practical guide to designing, running and improving support websitesfor language teachers

Produced by the Centre international d’études pédagogiques (CIEP), the Associazione Nazionale Insegnanti di Francese (ANIF) and Europees Platform - internationaliseren in onderwijs.

Coordinated by Annick Bonnet (CIEP)

With contributions from experts Elisabeth Brodin and Micheline Maurice

And input from: Chirine Anvar, Pernelle Benoit, Séverine Blache, Fiorella Casciato, Concetta Cirocco, Catherine Clément, Stéphanie Favre, Olivier Gisselbrecht, Jonathan Hooley, Haydée Maga, Marianne Mavel, Dominique Satgé, Olivier Steffen and Nicole Thiery-Chastel.

PrACTiCAl GuiDE TO DESiGNiNG, ruNNiNG AND iMPrOviNG SuPPOrT wEBSiTES FOr lANGuAGE TEACHErS

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

IntroductIon 5

Proficiency in modern languages: a strategic priority in a European context 5Far-reaching changes in language teaching 6New tools, new approaches 6Growing role of mobility and exchanges 6Developing ICT skills 7The need for a system of lifelong learning for language teachers 7Language teacher support websites 8The notion of support, a core issue in lifelong learning 8What is a language teacher support website? 10The SAEL Guide: a practical guide to language teacher support websites 10The guide 10Target audience 13How to use this guide 13

chapter 1 15

Why create a support website for language teachers? Responding to changes in language teaching 15Supporting reform 15Structuring networks 16Promoting innovative practices 17A visible, accessible, flexible tool 18A communication tool to serve language teaching 18Helping build up a stock of online resources 20A tool to develop new skills and expand exchanges in Europe 21Developing language teachers’ skills 21

chapter 2 25

Creating, managing and running a language teacher support website

Creating a support website: defining priorities 25Defining the website’s objectives, target audience and content 25Budget 28Managing a support website 30Steering and editorial committees 30Legal and editorial responsibility 31Approval and quality 31Running a support website 32Profile and functions of the technical staff 32Website administration team (teaching team) 33Editorial management 34

ConTEnTS

chapter 3 37

Technology and ergonomics What are the phases of a website or platform project? 37Ergonomics aspects 37Technological resources 38Setting up a support website based on a CMS 41Publishing and templates 41The main types of technical functionalities 42Choosing the “right” CMS: the questions to ask 44Functional requirements and the specifications 44Graphics 44Technical and contractual characteristics (hosting) 44Domain name 45

chapter 4 47

What are the essential components of a support website? A website that monitors and provides information open to innovative practices 47Monitoring system 47What teaching resources should be provided to support teachers? 49Authentic resources 49Useful resources 50Activity and exercise banks 51Learning track, scenario and unit 52Training and self-study resources 56A user-focused area for dialogue and questions 61An area for dialogue 61Encouraging teachers to share good practices 62Using user feedback to evaluate support measures 63

conclusIon 65

lIst of good practIces 66

table of IllustratIons 69

glossary 71

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Proficiency in several modern languages and competences* linked to using information and communication technology in education are a strategic priority in Europe. Developing these competences necessarily implies optimising the quality of language teacher training. This guide examines how to design, run and improve support websites for language teachers. It is intended for decision makers and anyone wanting to create websites for this particular target audience.

Proficiency in modern languages: a strategic priority in a European context

Proficiency in modern languages is key to building a European community of knowledge and learning that encourages and respects diversity. In 2002, the Barcelona European Council (Education and Youth Affairs) called for action «to improve the mastery of basic competences*, in particular by teaching at least two foreign languages from a very early age”1 and throughout the period of compulsory schooling. Language learning plays an active part in building an intercultural Europe grounded on creativity and respect for diversity.Language learning goes hand in hand with the promotion of multilingualism. Language policies must strive to maintain linguistic diversity, as one of the fundamental elements of European identity. Learning a language must be seen as a stepping stone to learning other languages. Language learning and proficiency also contributes to building a knowledge economy and a distinct European area. Several studies have underscored the crucial role of modern language proficiency in the European Union’s strategy of competitiveness.2

1. Presidency Conclusions, Barcelona European Council, p19. Document available at: www.consilium.europa.eu/ue-Docs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/ec/71025.pdf

2. The ELAN study commissioned by the European Commission, for example, measures the Effects on the European Economy of Shortages of Foreign Language Competences in Enterprise. According to that study, businesses that adopt a strategy of multilingual communication manage to boost their export sales to levels over 40% higher than that of competitors without such a policy.

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PrACTICAL GUIDE To DESIGNING, rUNNING AND IMProvING SUPPorT WEBSITES For LANGUAGE TEACHErS

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The school system, which 65% of Europeans see as the prime context for language learning3, has a key role to play, notably by enabling pupils to acquire strong language skills. The reforms undertaken in many countries have been directed at improving the language teaching envi-ronment, in particular by using ICT and placing greater emphasis on teacher training. Teachers effectively play a key role in language learning and in building a European area that is open to mobility.

far-reaching changes in language teaching

over the last ten years, language teaching has been radically changed by the introduction of new assessment approaches and tools, the growing role of mobility and exchanges, and the development of ICT in education.

new tools, new approaches

Two tools developed by the Council of Europe, namely the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR*) and the European Language Portfolio (ELP*), have brought about far-reaching changes in language teaching and the whole question of assessment. The CEFR revolves around an action-oriented method. It is a practical instrument that offers a novel approach, aimed at rethinking the objectives and methods of language teaching. It is increasingly used to reform national curricula.4 It provides a basis for the mutual recognition of language qualifications and makes it easier to compare assessment results internationally, thereby promoting educational and professional mobility. A Council of Europe decision from November 2001 advocates using the CEFR to set up validation systems for language skills.* The European Language Portfolio (ELP) is a document in which those who are learning or have learned a language - whether at school or outside school - can record and reflect on their language learning and cultural experiences. Its main objectives are to motivate learners by recognising their efforts, with a view to extending and diversifying their linguistic abili-ties at every level, and to describe their linguistic and cultural skills: key factors in facilitating mobility.Lastly, the practice of using a foreign language to teach non-linguistic subjects (CLIL*) and the promotion of early language teaching, advocated by the EU and put into practice by many Member States, are changing teaching strategies. As a result, a growing number of teachers are now in need of both effective in-service training and teaching materials.5

growing role of mobility and exchanges

Language teaching should also facilitate mobility in Europe, a key factor in assimilating and disseminating knowledge of all kinds. Within European society, mobility is increasingly a requirement: where language teachers are concerned, this means opening up their training path and career to international horizons.6 Preparing language teachers for mobility will entail

3. Special Eurobarometer 243, Europeans and their Languages, 2006 (available at http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_243_sum_en.pdf).

4. The Language Education Policy Profiles published by the Council of Europe can be found at: www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/profils_en.asp.

5. Key Data on Teaching Languages at School in Europe - 2008 Edition, EACEA, Eurydice, Eurostat, Brussels, 2008. Key data on language teaching

6. vincent Marie and Nicole Lucas, « regards sans frontières sur la formation des enseignants », Le manuscrit, Recher-che et Université, 2008.

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reforming the training they receive and developing transferable skills so that they may in turn equip their pupils - future citizens of Europe - for their own mobility.7

Working in partnership with other establishments in Europe and developing exchange projects between classes is not something that can be improvised: teachers need support to do this.

developing Ict skills

The development of ICT in education has had a profound impact on the way languages are taught and learnt. It has changed the environment in which pupils learn languages and fostered a wide range of approaches. Helping teachers become proficient in ICT is one of the priorities of both European and national action plans. The aim is to develop transferable skills that teachers can use in a new approach to language teaching.

These recent trends have prompted changes in initial and in-service teacher training, and measures to guide and support teachers through the reforms - a necessity that has become a priority at both European and national level.

the need for a system of lifelong learning for language teachers that is not dependent on the political, economic or social context

The European Commission, the Council of Europe and various Member States have exam-ined the status and training of modern language teachers. Several studies and reports8 have provided insight into language teachers’ status, guidelines for their training, and an under-standing of the importance of creating a core body of concepts, terms and analytical tools. The European Profile for Language Teacher Education - A Frame of Reference (EPLTE), for instance, proposes a common framework and stresses the need to harmonise curricula. The SemLang summer university, held at the CIEP in July 2009, showed how relevant the EPLTE is today and put forward practical strategies for its implementation. 9

Enhancing the quality of language teachers has been set as one of the priorities of the EU’s Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP) - a vision many countries share.The current economic context, however, means Member States have to make difficult finan-cial choices and cannot invest as much in language teacher training as necessary to meet the identified needs. This admittedly forces teacher educators to rationalise training tools, but it also encourages an innovative use of hybrid training schemes that revitalises approaches to initial and in-service training.Supporting language teacher training is a prerequisite for achieving the Lisbon objectives. Support websites are a training tool* for language teachers that can be adapted to suit different European contexts.

7. Detecting and Removing Obstacles to the Mobility of Foreign Language Teachers: Final Report: A Report to the Euro-pean Commission Directorate General for Education and Culture, European Commission, Brussels, available at http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/lang/doc/detect_en.pdf.

8. Peter radai (dir.), The Status of Language Educators, Council of Europe, 2003, p. 149; Michael Kelly, Michael Grenfell, rebecca Allan, et al, European Profile for Language Teacher Education – A Frame of Reference: Final Report, European Commission, September 2004, p. 124, available at http://ec.europa.eu/education/languages/pdf/doc477_en.pdf.

9. Summer university on training teachers of languages in Europe (www.semlang.eu)


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Language teacher support websites

the notion of support, a core issue in lifelong learning

What do we mean by support?The notion of support is very much to the fore in institutional and research discourses alike. In French, the term for support (accompagner) has the same roots as the word for journeyman and companion, and, in the field of vocational training, all date back to the twelfth century. Their definitions contain the following keywords: “to second”, “to go with”, “to be associated”, “to join somebody”, and also “colleague”, “fellow”, “peer*” and “master”. The idea is that the learner is not left alone and unaccompanied to tackle a difficult task.The notion of support appears in official French texts in the mid-1990s, as part of a theoretical reflection on revitalising the teaching profession and redefining the teacher’s role in the age of multimedia.10 research highlights the new challenges posed by support: “The new issue facing teachers, trainers and researchers today is to find out how the short time periods of lessons, programmes and courses relate to the long time periods of development”.11 Support, it is claimed, is a radical new idea because “it questions the very premises of education by challenging the inalterable hierarchy based upon the ownership of knowledge. Because it seeks to develop critical capacities for the greatest number, by bringing each person into contact with what is universal and what is specific, it is probably an innovative instrument for combating social inequality”.Support implies a dual dimension, i.e. a relationship (being present and attentive to the other person) and time, referring back to the idea of a passage, a project in time, or a transition. For Marie-José Barbot, support can be empowering if we take into account the institutional context, the contractual dimension, the question of evaluation and support seen as a process.12

How is support delivered?Teachers can receive support from a tutor (during initial training) or a mentor (during in-service training), or through distance learning.The use of ICT in education has resulted in a proliferation of means of providing support to teachers and learners, and broadened the scope of training strategies by opening up new environments and communication spaces. Support websites are not intended to replace classroom training. on the contrary, they are designed to reinforce training initiatives by extending their effect, increasing their outcomes and promoting teacher autonomy*.Support websites are also at the crossroads of online support tools: they can be used in conjunction with collaborative platforms*, e-learning platforms13 and distance learning modules.

What sorts of websites are designed for language teachers?The websites designed for teachers are many and various. The terminology used to describe them is also very varied. It embraces a number of intercon-nected notions:

10. Marie-José Barbot, « rôle de l’enseignant-formateur : l’accompagnement en question», Mélanges CRAPEL no. 28, p. 1-46, Nancy, 2006.

11. Monique Lafont, « L’accompagnement, une grande aventure... », in Accompagner, une idée neuve en éducation, Cahiers pédagogiques No. 393, 2001.

