation
of static materials (such as PDFs or images), but also for collaboration and interaction (such
as wikis or videoconferencing). And the section on ‘Pedagogical Implications’ at the end of
Lazar’s chapter would be a useful guide for anyone considering (re)designing a course, or
simply integrating technology into existing programs.

The case studies in Section 4 chart the thinking involved in the design of several
online/technology-rich programs. The cases described are the delightfully quirky French
Kitchen Project (think: a kitchen which talks back); a program for pre-service language
teachers; and the redesign of a popular paper-based textbook series (Cambridge's
Touchstone) to include online activities (the latter an interesting description of the processes
involved in a large-scale project). A consistent theme of this section is the importance of
training and supporting teachers who deliver blended learning programs for the success of the
program.

Section 5, ‘The future of Blended Learning’, examines several important trends from a
more theoretical perspective. Dudeney and Hockly give a rich description of mobile learning,
illustrated by some simple activities that you could implement in your classroom this week. In
contrast, the design of adaptive learning systems (learning activities designed to assess the
learner’s abilities and present tasks pitched to an optimal level of difficulty), explained by San
Pedro and Baker, is probably beyond the development capacity of small institutions, but an
important concept to understand. Editor Michael McCarthy’s final chapter pulls together, builds
upon key ideas from throughout the book, and may be worth reading first if you are short on
time. One topic that could have been included is online (computer) games, a major form of
online learning at the moment.

Would this book be useful for you? As mentioned, although it’s called a guide, it isn’t a
how-to book containing lesson plans you could use tomorrow. However, you’ll probably find
ideas for teaching activities among the many case studies, while the focus on pedagogy and
theory will give you a more principled approach to the way you use technology in your
teaching. In particular, The Guide will be of interest to curriculum developers or anyone tasked
with evaluating or purchasing technology for an institution.

Vanessa Todd is a Learning Adviser at Macquarie University, New South

Wales, where she designs and evaluates activities (online and face-to-face)
developing English language and academic literacy. She’s also interested in
assessment, data visualisation and gamification.