Implementation of blended teaching techniques in Academic English course through ASU repository: a case study at Almaty Management University

Abstract

Faced with the need to teach English to a large number of students in post Covid-19 period, the Almaty Management University, Kazakhstan, has created an innovative Academic English Program using the repository of Arizona Statement University (ASU), which is made up of one module covered in one academic term. The English program aims to develop integrated linguistic skills with a focus on learning authentic communication. The program has been implemented in a blended-learning (b-learning) pedagogical model that includes: (a) learners' work with ASU Academic Thinking Online course, software conceived as the backbone of the entire Academic English Program, (b) online monitoring, (c) face-to-face EFL teacher-led classes, and (d) immersion tasks. The online software is an interactive multimedia environment which houses all the materials and ASU tools that learners need in one central web platform. The main advantages of the available online course are their contemporary content, constantly updated materials, and user-friendly interface. Some of the core concepts underlying its design are multimodal L2 input exposure, enhanced input, learner-fit content delivery, interaction (learner-computer, learner-teacher, and learner-learner) through computer supported collaborative and individual learning tasks, as well as a more human-like dimension for positive and corrective feedback. This paper describes the elements of the b-learning model, issues about its implementation, and results obtained in the piloting of its first module