12. Marie-José Barbot, op. cit.

13. www.institut.minefi.gouv.fr/sections/themes/e-formation/glossaire2/view

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The notion of portal*:•The Franc-parler.org website for teachers of French as a foreign language describes itself variously as “the portal site for the French-speaking community” and an “inter-language” portal.14 Another English term is “gateway site”. The Primary Languages website, for instance, describes itself as “the national gateway to advice, information and support”15, while the British Council uses the term “global gateway” for its website dedicated to international part-nerships.16

The notion of “support” and “service”:•In English, the term “support” is used for websites developed for language teachers.17 The notion of service (and free service) can be found in the terminology used by the support website run by the government of Catalonia, El Servei de Llengües (i.e. “the Language Service”).18

The notion of “virtual centre”:•The Cervantes Institute 19 and the Camões Institute add to this notion of service and combine it with the notion of a virtual centre.The notion of education server:•In German, the closest term to support website is “Bildungsserver”. It sees its role as imple-menting education policy: “[the server] sets out to enhance the quality of teaching, intro-duce new methods and develop new communication structures, and is intended to help enhance the competences* of teachers and pupils”. The notion of server is correlated to the notions of networking and sharing.20

The French term “site d’accompagnement” was adopted for the French websites Prim-•Langues and Emilangues.

Language teacher support websites in Europe vary greatly with the commissioning body, the coordinators, the objectives, and the target audience’s expectations.21

Language teacher support websites can be classified into different categories (see Appendix) using the following criteria:

The plurilingual dimension (target language* - source language*)•The commissioning body (institution, association)•The reach (local, regional, national, transnational)•

14. This is the term adopted by France’s regional education authorities to designate the pages devoted to language teaching.

15. «National gateway to advice, information and support», www.primarylanguages.org.uk

16. «The gateway to new international partnerships».

17. “TeachingEnglish is produced by the British Council with content and editorial support from the British Broad-casting Corporation. Both organisations receive funding from the UK government for their work in promoting English, supporting English language teaching (ELT) and providing information and access to ELT products, services and ex-pertise from the UK. All teaching material on the site is free to access.” www.teachingenglish.org.uk/about-us [terms italicised by the author].

18. http://phobos.xtec.cat/pluriling/index.html

19. “El Centro virtual Cervantes ofrece materiales y servicios para los profesores de español, los estudiantes, los tra-ductores, los periodistas y otros profesionales que trabajan con la lengua, así como para los hispanistas de todo el mundo, y para cualquier persona interesada en la lengua española, su cultura y la situación del español en la red”. Sobre nosotros: http://cvc.cervantes.es/sitio/default.htm

20. The “Bildungsserver Hessen» provides a definition of the term Bildungsserver. It can be found at: http://dms.bildung.hessen.de/wir_ueber_uns/intern/konzept.html.

21. The websites of associations or cultural institutes often make no distinction between the purpose of their Inter-net page and the global objective of their institutions.


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The type of teaching (early teaching, CLIL*, special-purpose language, higher education, •general purpose, educational ICT and languages, etc.)The target audience•The variety of content (information, teaching resources*, self-study*)•The availability of access (public / partially public / members only)•The opportunity for exchange (discussion forum, shared resources, etc.)•

We have found that there is a great variety of websites, shaped by user expectations and specific contexts. This guide proposes a set of recommendations for setting up websites and shares a series of good practices, in a bid to provide effective tools for enhancing teacher training.

What is a language teacher support website?

A proposed definitionA support website is a reference area for language teachers. Its reach extends across Europe and onto the international scene. It is at once an information site, a resource* centre and a forum for discussion and sharing resources. regularly updated and accessible to everyone, its purpose is to support teachers in their professional practice by facilitating exchange, with a view to lifelong learning and promoting linguistic diversity. It should be a sort of “backbone”, running through the different training systems (initial and in-service) and linking up with other online support tools. It helps teachers develop new competences*, especially in the field of educational ICT and innovative prac-tices, to support and enhance language teaching. It promotes the use of the CEFR* and the ELP*. Lastly, a support website helps language teachers acquire a clearer vision of their own practices, through discussions not only with their peers* but also with educational institutions and associations.

The SAEL Guide: a practical guide to language teacher support websites

the guide

This guide was produced with support from the European Commission, as part of the SAEL project on language teacher support websites. This project was conducted by the Centre international d’études pédagogiques (France), the National French Teachers’ Association (Italy) and Europees Platform - internationaliseren in onderwijs (Netherlands), in liaison with experts Elisabeth Brodin (University Stendhal Grenoble 3) and Micheline Maurice (pedagogical expert for eTwinning France).

The SAEL partnership: reflecting the diversity of stakeholders in language teacher training

The Centre international d’études pédagogiques (CIEP) – France•The CIEP (www.ciep.fr), pilot of the SAEL project, is a public body linked to the French Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education and research. Its core missions are to promote French expertise internationally, help make France more attractive and interna-tionalise its education system, and promote plurilingualism. Its activities revolve around two focus areas: education (general, professional and higher education; recognition of qualifica-tions) and languages (foreign languages and mobility, assessment and certification, French

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language). Within the partnership, the CIEP is project leader and represents government structures designed to support the implementation of national policy.

The National French Teachers’ Association (ANIF) – Italy•Formed in 2001, the ANIF (www.associazioneanif.it/) is an association of Italian teachers of French eager to meet the new national and European challenges concerning the role of modern language teaching and learning. The association sets out to promote the teaching of French in a plurilingual perspective, by promoting a quality approach based on compar-ison and exchange, the development of initial and in-service training, and the organisation of any event likely to disseminate the good practices that have emerged.

This partnership was chosen primarily to involve language teacher associations. At local, national and European level, the latter play a decisive role in disseminating good practices and act as an interface between the grassroots level and education authorities.22 The institu-tion can also give associations the task of training language teachers, in which case the asso-ciations play a role in implementing reforms.23

Europees Platform - internationaliseren in onderwijs – Netherlands•Europees Platform (www.europeesplatform.nl) is a foundation jointly commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Education and the European Commission to implement a series of programmes aimed at reinforcing the European dimension, promoting internationalisa-tion and enhancing the quality of teaching in the Netherlands. Europees Platform focuses its action on primary and secondary teaching, vocational training, and adult training and education. This partner* was chosen to represent foundations, which are another type of European structure sometimes called on to support multilingualism and language teacher training in Europe.

Thanks to the varied composition of the partnership, the language teacher websites it manages are themselves varied and complementary.The French Ministry of Education, the organisation internationale de la Francophonie (oIF) and the Fédération internationale des professeurs de français (FIPF) have appointed the CIEP official coordinator for creating and running language teacher support websites.

Franc-parler (• www.franc-parler.org), set up in 2000, is dedicated to the worldwide commu-nity of French teachers;Prim• Langues (www.primlangues.education.fr), set up in 2002, is devoted to primary language teaching;Emilangues (• www.emilangues.education.fr), set up in 2006, is devoted to CLIL* teaching in France.

The CIEP was recently asked by the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs to design and run a website for bilingual teaching in French-speaking programmes, “Le fil du bilingue” (www.lefildubilingue.org).True to its articles of association, the ANIF produced a website (www.anif.it) that is designed as a forum for discussion and the sharing of good practices, aimed at facilitating the sharing of experience. This bilingual website is intended for members of the association, as well as a

22. Final report of the rEAL Project 1. www.ciep.fr/expert_langues/etrangeres/real.php

23. In Italy, some language teacher associations (in particular multilingual ones) are officially authorised to dispense continuing education for teachers. The ANILS and the LEND, for example, are involved in research for the SAEL project.


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wider audience of language teachers and decision makers.Europees Platform manages some fifteen websites. Trial initiatives have been run on the e-changes website (www.e-changes.nl/), designed to support school exchanges in the Neth-erlands.

MethodologyThis guide draws on the research and trials conducted under the SAEL project, which consists in action research on language teacher support websites. This research is based on:

In-depth analysis of the partner websites, as well as other similar websites in Europe;•The identification of good practices;•Trials conducted by the partners*, who agreed to exchange concrete practices and imple-•ment at least one good practice on their website taken from the websites identified within the partnership.

Analysis of the partnership’s websitesInitially, the project analysed the websites run by the partnership organisations, using data sheets on the websites concerned and surveys of both decision makers (questionnaire for decision makers) and the websites (questionnaire for administrators).Throughout the project, website users were asked to complete an online survey that analysed their perception of the website, their expectations and the impact of the trials (see below).

Research on language teacher websitesThe scope of research was then extended to websites for language teachers in Europe, in order to identify websites with similar profiles and analyse their distinctive features and the type of support they provided.

The selection of websites covered does not aim to be exhaustive; the decision as to which websites to analyse was linked to language skills* within the partnership, national contexts and the participating institutions. Several criteria were identified as being of particular impor-tance, namely the regular updating of the website, the variedness of content, and the degree of interactivity.

Identifying good practicesIn a subsequent phase, research focused on a broader range of websites (intended not only for teachers but also other target audiences) and identified good practices that could help enrich support websites already in existence or under construction.The good practices were selected on the basis of their transferability to other contexts, the needs identified by the administrators of the partner websites, and the expectations of teachers (as expressed in the surveys).The good practices will be presented in this guide in the form of examples and references. They will also be available on the www.eurosael.eu website (in the “Guide” section).

The good practices identified set out to: Make what is often isolated experience known to a wider audience (change of scale);•Highlight innovative experiments and trigger a change dynamic;•Develop exchanges of experience (discussion among members of the educational commu-•nity with a view to enhancing their own teaching practice);Promote good, transposable editorial and technical practices.•

Trials conducted on the partnership’s websites

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Trials were conducted on partner websites: A new section was set up, dedicated to supporting online project pedagogy. It proposes •trial schemes and works hand in hand with support and classroom training websites (ANIF and e-changes);The Franc-parler.org newsletter was completely redesigned, based on the good practice •identified in the “Deutsch-als-Fremdsprache” website newsletter (www.daf.de);A section dedicated to sharing resources was completely redesigned, this had previously •been identified as lacking on the Emilangues website (the section entitled “Le coin des”);Classroom practices were filmed and the clips posted on the Prim• Langues website, drawing on the good practices identified on the Primary Languages websites;An “exchange and correspond” section looking at the methodology of online exchanges •(PrimLangues) designed for primary school teachers.

Not only did the project make it possible to write the guide, through its action-based research approach it also helped enhance the partnership’s support websites by providing content that is richer, more open to European issues and content, with greater input from language teachers.

Peer discussion at a European seminar for decision makers (CIEP, 5-6 November 2009) has further enriched the recommendations contained in this guide.

target audience

This is a practical guide designed for those in charge of ICT in education and language teacher training. It sets out to provide recommendations and examples of websites and good prac-tices that will help them design, improve and run support websites suited to their national, regional or institutional context.

It is not a technical guide to building a website or drafting specifications*: these can be found in bookshops and – often free of charge – on the Internet (see the «references» section). Instead, this handbook provides guidance about how to connect language teacher training and language policy considerations that are core concerns for all EU Member States, such as multilingualism, implementing the CEFR*, using the ELP*, and mobility for teachers.

how to use this guide

This guide is available in two formats: a hard-copy version and an electronic version (www.eurosael.eu/guide). It consists of four chapters. The first chapter summarises the main objectives of support websites and explains why they are necessary (arguments intended for policy makers and funding organisations, if applicable). The second chapter reflects on creating, managing and running support websites. The third chapter is dedicated to the technical aspects of creating and running a support website. The fourth chapter looks at the resources* made available on the website (how they are produced, their validation, variety, etc.).

The illustrations in the guide have been taken from existing websites and good practices identi-fied during the trials conducted by the SAEL project. Not all of the good practices are discussed in this guide, but all are available on the project’s website. references to good practices are high-lighted by the following typographical sign 0 . A full list is provided in the guide’s appendix.


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FuRThER InFoRMATIon IS AvAILAbLE FRoM ThE WEbSITE

This guide is designed to be read in conjunction with the project’s website (www.euro-sael.eu). online users can read and download the project’s research material (surveys, questionnaires, classification), the experts’ research articles and the good practices in the «Guide» section of the website at www.eurosael.eu/en/guide.

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This chapter sums up the reasons for creating a support website for language teachers.

Responding to changes in language teaching

Support websites are tools to further language policy: they can support reforms, structure a network and/or promote innovative practices.

supporting reforms

Language teacher support websites can be used to respond to a number of major transfor-mations in language teaching. These include:

The introduction of the • CEFR* and the ELP*Changes in teacher training curriculum*•Technological advances (ICT in education)•The introduction of language teaching in primary schools•The development of the teaching of ‘community’ languages•The introduction of new disciplines•A new direction in language policy •

Through the websites’ design it is possible to:Establish a strategy of communication and explanation•Create a central reference area for language teachers•Put forward examples of good practices•Establish contacts between experts and language teachers by providing opportunities for •exchange (forums, personalised advice, chat facilities, tutorials, etc.)

Support websites must go beyond the role of a mere showcase or portal* so that they may create a dynamic encouraging members of the profession to reflect upon materials, tools and methods.

ChAPTER 1

Why create a support website for language teachers?


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ExAMPLE 1PrimLangues, a website to support the introduction of language teaching in primary schools

PrimLanguesname of the website

uRL www.primlangues.education.frtarget audience Teachers and teaching assistants in primary schools•

Trainers•type of teaching Early language teachingcontext Introduction of language teaching in French primary schools (ages 6-10) Target •

level: A1 Promotion of early language teaching in Europe to maintain linguistic diver-•sityNeed to train huge numbers of primary teachers•

date created 2002

country Francereach Nationalcommissioning body French Ministry of Educationcoordinator Centre international d’études pédagogiques (CIEP)Implementation A website was created for language teachers and teaching assistants. It provides

resources* in 7 languages, self-study* tools, discussion forums and a section fo-cusing on the pedagogy of online exchanges.

links to classroom training The website runs training courses based on the resources for teachers and trainers.

traffic 35,000 monthly visits

Support websites are an important lever for implementing reforms in the area of lan-guage policy. Creating support websites will help disseminate reforms and put them into practice at local, national and European level.

structuring networks

A support website helps to bring together language teachers and structure the activities of their network. In particular, it is an easy means of publicising the network’s or the association’s events, it encourages virtual discussions, the sharing of information and/or documents, and helps create a community of practice*.This is a key dimension for association websites and communities. Language teachers are at home with using a website.The website links up the community’s different means of expression, such as forums, chat rooms and social networks.

WHY CrEATE A SUPPorT WEBSITE For LANGUAGE TEACHErS?

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ExAMPLE 2The DaF-Netzwerk, a network of teachers and experts in teaching German as a foreign language

context The creation of a network of teachers and experts working in the area of German as a foreign language (Deutsch als Fremsprache - DaF), supported by the Euro-pean Commission as part of the Comenius 3 project.

url www.daf-netzwerk.org/ date created 2003country Europeanreach Transnationalcommissioning body CoMENIUS-C3 DAF-SÜDoST Networkcoordinator Institute for Communication and Culture (IKK)

Implementation This website was built by IKK, one of the network’s partners. IKK managed the project website for three years, using content supplied by the net-work’s output and teachers. The website made it possible to form a com-munity of teachers geographically dispersed across south-east Europe. The website continues to receive input from one of the members of the con-sortium.

links to classroom training The network runs training sessions and shares the outcomes.

Interactive facilities Forum, specialised forums, mailing list, and members’ contributions to website content.

Support websites help structure the language teacher community into national and translational networks.

promoting innovative practices

Support websites can have a specific focus on promoting innovative practices, in particular practices that address the dual issue of ICT in education and languages.These thematic websites present good practices in the field of promoting language teaching, community languages and the applications of ICT in education.


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ExAMPLE 3FLENET, a research community promoting ICT in education

url http://www3.unileon.es/dp/dfm/flenet/ target audience Students, teachers, researchers in French as a foreign languagetype of teaching All types of teachingcontext research projectdate created 1999country Francereach Nationalcommissioning body University of Léon, in liaison with the national knowledge-promotion pro-

grammecoordinator Department of Modern Philology, University of LéonImplementation The FLENET project aims to give students, teachers and academics the resources,

methods and tools they need to understand and use the applications of the In-ternet in language teaching.

The website is built around three main sections: 1. A section presenting the work conducted in the research laboratory. 2. A collaborative section (FLENET, redIrIS).Academics, teachers and students can use a collaborative platform* or a mailing list to discuss issues and offer information, documents and ideas on what the FLE (French as a foreign language) community can gain by using ICT in education.3. The virtual campus. Two types of course are available here: modules in using the Internet and in-corporating it into language lessons (for teachers and students), and language modules for students studying French. These courses, which are free and open to everyone, are aimed at encouraging the use of ICT, and especially the Internet, in language teaching. virtual campus courses are always «hands on» and provide access to practical work.

links to classroom training The University of Léon runs training courses

Support websites can be used to promote iCT in education and innovative projects, and assist language teachers with using them.

A visible, accessible, flexible tool

a communication tool to serve language teaching

Creating a support website for language teachers is an important political gesture of support for this community. It gives language teaching a foothold in the media landscape and provides a showcase for initiatives specifically designed for the community, such as training courses and exchange programmes.The creation of a website is part of the institution’s strategy of communication with language teachers. A website is also a means of addressing decision makers, opinion leaders and civil society in a bid to promote language teaching. 55

For teachers and decision makers alike, the website can be a source of documentation and communication media.


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ExAMPLE 4Languages Work, a website promoting language learning

url www.languageswork.org.uk/ date created 2002country United Kingdomreach Nationalcommissioning body UK Ministry of Educationcoordinator (the National Centre for Languages)

target audience Language students, language teachers, decision makers.Implementation The CILT is the contact point for organising the European Day of Languages. It

has set up a website dedicated to promoting language teaching with a view to maintaining diversity. The programme is aimed at drawing attention to the value of languages at work, at home and at school.

links to training The CILT runs information and training sessions on professional skills develop-ment.

Creating a website enables an association to: Show how active and dynamic its network is-Present its objectives and the services it provides for its members-Showcase its action-Make language teachers’ needs and expectations known in the media sphere-

Support websites make is possible to link up all of the actions taken by the stakeholders and institutions in charge of language learning and language teacher education.

a diverse target audience

Websites are capable of addressing all those involved in language policy. The content can be tailored to suit different target audiences and reflect changes in language policy and advances in teaching theory.

Content can be adapted to the target profile (teacher, trainer, school head, etc.). The many functionalities* available to users could also include the possibility of customising the different website zones for greater user autonomy*. 41


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ExAMPLE 5Primary Languages: specific, targeted sections for the different stakeholders involved in language teaching

url www.primarylanguages.org.uk/target audience Teachers, management staff, trainers.type of teaching Early language teaching.context The Primary Languages website was created to develop the use of ICT in educa-

tion and assist with implementing language curricula (the KS2 Framework) in the UK.

date created 2006country United Kingdomreach Nationalcommissioning body Ministry of Educationcoordinator National Centre for Languages (CILT)Implementation The website offers three zones:

The first zone, intended for teachers, provides good practices, assistance with •implementing the new programmes and an example of how to use ICT in edu-cation, in the form of filmed lessons accompanied by a transcript in six langua-ges. Users can reach the page in a number of ways, through the homepage or the customisable private zone: «My Training Zone».The second zone is intended for school management staff and provides infor-•mation on annual planning, needs analysis, training and assessment.The third zone, called the «Training Zone», is a password-protected interactive •training environment that puts the online user in direct contact with CILT tu-tors and strategic partners. This zone is designed as a virtual training centre for trainers and an e-forum to help ensure good-quality outcomes. The supple-mentary training materials and the video clips have been produced specifically for trainers.

links to classroom training The CILT runs classroom training courses that complement its online offering.

Support websites must address all those interested in or involved in language teaching (teachers, trainers, decision makers, parents) and provide content tailored to their spe-cific needs.

helping build up a stock of online resources

Creating support websites brings universal access to information a step closer and facilitates information dissemination. It is also a means of disseminating good-quality resources* and promoting linguistic diversity, by contributing to language teachers’ education and by adding to the number of language resources available online.1 4 16 54 61

The objective of support websites is to offer all language teachers support and help dissemi-nate knowledge beyond national borders.

1. UNESCo’s Initiative B@bel http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0013/001398/139844e.pdf


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ExAMPLE 6Franc-parler, a resource and discussion website

url www.franc-parler.orgtarget audience Teachers, trainers and learners.type of teaching French as a foreign or second language.context Franc-parler is a website designed for the worldwide community of French teach-

ers. Its objectives are to inform teachers of the latest developments in the French language and the teaching profession, provide regularly-updated teaching re-sources* and practices, and facilitate exchanges between teachers the world over.

date created 2000country France (editorial team)reach Globalcommissioning body organisation internationale de la francophonie (oIF)coordinator Centre international d’études pédagogiques (CIEP), Fédération internationale des

professeurs de français (FIPF)content resources

The monthly special reports cover didactic or general-interest topics such as •cinema, class projects, the CEFrL*, French-language comics, blogs, etc. Each special report contains a learning path* and teaching notes, along with inter-views and original contributions from outside stakeholders. The learning paths present a selection of websites, along with comments and •an assessment of each. The aim is to give teachers the technical resources and skills they need to quickly find useful websites. The “teaching notes” are original content produced by the Franc-parler team.•The Classroom Activities are ready-to-use teaching resources. The different •steps of the activities are described in detail, from the preparation phase to their use in the classroom.

The self-study* section provides the pedagogical and technical keys to innova-tive activities such as creating a blog, podcasts, online webquests for pupils, etc. The Teaching Notes train teachers to use a variety of free online utilities, for exam-ple by explaining how to save online resources, edit images, create audio files, generate interactive exercises, etc.

links to classroom training The editorial team runs training sessions on the themes covered by the website (teaching methodology, using ICT in education, setting up social networks, etc.).

The bulk of the content of support websites is expected to remain accessible to everyone, even if some sections, content or functionalities* may be restricted to a smaller community and protected by a password. The restricted sections of association websites reserve the most popular services and resources* for their members.

Support websites will need to encourage the production of copyright-free resources (Creative Commons licenses2), so that the content can be circulated more widely. 40 61

Support websites should be designed to last. Especially when websites are being overhauled, care should be taken to maintain gateways to the sections where older content may be found.

Support websites for language teachers must provide a lasting means of sharing content and contributing to the linguistic diversity of online resources*.

2. www.creativecommons.org


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A tool to develop new skills and expand exchanges in Europe

developing language teachers’ skills

Support websites should make it easier for language teachers to acquire and update their skills and know-how as part of a process of lifelong learning. This approach is one of the recommendations put forward by the European Profile for Language Teacher Education3 and the European Portfolio for Student Teachers of Languages.4 Support websites help in-service training programmes hone methodologies by developing and fostering intercultural skills and proficient use of ICT in education.

ExAMPLE 7Emilangues: supporting CLIL teachers in their professional development

The Emilangues website was created to support the professional development of teachers who teach a non-linguistic subject in a foreign language. The additional certification created in 2004 attests to proficiency in the target lan-guage*, as well as a knowledge of the CLIL* teaching system and methods.

Support websites aim to develop new skills in language teachers.

developing mobility and exchanges in europe

As Europe has expanded and opened up to the rest of the world, teacher and pupil mobility has become an important issue for any education system. Support websites are intended to promote exchanges and facilitate mobility for both teachers and pupils. 42 43 44 46 47 48 49 50

Support websites must inform teachers in order to facilitate: Pupil mobility•Teacher mobility•The sharing of good practices in this area•The organisation of teachers into a network.•

3. http://ec.europa.eu/education/languages/pdf/doc477_en.pdf

4. www.ecml.at/mtp2/publications/C3_Epostl_E_internet.pdf


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Supporting online projects

Training teachers in the pedagogy of online projects

GoalsEncourage use of the new technological tools for promoting exchanges•raise awareness among teachers of the exchange schemes already in existence at local, •national and European level.Promote exchanges as a learning process for pupils. This includes all of the practices •that enable pupils to learn languages with the help of ICT, by conducting projects with pupils in another country and with a different language and culture. The process is based on communication and the production of joint outcomes using a CEFR* approach.Introduce exchanges as a continuing education process for teachers. This means •making exchange, cooperation and the sharing of practices part of teachers’ profes-sional practice, with a view to developing their competences*, building new teaching tools and co-producing new resources*. 26

The link between exchange practices is something that has to be built within teachers’ professional environment. Its construction is a major issue - a sort of challenge for the years to come in the education field.

Current situationFew language teachers are involved:•According to information gathered during training initiatives conducted in this area in various European countries, new types of correspondence and exchange projects have emerged and gained ground as a result of European programmes and the introduction of ICT into education. There are still relatively few of them, however. Pedagogical exchanges are still a minority practice:•The vast majority of teachers see exchanges not as a teaching activity in their own right, or as a way of teaching languages from an action-based angle, but rather as an activity designed to raise awareness of the foreign culture and provide contact with the country whose language they teach. Their requirements are therefore primarily of an organisational, logistic and financial nature.A small minority of experienced teachers:•These are the ones who already conduct exchange and cooperation projects, often as part of European programmes (eTwinning, Comenius, Leonardo da vinci) or inter-national programmes. These teachers seek to enrich their practices and improve their projects. They require rich, diversified resources which they can use independently.

To draw up support strategies that will effectively help develop teaching practices based on exchange and cooperation, it is essential to take into account the varying degrees of competence that language teachers have acquired in this area.

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The creation of a support website must lie within the general framework of a language policy, whether it emanates from an institution, an agency, an association or a community of prac-tice*. Publication in the public sphere is a political act that commits the institution. This chapter will focus on three key aspects of language teacher websites: how they are created, managed and run.

Creating a support website: defining priorities

defining the website’s objectives, target audience and content

Creating a support website is a team effortSupport websites are usually produced by a team belonging to one or more institutions.It is important to identify:

The complementary competences within the teams –The people or institutions interested or involved in teacher training, so that they can be –involved in strategic decision makingWhat will be outsourced –The needs of the target audience –

A steering committee or a brainstorming group can be set up before the project gets under way to drive and monitor the project as it unfolds. It will help define the objectives and the target audience.

Creating support websites is a team effort that must be underpinned by complemen-tary competences* and know-how.

needs analysis

The decision to create a support website is made when analysis reveals an unfulfilled need in the area of language training at the level in question (local, regional, national, European or global).

ChAPTER 2

Creating, managing and running a support website for language

teachers


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The needs analysis will identify the reasons why the project should be undertaken and analyse the potential benefits. It should be conducted at several levels (institution, end-users, existing digital offering in the field, etc.).

Analysis of the institutional context•What reforms are under way or planned? –How is language teaching organised (centralised or decentralised, etc.)? –How is teacher training organised? –What stakeholders or institutions are concerned? –What are the specific expectations of the institutions in charge of training? –

Website end-user needs analysis•Analysing the needs of the website’s end-users ensures that the website’s objectives match the target audience’s expectations.In order to provide the solution best suited to their requirements, the needs analysis often takes the form of questionnaires on teachers’ expectations, the equipment (and especially computer equipment) at their disposal, their use of websites, their proficiency in using ICT, and their classroom practices.

Analysis of the existing digital offering•Before creating a support website, the project team has to identify similar websites and digital product offerings at both national and European level so as to:

Demonstrate the benefits to be gained by creating the website –Promote knowledge building –Take inspiration from good practices applied by the other national websites or transna- –tional networksIdentify the website’s future information sources –

The creation of support websites must be underpinned by an analysis of the institu-tional context and language teachers’ needs, so that the websites can offer the best possible match between the assigned goals and the actual needs. Prior analysis of the existing digital offering in Europe will help identify good practices and highlight the project’s originality.

Defining the website’s general objectives and target audienceWhat are the website’s objectives?•The objectives should be redefined in line with the results of the analysis of the language-policy context and the end-user needs analysis.Here is a number of suggested possibilities:

Support reform in the language teaching field –Provide information about the education system –Promote multilingualism –Promote language teaching –Showcase an association –Enhance teachers’ linguistic or teaching skills –Introduce the – CEFR*Facilitate the exchange of good practices –Create a facility for exchanging documents –Provide teaching materials –Develop CLIL* or early language learning –

CrEATING, MANAGING AND rUNNING A SUPPorT WEBSITE For LANGUAGE TEACHErS

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Develop the use of ICT –Implement evaluation tools –

ranking these objectives will define the website’s profile and content layout. By fol-lowing the European union’s recommendations on language policy, it will be possible to make the website part of the language teaching dynamic.

What is the website’s target audience? Who will its end-users be?•Websites can be aimed at teachers of a particular language or language teachers in general, trainee or experienced teachers, teaching assistants or language assistants. They can be aimed more specifically at trainers and didactics experts, or the other stakeholders involved in language policy (education managers, decision makers, headteachers, etc.). Parents and civil society can also form a target audience.

The target audience will influence the nature of the website.

What sort of content will be made available online?•It is important to decide beforehand what type of documents the project team wishes to make available (news, resources*, software, etc.) and in what formats (video files, audio files, etc.).

The architecture and the choice of technologies will depend on the types of documents to be placed online, as well as the language policy and the institutional priorities.

What functionalities* will online users be offered? •Careful thought should be given to the functionalities offered to end-users, considering the objectives and expectations of the website (forums, document exchange zones, customis-able zones, blogs, etc.).

The objectives and the target audience should be defined on the basis of the priorities established and the needs analysis. while the core target of these websites is language teachers, the other stakeholders involved in language teaching should not be overloo-ked.

SpecificationsAt this stage, a set of specifications* can be drawn up, setting out the objectives, the target audience, the financial and technical constraints, the types of content and the delivery date.The specifications are intended to be an exhaustive definition of the basic characteristics of the product or service to be supplied. In addition to the specifications, there may also be a set of functional specifications, which express the requirements in terms of functions, describing in detail the services rendered by the product and the constraints to which it is subject.The specifications set out:

The underlying issues and a presentation of the context –The general objectives to be achieved, including the main deliverable –The terms and conditions of performance (in particular the projected costs, the delivery –date, milestones, etc.), though without imposing any particular solutionsThe criteria for evaluating the deliverable and the achievement of the other objectives –The main constraints (e.g. accessibility*) –Any exclusions –


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Why draw up specifications?•The specifications formally set out the requirements and explain them to the different stake-holders, to make sure that everyone is in agreement. More specifically, the specifications define the tasks and responsibilities of all those involved, and in particular the project director (on the project owner side) and/or the project manager (on the project supervision side).The specifications are then used to select the service provider and organise the relation-ship between the commissioning body and the project manager. When an order is to be placed, it is absolutely essential to invite competitive bids and abide by the current rules for requests for proposals.

The specifications* are a fundamental communication tool for the project director and/or the project manager. it is a contractual document between the client and the service provider/vendor, but is not, in itself, the sales contract. The “statement of requirements” part of the specifications is then set out, if necessary, in a set of functional specifica-tions.

budget

Sources of fundingBudgeting is an important step in the website creation process. Customising existing tech-nical solutions and adding functionalities* can increase the budget.

Government fundingMinistry of Education•The main institutional websites analysed by the SAEL project were financed by departments within the French Ministry of Education. Funding was provided through a framework agree-ment or a commission contract.

ExAMPLE 8Source of funding: French Ministry of EducationThe French Ministry of Education helps run a varied network of websites for language teachers.CoMMISSIon-InG body dEPARTMEnT LEvEL CooRdInAToR WEbSITE

nAMEAPPRovInG AuThoRITy objECTIvES

DGESCo School Education National CIEP PrimLanguesSteering com-mittee

Support introduction of primary language teaching

DrEIC International relations National CIEP EmilanguesSteering com-mittee

Develop Content & Language Integrated Learning (CLIL*)Give schools an interna-tional outlook

DGESCo School Education National ENS-LSHClé des langues

Steering com-mittee

Foster ties between the research community and school education

SD-TICEEducational ICT Depart-ment

National SD-TICE Educnet SD-TICEPromote ICT in educa-tion/Section focusing on languages

regional education authority

regionalregional educa-tion authority

31 regional authority websites

Inspectors – IA-IPr/ IEN

Publicise regional initiatives

Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs•The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs plays an important role in language support websites, as linguistic issues come under its outreach policy. .


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ExAMPLE 9Source of funding: The French Ministry of Foreign and European AffairsANIF received a received a grant from the Cultural Affairs Department of the French Embassy in Italy, without which it would not have been able to launch the association’s website (www.anif.it). More recently, the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs contributed to the creation of Le Fil du bilingue (www.lefildubilingue.fr), a website de-signed to support bilingual teaching in French-speaking programmes.

Foundations•Foundations can be asked to create websites as part of their roles. Their portal* then becomes a support website for teachers.

ExAMPLE 10Source of funding: FoundationsThe Europees Platform (www.europeesplatform.nl) and Kennisnet (www.kennisnet.nl) foundations

European funds•Language support websites can be financed through European projects. The creation of websites is now a virtually indispensable tool in the communication strategy of LifeLang Learning Projects. From mere project showcases, they can become a hub for the network’s activities.

ExAMPLE 11Source of funding: European fundsThe “DAF Netzwerk Sud-ost” network (www.daf-netzwerk.org/), which was co-financed by the European Union from 2003 to 2006, used its website to structure the network of teachers of German as a foreign language. The website plays a pivotal role in the strategies for communication, resource* creation and sharing, and the network dynamic. It continues to be updated and added to by one of the network’s partners* and bears witness to the permanence of the outcomes.

Co-financingSupport websites and projects for online support can also be financed by public and private-sector stakeholders. Co-financed projects can be more ambitious and offer online users numerous functionalities* (online courses, personal zone, etc.).Websites can be financed by private-enterprise foundations.The network of Goethe Institutes and its website are financed under an agreement with the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, along with various commissioning bodies and donors.

Co-financing and editorial cooperationSupport websites may occasionally receive outside funding as part of projects or initiatives. Cooperation can also take the form of an assignment of copyright or teaching materials, in which case authentic documents can be added to the website’s content.

Budgeting for a support website project

Budgets can vary from one support website to the next, depending on how ambitious the website is to be. where association websites are concerned, the main expense to be estimated is the cost of human resources.

A distinction should be made between: The budget for creating the website•This includes the costs of the preliminary study, the website design, the graphics and start-


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up. It can range from several thousand euros to several hundred thousand euros for the most complex websites.

The budget for running the website (server, maintenance) and paying the teaching team•Hosting and maintaining a website and paying for software licences add up to an annual cost that will have to be calculated. Shared hosting* can save money but is likely to compli-cate maintenance.The cost of paying staff engaged in running and maintaining the website will also have to be taken into account. This staff can consist of teachers working full-time or part-time on running the website. Websites in the voluntary sector can be run by an editorial team with additional language skills*.

Provisions for subsequent development.•Language pedagogy is a field that is constantly evolving. Setting aside provisions for devel-oping the website will make it possible to adapt the website to usage patterns, offer new functionalities* and provide updates when necessary.

Managing a support website

once the support website has been created, the institution, community or association that runs it will need to monitor it carefully.

steering and editorial committees

Support websites’ steering and editorial committees oversee the quality of the content and drive major policy decisions.Committee members are drawn from both the commissioning institutions and those involved in the education, to ensure that the outcomes meet the commission’s objectives. The steering committees can also propose new policy directions, in keeping with language policy. The editorial committees are more concerned with content and content planning.

ExAMPLE 12

Franc-parler, its steering, monitoring and editorial policy committeesThe • steering committee is responsible for defining the website’s policy directions, checking progress and making decisions on its development. It is made up of a representative of the oIF, representatives of the CIEP and a repre-sentative of the FIPF. Members of the website administration team also attend steering committee meetings.The • monitoring committee is responsible for overseeing work, checking that the steering committee’s policy deci-sions are applied, making suggestions for developing the website and overseeing the staff. It meets twice a year. It is made up of the coordinator of the Franc-parler project at the oIF, the project manager appointed by the CIEP and a representative of the FIPF. The members of the website administration team also attend monitoring committee meetings.The • editorial policy committee is responsible for deciding the thematic focus of special reports and website sec-tions, and the angle to be taken on the issues covered. It meets every two months. It is made up of the two project managers appointed by the CIEP and the FIPF, and the team responsible for managing and running the website.

The steering committee of a support website defines the main policy directions, in consultation with the editorial and editorial policy committees. in so doing, it ensures that the website is in line with language policy.


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legal and editorial responsibility

A website commits the institution, community and people that created it.

Transparency and gaining user trust

Legal information•Websites must contain the appropriate legal information, including the name and address of the people responsible, in accordance with the legislation in force in each individual country. The requirements may vary, depending on whether the website is published by a physical person or a legal entity, and depending on the country in which the website is officially registered.

Definition of the objectives and presentation of the institution•A section entitled “About us”, translated into several languages, will tell online users which institution or community commissioned the website, and its objectives. It is good practice to include a contact form and a presentation of the editorial team.

Website terms of use•The terms and conditions that apply for using the website (and in particular the resources* it contains), along with disclaimer clauses, can be made readily accessible through links placed at the bottom of each page. If online users are able to post directly to the website, their prior acceptance of the website terms of use will be decisive in the event of a legal dispute.

Copyright•Publishing a website carries an obligation to respect intellectual property rights. The publisher must check whether the images and texts used are copyright-free. If this is not the case, the website will have to pay copyright fees to the author or the copyright holders.

Protect individual liberties

Content must not contain any statement that is insulting or derogatory, or incites racial hatred. If the website hosts blogs or forums, a system of moderation and monitoring must be set up. For multilingual websites, having a team of experts for each language will make it possible to monitor the content published online and check whether the translations match the source text.Databases containing personal data held by the websites or editorial teams are subject to data privacy law. Any person must be able to obtain disclosure of the data held in the website’s databases and have it deleted. Users must also be able to unsubscribe from a newsletter at any time.

language teacher support websites must be transparent about their objectives and the rules for posting. websites must clearly set out the terms of use and protect intel-lectual property rights.

approval and quality

Content can be approved by the institution itself. In that case, it is the education managers and trainers who approve the content produced.


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Peer* or community review.Decisions can be made by an editorial committee. Web 2.0* tools can be used to rate the resources* provided and insert comments, which will then become part of the content.

The approval of teaching content is a fundamental issue for any support website. Content can be approved either by the commissioning body and its representatives or by peers* and members of the community.

Quality assurance

Quality is an important aspect of the process and must be taken into consideration right from the preliminary survey stage, to define the website’s objectives, the processes and procedures, the performance indicators and the continuous improvement processes.Quality assurance can cover:

The development process (compliance with the specifications*, mock-up) –The product (ergonomics*, functionalities*, compliance with accessibility* require- –ments, compliance with W3C1, standards, design and approval process, learning envi-ronment)

The following criteria and tools can be used to analyse usage and measure user impact: traffic statistics, surveys of pilot teachers and schools, semi-guided interviews, etc.The use of statistical tools and the publication of annual reports will provide a record of the website’s activities for the commissioning institution. A report for the members of the associa-tion or the community can be used to justify and consolidate the financial and human invest-ment the website represents.

Support websites must be designed and built in accordance with a quality charter, defi-ned in consultation with the steering committee, the website commissioning body and the operators, right from the beginning of the project.

Running a support website

profile and functions of the technical staff

For a website to work properly, it is crucially important to have a technical expert, especially for continuity issues. A webmaster or a member of an IT department can also be assigned to the website to take charge of more complex operations (creating page templates, new func-tionalities*, etc.). Some tasks can be outsourced through a third-party maintenance contract.Sometimes content is designed by teaching teams or members of the association, then published by a webmaster. This is increasingly uncommon, though, due to the simplifica-tion of content posting procedures. This strict division can lead to conflict if communication breaks down between the technical staff and the teachers.The webmaster may also have an editorial role, approving content.

1. www.norme-w3c.com/


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The technical team can be called in to assist the website administrators with more complex operations. The website’s technical expert should work hand in hand with the editorial team, so that the technical solutions provided are the ones best suited to the teaching objectives.

Website administration team (teaching team)

The configurations vary widely, but new content-management systems and Web 2.0* tools make editorial teams more self-sufficient and encourage collaborative writing.

ConfigurationWebsites are usually run by a team of contributors, who may or may not report to each other. Each member’s remit will be defined on the basis of their language skills* and their field of specialisation.Where multilingual websites are concerned, special attention should be given to the work-flow*, i.e. modelling the tasks of the entire editorial chain, and to forming a team with comple-mentary language skills. Using a glossary and codified terminology will facilitate the proce-dures.Where associations and communities are concerned, the network of contributors may be highly decentralised. If so, it is important to draw up and abide by an editorial charter to maintain a consistent look and feel throughout the website. The website can use a system of signatures, with contributors’ names shown beside the content.Even when the management is highly decentralised (forum, blog, etc.), a system of modera-tion is required.

ExAMPLE 13Composition of website administration teams

emilangues and primlangues A team of four administrators works on the websites, which are developed by a webmaster

teachingenglish An editorial team (full-time chief editor, several part-time editors, a freelance edi-tor)

daf An editor and several part-time administrators

Kennisnet Teachers working under contract

ExAMPLE 14APLv: distribution of editorial tasksThe website of the Association française des professeurs de langues vivantes (APLv), founded in 1902.overall editorial responsibility lies with a member of the association’s committee. The editorial team is made up of correspondents for each language (German, English, Arabic, Spanish, French as a foreign or second language, oc-citan, etc.) and for each main theme (travel, ICT, etc.), along with a correspondent liaising with the associations. Two webmasters assist the editorial team.

Profile and competences of the administratorsAdministrators should be recruited with the following competences*:

Good writing skills –Proficient use of ICT tools –A command of two modern languages, to facilitate multilingualism and the monitoring –


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of European websitesKnowledge of language didactics and European tools and programmes –Proficient use of communication techniques –Ability to react quickly –

Support websites must be run by a team that can rely on a network of local, national and international correspondents, so that they can reflect the diversity of new deve-lopments in languages, foster intercultural dialogue and boost the dissemination of good practices derived from the field. it would be a good idea to organise these teams into a European-wide network to facilitate exchanges of experience and the sharing of resources.

Tasks and responsibilities of the administratorsThe administrators’ role is to monitor current developments, draft online resources*, liaise with the steering committee, institutions and users, and energise the teaching community. Alongside these editorial functions, administrators often fulfil the role of trainer for language teachers.In communities, the administrator’s role is not officially described as such; often, one or more people head the network and initiate the group dynamic.

Support website administration teams help produce content, with assistance from the technical teams. Because of their role as interface, they are a valuable source of sug-gestions for improving teacher support. Structuring these teams into a European-wide network would help enhance website quality and make it easier to identify and dis-seminate good practices.

editorial management

Editorial charterGood editorial management entails following a certain number of conventions. Texts must be clear and readily understandable for non-specialists and online users whose mother tongue is not the website language. It is important to stick to a system for classifying and ranking content, and to maintain a consistent overall tone (defined on the basis of the website’s objectives).

Regular updatesone of the features of a website is that its content - both rolling and static - is regularly updated. Language teachers are a demanding audience that tends to skip from one source of information to another. Teachers, as website users, actively look for indications of lively communities and websites, such as the date of the most recent update or the date news items were published. The same holds for collaborative spaces and blogs. This frequent updating 28 requires teamwork and a large network. Sometimes it is a better idea to transfer the content in question from one website to other, more popular websites [Europees Platform is testing this on the e-changes website]. Using a blog to provide regular updates on a European project 27 sustains interest in its outcomes, maintains visitor traffic and means it continues to be regularly referenced by search engines. Editorial dynamicsCustomised e-mails, rSS* feeds, newsletters, social networks and blogs associated with a website make it more lively and so help build audience loyalty.


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SAEL PRojECT TRIAL 1Completely redesigned newsletter

Website name Franc-parlerurl www.franc-parler.orgtarget audience Teachers and trainerscontext Franc-parler decided in 2008 to completely redesign its monthly newsletter.reference to a good practice found on another website

The DAF website’s newsletter 30

objectives Make the newsletters sent out to Franc-parler subscribers more consistent and •more relevant.Showcase the teaching content offered on Franc-parler (teaching notes and •learning paths*).Highlight the news presented on Franc-parler.•

Implementation Decision to focus on news about French teaching, and lesson plans classified •by thematic category, some based on news from the French-speaking world.The new newsletter joins the existing features: a newsletter announcing the •special reports and Forum Hebdo.

good points originality of the newsletter (nothing similar in the area of French as a foreign •language).Highlights content published elsewhere on the website.•Boosts interest in the blog and news features.•

difficulties Defining the criteria for news items•redefining an editorial charter•range of information sources is too narrow•Monthly newsletter is a constraint•

evaluation Quantitative evaluation:The statistics show an increase in total visitor traffic and especially in traffic to •the news section.

Qualitative evaluation:The online survey showed readers like the quality and originality of the content; •however they think the ergonomics* and the visual identity should be impro-ved.

future developments visual identity redesign•More teaching content•Broader range of information sources and stronger international outlook•

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This section will look at ergonomic aspects and the different stages of technical production with a focus on users, before examining the role played by designers and then IT specialists. It is important to bear in mind that an educational website is about content: a good quality website must be interesting. The editorial aspect goes hand in hand with the equally impor-tant aspect of visual identity. It is the latter’s role to effectively rank data. The way textual and graphic information is organised, the ease of navigation* and the overall interactivity also contribute to overall quality.

What are the phases of a website or platform project?

Designing a website calls for numerous skills, which cannot be found in one single person. It will be necessary to form a team, therefore, with complementary skill sets.The first stage, which consists in analysing the needs and defining the objectives, was discussed in Chapter 2, as it defines the strategic priorities. The subsequent phases of a website project follow:

Design the website, i.e. define the content, browsing, the visual identity and the inter- –activityProduce the graphics and the multimedia elements –Deploy the formatted content on the platform* –Monitor and maintain the website as a whole –

Apart from language teaching skills, the team will need multimedia programming skills to produce and format the multimodal components and, of course, general IT skills.

ergonomics aspects

once the project has decided what the objectives, target audience, content and types of media are to be, it is important to think about how the content is to be arranged.A user-centric approach consists in enabling the identified users to use the website to achieve the defined objectives effectively, efficiently and in a satisfactory manner. online user surveys have identified a number of success factors for websites:

Quality content –Frequent updates –

ChAPTER 3

Technology and ergonomics


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Minimal download times –Ease of use – 1

As far as ergonomics* are concerned, educational websites have to meet the same qua-lity criteria as any other website. The most important thing is to make sure the website is easy for users to read, so they can quickly find the information they need.

For users, reading on a screen is slower and more tiring than reading a paper document. Since on-screen reading patterns are neither systematic nor linear, it is best to summarise and rank the information provided, and start with the conclusion to be drawn from the text, or the most important items.La conception d’un site web éducatif2 is a handbook for designing educational websites that contains a wealth of topical information, especially about ergonomics* (principles for organ-ising screen layouts, principles for easy reading, typographical information, etc.).A template* can be used to keep the presentation consistent and make it easier for users to find their way around the screens.

The homepage and the main menu should not contain too many items of information (seven at most), to avoid overloading the user’s short-term memory. Three levels of sub-menus is a maximum to ensure the user does not lose his way.

technological resources

There are numerous guides readily available over the Internet. They are very well designed and documented, and regularly updated, so it is well worth referring to them.3

Three types of software (or platforms*) can be used to provide support services:So-called collaborative systems, which facilitate work sharing and communication –around a common, remote-access platform (PHPGroupware, WordPress, DotClear, etc.)Content management systems (CMS* – 4), designed for publishing information on the Internet (Drupal and Joomla are among the better-known examples)Systems for managing online training, or – e-learning* (LMS5): These programs, situated somewhere between collaboration and content management, are structured around the trainer/learner pair and the notion of tutorial (Claroline, Dokeos and Moodle are the best-known examples).

The dividing line between these different categories is not impermeable and there are a growing number of functions in common. What distinguishes one from another is increas-ingly the overall product organisation, the ergonomics* and the degree of sophistication of the functionalities”.

1. Source: Ministère du Budget, des Comptes publics et de la Fonction publique, Charte ergonomique des sites publics, 2008. www.references.modernisation.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/Charte_ergonomique_v2.0_2.pdf

2. Denyse Gilbert, La conception d’un site web éducatif, 2003. www.aptic.ulaval.ca/guidew3educatif/ The most useful aspects are the pages on ergonomics* and readability, and the sheet used to evaluate educational websites, at the end of the handbook.

3. The http://guidecms.com, website, for example, lists white papers, tutorials and other literature on content man-agement systems.

4. Acronym for Content Management System

5. Acronym for Learning Management System

TECHNoLoGY AND ErGoNoMICS

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Infrastructure and technical solutionIn the planning stage prior to setting up a support website, a distinction has to be made between the infrastructure (the hosting) and the technical solution (the software).The infrastructure consists of:

The server and its software environment, i.e. the computer capable of connecting to the –Web and the software programs the computer needs to run (server software, database, programming languages, etc.)The connectivity, i.e. the interface between the server and the Internet network (cables, –devices, etc.)The associated services: e-mail, video, data storage, etc. –

Managing this infrastructure is a specialised job that requires specific skills. A service provider will set up, maintain and support the website. This service will be necessary throughout the life of a website. it comes at a substantial cost.

This software needs a number of other items (database, programming language, etc.) in order to operate. All of these combined are referred to as the “technical solution”. This technical solu-tion must in turn be compatible with the server environment if it is to operate.Setting up the technical solution is also a service. It is a one-off service, performed when the website itself is set up. As far as the collaborative environment is concerned, the most advanced tools have their own e-mail and their own communication system (chat or video conferencing). In this respect, they are more closely tied to the infrastructure. Moreover, depending on the price paid, a hosting service will allow more or less latitude for customising the server environment and making it compatible with the technical solution.

Project planners should start by asking themselves the following questions:«Do we already have a hosting solution that we want to use?»«Do we already have a technical solution that we would like to use?»

if the answer to both questions is «yes», the next thing to do is check whether the hos-ting solution and the technical solution are compatible. if they are not, it is better to choose the technical solution over the hosting solution.

Both services (i.e. hosting and the technical solution) can either be carried out by in-house staff or be outsourced. The choice will depend on the available skills, the prescribed time-frame and of course the costs.Generally speaking, choosing an in-house solution leaves less latitude in the technical choices, but allows greater flexibility in the project management. The guidelines discussed in this guide apply more specifically to outsourced services (under contract), but the recommenda-tions also hold for an in-house service. In either case, a signed contract must expressly state the terms and conditions of future maintenance and support, for hosting and the technical solution alike.

Choosing a technical solutionSetting aside the question of functionalities*, which will be dealt with further on, one of the first questions to settle is the choice between open-source software* and a proprietary solu-tion.


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Proprietary software is any software that carries restrictions as to its usage or possible modifications.

Even if open-source software costs nothing to buy, it would be mistaken to think that, when used for professional purposes, it costs nothing to run. Bear in mind the cost of installation, training, customising the graphic interface, possible tailored modifications, add-ons published by third-party vendors, etc.The advantages of open-source software include a certain capacity for innovation and the assurance of being able to upgrade the product, compliance with standards, frequent secu-rity patches, and support from the open-source community.Among the drawbacks, note that there is no guarantee of project continuity, upgrading is sometimes a complex procedure, community add-ons are not always totally reliable and the documentation is often too succinct.Lastly, it should be mentioned that the LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySql, Php) open-source plat-form*, which provides both the server environment and part of the technical solution for many open-source or commercial software programs, has effectively become a standard for setting up websites.

unless the service-provider chosen to install the technical solution insists on using its own solution and can back up this decision with robust arguments, we recommend choosing from among the open-source software solutions, which offer guaranteed re-liability, performance and flexibility one is entitled to expect.

Choosing a hosting solutionProject planners should seek competent advice before choosing a hosting solution. This can be obtained from an IT department, the service provider responsible for installing the tech-nical solution, or a third party.The decision generally hinges on the cost of the infrastructure, the amount of bandwidth* provided, and maintenance. Before a sound decision can be made, it is essential to have an estimate of the potential audience (the number of hits) and the type and volume of content to be published. HTML pages alone do not represent any significant volume, unless the website is aiming for hundreds of thousands of hits per day. (By way of example, the PrimLangues website represents 40,000 hits per month; a national daily newspaper website several million.) The amount of bandwidth* determines how fast information is transmitted.on the other hand, if the website is to post PDF documents, audio or video files, it will need appropriate storage and posting capacities (i.e. more bandwidth*, which pushes the price up). It is also possible to post material on websites that offer an online service for sharing and viewing video clips [Daily Motion, YouTube, etc.], after first checking that the contents can be diffused in this way.

Another question is: is it necessary to use a dedicated server* (i.e. one that the hosting service makes available to a single client), or will a shared server* be enough?

A dedicated server is more expensive, but allows more scope for configuration and any repairs can be done more quickly. With regard to this last point, it is important to estimate the cost of a temporary unavailability of the service. If several hours down time is acceptable, so-called shared solutions can be considered (the server hosts several websites, including yours). If not, you will have to take out more expensive contracts that include commitments on technical support and the rate of availability.


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Lastly, the quality of the technical support and the configuration tools provided are also part of the decision criteria.

You should estimate, as accurately as possible, the foreseeable load on the server, the quality of service you want to give users, and the fault tolerance you are prepared to accept.

Setting up a support website based on a CMS

In this section, we will look at setting up a support website based on a CMS*. This type of solution is the one most commonly used because it is also the most flexible. It can also be configured to resemble either a collaborative solution or an e-learning solution.A CMS can be used to publish material on the website and manage the workflow*.

publishing and templates

Publishing means being able to make changes to a website (such as adding a page or modi-fying an existing page) and validate them on the spot before making them visible to online users. It follows that, thanks to this notion of publication, you can have contributors work directly on the website, then proofread their work and have it approved before publishing it. This decision chain is a workflow*. It makes it possible to decentralise the information produc-tion chain.A content model is a way of structuring information. For example, a “scenario” content model will contain a title, an author, an objective and a programme in the form of a succession of steps. A template* is the page structure in which you insert content. The content can be sepa-rated out from the form.


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ExAMPLE 15Page template for adding content (www.emilangues.education.fr)Pre-formatted cells (title, introductory paragraph, etc.) make it possible to create pages with a consistent layout, before adding the visual identity features.

Paradoxically, as the content becomes more structured, navigation* becomes more flexible and the search interface richer. on the other hand, highly structured content requires a lot of preparatory work beforehand and can be restrictive for editors.

the main types of technical functionalities

In infrastructureAs a general rule, it is advisable to:

Make sure that the solution is compatible with market standards to ensure better –upgradeability, and make sure that it is possible to create several websites with the same technical solutionCreate an administration interface that is user-friendly and convenient (drag-and-drop –capability, the possibility of downloading several files at once, etc.)Check what the developers do to address security issues (e.g. regular releases of security –patches)Consider the possibility of multilingualism, or of having multilingual versions of the –same website6

obtain statistics on the website’s visitor traffic If the software does not have this func- –tionality*, you will have to use a third-party solution (available free of charge)Think about rights management. This is an important point, because it determines –whether you can authorise all users or only some users to interact on the website (e.g. post comments). Generally speaking, permissions range from the possibility of modifying certain sections of a page to completely redesigning whole sections of the website

6. Multilingual architecture www.webrankinfo.com/dossiers/techniques/architecture-site-multilingue-pour-refe-rencement ; Multilingualism and Internet sites www.gencat.cat/websmultiling/index_en.htm


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ExAMPLE 16Handling multilingualism (www.eurosael.eu)The administration interface can be used to translate text into the website’s chosen languages. It is possible to trans-late pages selectively.

The possibilities for customising the graphics will be dealt with further on in the guide.

In content publishingQuestions you should ask yourself:

What type of workflow* does the CMS* support? –Can I create models or reusable types of content (for example, a model that can simply –be filled in later), and can the same content be published in several different locations on the website?Can the CMS handle several different versions of a page or document, so that I can go –back to an earlier version if I wish?Is indexing done manually or automatically? How often? Does there have to be a –ranking? Do only web pages have to be indexed or attachments too (in PDF or PPT format, etc.)?Can long lists or long pages of text be paginated easily? –Can website content be classified into categories for easier searching and navigation*? –Can certain pages of the website (news, new pages, etc.) be associated with rSS* feeds? –(users can subscribe to rSS* feeds to be informed of changes to website content) (syndi-cation).

In collaboration and communication:You should ask yourself the following questions:

Are announcements and events managed in the form of a list or a calendar? Generally, –the latest additions are mentioned on the homepage.Is it possible to download documents organised into directories from the document –library? It is very useful to be able to classify documents into categories for filtering.Is it possible to create social networking tools such as blogs and wikis*? Apart from soft- –ware specialised in these functions, some CMS* allow users to open parts of the website


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in collaborative environments.For mailing lists, does the CMS contain a tool for registering and/or sending out news- –letters?Do you want users to be able to comment on or rate certain articles or content items? –Do you intend to organise surveys and polls? –

Choosing the “right” CMS: the questions to ask

functional requirements and the specifications

the first stage is to decide what the CMS* will have to publish (simple web pages, complex, structured pages, Flash animations, interconnection with other computer applications* if on a portal*, etc.) and what other types of documents it will have to make available (images, audio files, PDF documents, XML documents, videos, etc.). You can then decide what functionalities* will be required.At the end of the first stage, you should have a clear overview of the website in the form of a site map, i.e. a diagram showing the different pages, organised into sections and subsections.

the second stage deals with website administration and content, including the question of whether or not content will be created in the tool. It is possible to create content in a variety of forms then import it into the CMS, which will then present it in the form of web pages. However you may want to create all of the content directly in the tool.once the functional requirements have been defined, you can draw up a set of specifica-tions*, which sets out the project’s framework and objectives, any technical constraints, the site map and the functional requirements, along with the lead times and the budget.Based on this, it is possible to establish a list of two or three CMS that would be capable of meeting virtually all of the specifications, and decide whether or not it will be necessary to develop or purchase more specific modules.

graphics

The look and feel of a website (i.e. its graphics and page layout) has a major influence on whether visitors will want to adopt and use it. Different CMS* allow users varying degrees of latitude for customising it. Some CMS offer a more or less extensive gallery of preset «themes» for users to choose from. Depending on the budget and the importance accorded to this aspect, the project team can either choose an existing theme or ask an outside service provider to do the graphics.Generally, the service provider that installs the technical solution also offers to take charge of the graphic aspects. The project team can also decide to work with another service provider just for the graphics. However a graphic designer will not necessarily have the skills required to “transfer” their graphics into the chosen CMS, which can raise problems of coordination with the provider of the technical solution.

technical and contractual characteristics (hosting)

Before making a final decision on the choice of CMS*, you should check that the technologies used are compatible with the planned hosting solution, or are at least sufficiently generic to allow a wide choice of hosting service providers.The next step is to obtain a quote. You will need to specify the technologies required and the


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estimated load, based on the amount of storage necessary -- especially if documents (texts, audio files, images or videos) are to be downloaded from the website -- and the expected number of hits per month. This estimate will be based on the size of the target audience.The service provider should provide you with guarantees regarding backups, fault tolerance and service continuity.Lastly, you should ask about the costs of maintenance and upgrades.

domain name

The address of an Internet site, e.g. «mysite.com», is made up of a domain name («mysite») and an extension («.com»). Extensions tell online users the status of the sponsor institution («.org» is for non-profits, for example) or the area in which it operates («.eu» is for Europe). Everything situated in front of the domain name is called the sub-domain. The commonest one is “www.”. It is a good idea to draw up a list of three or four possible domain names and check whether they are available before trying to officially register them. Domain names are purchased for a period of at least one year.Domain names are registered through companies specialised in the service. There is no way of bypassing these intermediaries, but generally the service provider takes care of this formality. In this case, check that the domain name is registered in your name (or your organisation’s name), so that you are effectively the owner.

Before choosing a CMS*, you need a very precise idea of:The content to be publishedThe functionalities* to be providedThe importance of the graphicsThe website’s administration and content-production channelsThese questions should be dealt with individually in a set of specifications*. if the pro-ject team does not have the required competences*, it can decide to use the tool re-commended by the service provider, based on its list of completed projects.

CMS maintenance

We will say a brief word about the role of the editorial webmaster, to remind readers that website content must be regularly expanded, updated and adapted so that it continues to attract substantial numbers of visitors. It is easy to add new pages or new sections, providing they are compatible with the existing page layout. It may be impossible to add a section, for example, if it also has to appear in a horizontal menu bar that is already full.

The links shown on the website should be regularly checked and any that do not work (known as “dead” or “broken” links) removed.

Website referencing depends on two factors: the quality of the code of the web pages gener-ated by the CMS* (it must be standard-compliant), and the webmaster’s efforts to disseminate and publicise the website (through cross-linking). The more cross-links, the better the refer-encing by search engines.Maintenance of the technical solution will entail both major and minor upgrades. Minor upgrades are usually security patches and bug fixes. Major upgrades tend to address function-alities* or ergonomics*. For open-source CMS, all upgrades are free of charge. For commercial solutions, on the other hand, only minor upgrades will be included in the price. In either case, upgrades are not to be taken lightly, especially as open-source solutions are often relatively


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complex and/or their documentation is often overly succinct. This operation is best left to an IT specialist.New functionalities can usually be added in the form of new modules (or add-ons). The advantage of open-source solutions is that new functionalities are added with each upgrade. New add-ons are regularly brought out by the community, making it possible to keep up with advances in technology and sociological changes (the way we work and communicate). The cost of a website varies with numerous factors. Development costs are essentially for producing the content and the graphic and multimedia elements. Publishing costs are for deploying the platform*, the LMS* and the content. Maintenance costs are for updating the content and upgrading the software.

The main costs involved

In conclusion, and subject to a number of major decisions made at the outset (categories in the general menu, choice of graphics), a CMS allows considerable latitude for changing the content and the way it is organised as time goes by. 25

A CMS* cannot be converted into a purely collaborative or purely e-learning solution. Any far-reaching change will entail new developments and be costly: it will in fact be a new project in its own right. it is very important, therefore, to ask the right questions before the project takes form, and to keep the first version of the website running for at least two or three years, to learn the lessons necessary for its future development or reworking.

Implementation costs

development costs Publishing costs Maintenance costs

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Support websites should be reference points for the language teaching community, where the information they need is gathered together in one place. At the moment, though, there is a plethora of websites for language teachers and an ensuing proliferation of information sources. Given that the life cycle of websites is growing shorter and shorter, it is easy to see why this state of affairs sometimes disorients or even leads to language teachers becoming discouraged.A support website must be devoted to monitoring external sources, providing information and open to innovative practices and the positive initiatives developed in other countries. It must be a resource* centre and a place for dialogue and discussion, aimed at supporting language teachers’ skills development.

A website that monitors and provides information open to innova-tive practices

Monitoring system

A support website needs to have an effective system of monitoring with a European reach, working within European or even international information networks. We often notice that support websites’ sources of information are focused on a particular country or on the language of a given teaching community.Monitoring may be carried out using keywords in several languages. This would broaden the range of information sources and guarantee linguistic diversity and greater intercultural awareness. Monitoring tools can include newsletters, 30 mailing lists, 32 rSS* feed aggregators 31 , social bookmarking websites, contributor networks and social networks 37 38 . The best results will be obtained by using a combination of monitoring tools.

ChAPTER 4

What are the essential components of a support website?


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ExAMPLE 17Carrying out multilingual monitoring using keywords in different languages

type of teaching CLIL* (Content and Language Integrated Learning)country FranceWebsite Emilanguesurl of the website www.emilangues.education.fr

Emilangues is a support website for teachers in European or oriental language sections. It promotes the CLIL approach and plurilingualism. It introduces French teachers to a wide variety of concepts relating to the use of foreign languages to teach non-language disciplines. The website’s monitoring system uses keywords in different languages: DNL and EMILE in French, CLIL in English and AICLE in German.

url of the examplewww.emilangues.education.fr/formation/bibliographies/Emile__clil_ouvrages_et_articles

Defining an effective monitoring system is a must for support websites. it will rely on regularly updated information sources and a network of stakeholders involved in tea-cher training at European level. Monitoring should be carried out in several languages, using national and international resources*. Sharing the monitoring system among support websites in Europe could improve the way language-teaching good practices are disseminated.

ContentThe monitoring system can be used to provide input for the support website that is tailored to language-teaching issues at every level (local, national, European and international). It will give language teachers targeted, up-to-date information for lifelong learning.

news about languages and language teaching at every level

A support website can monitor news about languages and language teaching in Europe and encourage linguistic diversity 56 . The recentralised information will enable teachers and trainers to stay abreast of developments in language teaching theory and act as a self-study* tool. Teacher surveys highlight their lack of time and a desire for fast access to information that is targeted to their needs. Classifying content into different categories will give teachers stream-lined access to the topics that interest them. A customisable events diary could be another popular functionality*.If websites lack the human and/or material resources to carry out monitoring themselves, they can pass on news from other support websites, for example through rSS* feeds.Language teacher support websites will act as hubs, linking up local, national and Euro-pean information networks. They aim to inform teachers of the resources* available through websites and European projects, to encourage their use and re-use for other purposes, to boost teaching and training and stimulate research in these sectors (teaching methodology, ICT in education) 11 . They are information drivers.

news about training and careers

By passing on news about initial and in-service training, these websites encourage the devel-opment of new skills and facilitate teachers’ career advancement 62 through the accreditation of prior experiential learning.

WHAT ArE THE ESSENTIAL CoMPoNENTS oF A SUPPorT WEBSITE?

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Institutional support websites often have a section dedicated to information on official syllabuses, language teaching curriculum* and how to implement current reforms. Support websites could, for example, use pupils’ written work, interviews or video clips of classroom practices to illustrate the changes. 60

news about ICT in education

A special section on news about educational ICT 14 can be a useful addition to the informa-tion available on the website. It can focus on news about events, training courses and educa-tional ICT applications in language teaching.

Mobility and exchange programmes

Support websites should give special attention to mobility programmes. 42 This is because language teachers are at the heart of exchanges between European educational institutions. Precise details should be given (calendar, formalities, impact) so that teachers can identify their contacts. It may be possible to set up a partnership with local authorities and the Life-long Learning Programme (LLP) national agencies to provide promotional material (video, brochures, etc.) and reach language teachers directly, as they play a key role in promoting pupils’ mobility. Support websites can provide their own database of partnership requests, pass on adver-tisements from third-party countries, or refer those interested to existing databases, such as eTwinning, Globalgateway and ePals. 45 47 48

When presenting these programmes, the support section will highlight the good practices and feedback 44 50 59 and call on the network of language teachers already involved in these programmes. Likewise, support websites will be sure to inform teachers about mobility programmes for language teachers.

A support website will monitor news about languages and mobility and training pro-grammes so that it can give language teachers rapid access to the tailored information they need. it will provide ample opportunities for providing feedback and dissemina-ting good practices.

What teaching resources should be provided to support teachers?

authentic resources

An authentic document is a resource* that was not designed expressly for teaching purposes.Authentic documents come in a wide variety of forms: graphics, text, audio files, etc. It might be an image, recorded songs, online press clippings, tourist websites, film trailers, etc.It is also possible to compile a database of audio or video recordings on the websites, to have documents produced by native speakers. 1

objectives:•Encourage teachers to use authentic documents (as recommended in the – CEFR*)Develop listening and reading comprehension skills –Encourage training in the media –


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Description•Websites can index existing authentic resources, focusing on certain programmes or chan-nels, to guide teachers to suitable resources. once identified, the resources can be presented in the form of a webography.Copyright questions inevitably arise when banks of authentic resources are compiled on support websites. The many languages and institutions involved make the issue even more complicated to handle. There is much to be gained by entering into a partnership with institutions that hold resources or media 8 2 , because it allows the support website to offer up-to-date content, support for training in the media, and a learning progression in line with the CEFR*.Websites can also compile banks of audio files that feature native speakers and are graded against the Framework levels. It is a good idea to share resources 21 in this area. The advan-tage of a “fabricated” authentic resource is that is provides made-to-measure items that closely match the training requirements and the level of the pupils concerned.

Who produces the resources?•The website administrators reference tracks and index websites to find authentic –resources 3 40

Native speakers can compile shared audio databanks that are indexed against the – CEFRA media company (radio/television) can propose a co-production with a language –centre, to produce programmes that come with online support. 41

ExAMPLE 18Indexing online resources for language learners and teachers

Website name Linguaneturl www.linguanet-europa.org/plus/fr/home.jsp distinctive feature This project uses keywords (target language*, source language*) to index online

resources*. It also specifies how documents can be accessed and what level the learner should have in order to use them.

ExAMPLE 19Audio-Lingua: a collaborative database of audio documents

Website name Audio-linguaurl www.audio-lingua Who? online users can contribute directly to building up the database by posting

their contribution. The resources* are available in six languages and are indexed against the Framework levels.

similar websites www.elllo.org or www.radialistas.net

useful resources

By «useful resources», we mean any resources* that assist teachers in their work. They can be software, dictionaries, an index, etc.

objectives:•recentralise the tools and methods teachers might need –


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Provide cross-disciplinary resources –raise awareness of educational ICT tools (software, video conferencing, etc.). –

Description•Support websites should encourage people to reference existing tools to make teachers’ work easier. Based on their analysis of teachers’ needs, websites can provide links to down-loadable software, to tutorials that teach how to use it, or self-study* sheets. When methods, dictionaries, audiovisual equipment, etc. are already referenced, this saves teachers a consid-erable amount of time. 13

Who produces the resources? •Support websites do not produce these tools. The teams’ work is to index them, present them and perhaps evaluate them in consultation with an editorial committee. Teachers need guidance when it comes to editorial material and the available offering of online tools (software, etc.).

ExAMPLE 20Presenting and sharing educational ICT tools

Website name openEnglishWeburl www.openenglishweb

This association website provides tutorials and resources* for using educational •ICT in language teaching.The fact sheet presents the software, its functions, its applications in teaching, •the terms of use and terms of licence.

activity and exercise banks

Support websites can provide classroom activities, indexed against a Framework level, or focused on a particular language activity.To meet strong demand from teachers for classroom-ready teaching materials 5 , support websites often offer teaching activities in the form of downloadable activity sheets, online exercises, quizzes and webquests*. The availability of these activities means teachers can now use these ICT-based tools in their teaching practice without having to design them them-selves. 29

objectives: •Provide readymade activities –Encourage teachers to use ICT – 12

Encourage teachers to share their practices –Create communities of practice – 36

Who produces the resources?•Teachers –Groups formed to share practices (outcomes of training courses) –Publishers working with the website under an agreement –


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ExAMPLE 21XTEC: online applications and shared resources

Website name XTEC – The website of the Catalonia Ministry of Educationurl of the website www.xtec.cat url www.xtec.cat/recursos/webquests/index.htm

The website of the Catalonia Ministry of Education and the Catalonia-based as-sociation, WebQuest, offers teachers online applications* with which they can create webquests, and hosts them.The resources* created by the teachers are then available for everyone. The Min-istry also hosts online exercises and blogs.

learning track, scenario and unit

Support websites can offer learning tracks*, scenarios and teaching units that feature a final task* organised around intermediate activities and tasks.

objectives:•Encourage teachers to use different content items (resources*, tools, activities) in –conjunction with each other 9

Encourage innovative practices –Provide teaching progressions that match the – CEFRPromote the use of ICT in education –

These documents will feature more or less prominently on the website, depending on the needs analysis, the degree of support it plans to provide, and the training context. 5 6 7 8

Description•The structure of the unit or the template* is very important, as it is an essential requirement for compliance with European benchmarks such as the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR*) or the European Language Portfolio (ELP*). Failing an adequate structure, the content presented is likely to be very disparate. To ensure that it is perfectly suitable, the structure should also be drawn up in consultation with the education authorities, insofar as it will serve as a basis for teaching practices.Needless to say, websites must avoid going to the opposite extreme and confining teachers to a preset pattern that they have not been trained to use and which leaves them too little leeway for adapting the content to their own specific teaching environment. The amount of guidance given will necessarily lessen as the target audience becomes more experienced, proficient and self-reliant.


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The essential points to take into consideration when designing units include:

references:The reference document used (national or European guidelines)A clear picture of the final task*The language activities worked on

Principles:The use of iCT in educationThe incorporation of interdisciplinary elements/Clil*The intercultural/community-based/international approach(Self-)Assessmentlanguage management (source and target)The learning context/the rate of progression

Content:Activities for learnersillustration of the tasks to be accomplished (documents and materials)

The content section should be particularly plentiful and carefully designed: this is generally the focal point of visitors’ navigation and acts as a gateway to other sections.

Important criteria for the presentation of units: readability –The use of templates* –The combination of images and text –Each item is indexed –A sound balance between downloadable documents and on-screen content –The presence of links to discussion forums or collaborative platforms* –

Who produces the resources? •Editors –Trainers –Content-sharing groups –


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ExAMPLE 22unit outlines on the PrimLangues website

Website name PrimLanguessection title Teaching unitsurl of the section concerned www.primlangues.education.fr/php/sequence.php

The detailed instructions for conducting units (unit outline, links between ses-•sions, what to say) are intended for an audience of non-specialist teachers.The units revolve around a main task*. Since the introduction of the • CEFR* in primary-school syllabuses, they also include language activities (A1 level).They include audio files (the instructions to give the class, authentic docu-•ments) and any visuals necessary (drawings, flashcards).The inter-language dimension is accentuated by the fact that the procedure •and implementation of the unit have been transcribed into French (the source language*).The search engine feature provides access by language activity, language or •theme.

ExAMPLE 23Lehrer-Online: educational ICT lesson plans and competences

Website name Lehrer-onlineurl www.lehrer-online.de section Fremdsprachenunterrichtexample www.lehrer-online.de/inmigracion.php?sid=4711622593098899292553036304

3200 The • Lehrer-Online website provides teaching units that draw upon pupils’ ICT skills as much as much as on their language skills.The units revolve around ICT-based activities (guided web searches, production •of audio recordings). They also draw on eTwinning projects and describe their implementation in language lessons. There is a facility for teachers to comment and rate the units of work.

ExAMPLE 24Deutsch als Fremdsprache: instructions for conducting units

Website name Deutsch als Fremdsprachesection The newsletter gives teachers ideas for using units or lesson outlines.•

It is intended for experienced teachers who want to draw on it to create their •own project.

url www.deutsch-als-fremdsprache.de/infodienst/2008/daf-info-2008-05.php

language teacher support websites should provide complementary teaching resour-ces* (authentic documents*, activities and units, etc.) in line with the CEFR*, and allow teachers to discuss their use.Support website administration teams help produce content, with assistance from technical teams. Because of their role as interface, they are a valuable source of sug-gestions for improving teacher support. Structuring these teams into a European-wide network would help enhance website quality and make it easier to identify and dis-seminate good practices.


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CoLLAboRATIvE RESouRCE* dESIGn by And FoR TEAChERS

The system works on the following principles:Create online workshops on writing and designing teaching scenarios, interspersed –with face-to-face training and production. These scenarios are then used by their author(s)Focus on professional practice and its analysis –Base teachers’ continuing education on collaborative work and use reflexivity, –drawing on the prepared lessons and the practices used.

organise a mixed programme:ongoing work on resources –A few days per year of face-to-face training, with the rest of the process as distance –learningIn collaborative communities of design, then communities of teaching practice –

The work can be done in small groups requiring the same type of resources. The groups draw up activities, which they then test. Afterwards, there is self-feedback with the group on the uses made of the scenarios, and a process of approval or modification of the proposed resource.In a system like this, it is an advantage to have inexperienced teachers working alongside more seasoned colleagues. In this way newly qualified teachers are able to build upon their initial training. The presence of native speakers of the languages concerned is also a substantial advantage. Teachers of different languages can work side by side to create units thus creating a multilingual working environment. To support collaboration, it will be necessary to have, in addition to physical meetings:

A virtual system for sharing, exchanging and communicating among the collabora- –torsA community workspace containing both asynchronous communication tools –(e-mail, forums) and synchronous communication tools (video conferencing if neces-sary, chat room, telephone)A document filing space and a calendar –

The permanent trainers will be responsible for leading the face-to-face group sessions and the online work, and will support the process from beginning to end. The trainers will be required to encourage discussion among the teachers, answer questions or requests from the trainee teachers in a timely manner, and sustain their involvement in seeing the scenario design process through to completion.This type of programme is designed around the idea of a community of practice*, which will meet at certain key times, defined or felt as necessary, but which will be purely virtual the rest of the time. According to Wenger (1998), who coined the term, a community of practice is a group of individuals participating in group activity and who are led to invent local solutions to the problems they encounter in their professional practice. Wenger goes on to add that, by sharing knowledge and know-how, the members of the community learn together and enhance the quality of their professional life. In other words, they educate each other.The collective production of resources provides an opportunity to support teachers as they learn how to use and test new resources, then as they modify and design them, using a combination of online resources, distance activities and face-to-face get-togethers.


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training and self-study resources

Support websites should be a vehicle for teacher training and self-study*, designed to develop new skills.

objectives:•Develop teachers’ language skills* –Develop dialogue between teachers and mutual competences-development – 35 39

Description•Support websites can index language self-study websites according to the level they aim for and the competences they set out to develop. They can also offer language training modules specifically designed for teachers. Monitoring can be provided within the framework of an open distance-learning programme or an instructor-led training programme. 58 Lastly, they can reference or provide platforms for discussion and communication among teachers, so the latter can discuss projects or their professional practice in the target language*.

Who produces the resources?•Depending on its means and objectives, the support website may or may not be behind these features. In the case of discussion platforms, it is the teachers who contribute directly. 24 34

ExAMPLE 25eTwinning workspace

url www.etwinning.net

Implementation

Within the context of an online project, teachers can dialogue with their Eu-•ropean counterparts in the target language* at each stage of their common project, from the initial search for partners and right throughout the project.They can dialogue by e-mail, chat or through a webcam, calling into play many •of the competences* defined in the Framework.

Support websites should encourage the development of teachers’ language skills* by providing suitable resources* and facilitating discussions between teachers.

Competences associated with the didactics of language teaching

Support websites should help language teachers hone their competences* linked to teaching strategy.

objectives: •Promote use of the – CEFR* and the ELP*Support progress in pedagogy –Develop innovative methods and revitalise teaching (CLIL* approach, use of ICT in –education, etc.) 10 23

Description:•The support aims to provide a combination of the following:

Theoretical special reports (on the – CEFR, the ELP*, the competences-based approach,


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assessment, self-assessment*) (thematic special reports from Franc-parler)Self-study* modules – 18 19

Units or scenarios with suggested lesson plans – 7

Good practices derived from experience in the field – 53 Areas for discussing issues with other teachers and experts – 51

Instructor-led training modules –

Who produces the resources?•Depending on the specialisation of those involved, the content can be produced either by a trainer or a working group, or by several institutions working together. Content can be gradu-ally built up through exchanges between online users and/or discussions with the experts.

ExAMPLE 26CEFTrain Project: providing self-study modules on the CEFR

Website name CEFTrAINurl of the website www.ceftrain.net

The European CEFTrain Project provides self-study* modules on the CEFR*. Based on examples of tasks* and instructions, they help users learn the specific descrip-tors associated with each level of the Framework. Users can approach the team of experts in charge of the project directly.


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SAEL PRojECT TRIAL 2Filmed lessons to support application of the CEFR

Website name PrimLanguescontext The introduction of foreign language teaching in primary schools in 2002, the

focus on the CEFR* that followed the 2005 language renovation plan, and the new syllabuses brought out in 2007 generated strong demand among teachers and trainers for examples of practice.

url of the website www.primlangues.education.frurl of the section concerned www.primlangues.education.fr/php/echanger.phptarget audience Teachers and trainersobjectives Create a section with video clips of model sessions in the «échanger/se former»

section.Implementation Provide a 5-minute video clip showing a teacher running a session that com-•

plies with the new 2007 syllabuses, which incorporate the CEFR. The session outline is provided with the video clip to explain what the teacher is doing.In keeping with the • CEFR, the activity sheets describe the final task*, how the micro-tasks relate to it, and the language activities. The session uses authentic material* (songs).

good points Useful addition to the website’s audiovisual content.•Complements the other self-study* tools.•

difficulties Identifying a class.•obtaining permission to broadcast images.•recording quality.•Editing.•Limited feedback from the teachers.•

evaluation Traffic statistics•online survey•

future developments Continue the trial on a permanent basis

Classroom teaching competences (linked to lifelong learning)

objectives:•Promote classroom management skills –Develop project pedagogy –Be able to adapt one’s teaching to different national and international contexts –Use motivation strategies –Create a reflective, self-assessment* approach (classroom observation and discussions) –Make research part of one’s teaching –

Support websites should be a resource* centre for teachers where they can find thematic special reports, examples and discussion areas.


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SAEL PRojECT TRIAL 3Support online projects

Website name ANIF / e-changesurl of the website www.anif.it ; www.e-changes.nl target audience Teacherscontext online projects give teachers and pupils an opportunity to converse and work •

together on collaborative projects.However, teachers interested in online projects need support with the techno-•logical, pedagogical and didactic changes involved.The trial has helped to improve ANIF and e-changes websites, in conjunction •with the classroom training sessions.

objectives Help develop an action-oriented, intercultural approach to language teaching •by assisting teachers with conducting exchange and cooperation projects.Introduce teachers to the pedagogy of online projects and the use of ICT in •their classroom practice.Make these websites more attractive by developing their potential for support •and by accentuating the pedagogical dimension, especially with regard to innovative practices, given that language teacher websites in Italy have few resources* to offer in this area for the moment.Get teachers to start sharing practices and networking at local, national and •European level, by showing them why exchange practices make sense.

Implementation Create a section on the pedagogy of online projects that provides:A «toolbox» • www.associazioneanif.it/mail/boite_outils.htm: online resources, theoretical insights, advice, practical and technical tools, and concrete exam-ples of projectsAn area for dialogue, discussion and sharing, with an FAQ section and an area •for exchanging practicesA section on teaching experiences•run two classroom training seminars on how to use these resources, and col-•laborative writing.Set up a core group of expert teachers.•

good points Exchange projects – in particular eTwinning – initiated within the team of ex-perts.

difficulties Technical management of the website•Dissemination of innovation to the whole association•

evaluation Website statistics•Number of posts received•

future developments ANIF: continuation of the trial by the core group of expert teachers (by creat-ing a newsletter, updating the section, running the discussion area, running the «teaching experiences» section).e-changes: transfer of the website’s content to a more recent website

Transferable skillsSupport websites should facilitate the acquisition of transferable skills* (educational ICT skills, “learning to learn”, intercultural skills, critical approach to resources*, etc.). Intercultural skills and educational ICT skills will provide an example of how they can be promoted. 17

Competences in the use of ICT in educationobjectives: •

Give language teachers a good grasp of ICT tools –Disseminate innovations in technology and pedagogy –revitalise methodological approaches to language teaching –

Implementation•


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The resources* made available on support websites could revolve around: Advances in research on language didactics –Examples of units that use educational ICT, with an indication of the level of proficiency –(graded against the European reference documents)Self-study* sheets – 13

videos and personal accounts of usages – 10

Classroom and distance learning modules –

The structure of the website must make it easy to browse around the resources Teaching resources –The links between ICT and languages –Downloadable software –Practical factsheets –Examples of practices –A discussion area –

Who produces the resources?•The teaching teams –The teachers involved in training –A network of contributors who share the resources –

ExAMPLE 27Primary Languages: filmed units on the use of ICT in education

Website name Primary Languagesurl of the website www.primarylanguages.org.uk

The Primary Languages website offers over sixty units filmed during language lessons. Each unit combines a downloadable filmed unit, an educational ICT tool (e.g. interactive whiteboard, creation on the Internet) and a classroom activity. Each activity is translated into at least five languages.

good practices Use of ICT in education

Enhancing language teachers’ educational ICT skills is an important part of support websites’ role.

Intercultural competences

objectives: •Develop intercultural skills –Foster intercultural dialogue –Adapt teaching to different contexts –

Support websites should accommodate the intercultural dimension in every resource* they offer and in particular the following:

Monitoring –Theoretical and didactic special reports –Teaching materials –Good practices and case studies –Thematic discussion forums –

Associations, public institutions, networks and institutions can help develop intercultural skills


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by creating the following: websites for language teachers working in a specific context, teaching people with –specific needs (e.g. migrants) 52

Websites dedicated to intercultural education by a multilingual team, with a special –focus on linguistic issues 56 57 Platforms for discussions between teachers and learners –Strategic platforms, whose publications will stimulate reflection on language policy –(Platform for Intercultural Europe, CoE)

ExAMPLE 28Aula Intercultural: a multilingual website focusing on intercultural education

Website name Aula Interculturalurl of the website www.aulaintercultural.org

The Aula Intercultural website focuses on intercultural education and informs teachers about publications, events and training courses in the field. This multilin-gual website is run by teams in charge of developing news in each language and geographical zone concerned. It offers articles on language didactics, promoting linguistic diversity, and issues to do with intercultural dialogue.

Support websites must link language skills* and didactics with intercultural skills, and encourage the creation of platforms* dedicated to intercultural dialogue and language teaching.

A user-focused area for dialogue and questions

an area for dialogue

Support websites are areas for discussion and dialogue between the different stakeholders involved in language teaching.

To foster this aspect, websites can offer online users a variety of means of discussion and expression:

Thematic or general-interest forums, where teachers can discuss topics related to –language teaching 33 34 35

Comments: online users can comment directly on the resources* provided, or respond –Mailing lists – 32 , where online users post directly the questions or information they want to shareQuestions for the experts –Chat sessions –video conferencing –Blogs –Communities of practice –

Support websites are areas for discussion and dialogue between the different stakehol-ders involved in language teaching.


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ExAMPLE 29Kennisnet: portal for language teacher communities

Website name Kennisneturl of the website www.kennisnet.nl url of the section concerned http://communities.kennisnet.nl/ target audience Teachers and teachers in continuing educationtype of teaching School educationcontext The Kennisnet foundation was set up to boost the use of ICT in teachingdate created 2006country Netherlandsreach Nationalsponsor Kennisnetcoordinator KennisnetImplementation The Kennisnet foundation offers online applications* (for creating websites •

and blogs) and special reports for teachers and pupils wishing to use educa-tional ICT in their teaching.The foundation’s website contains a «community» section - an area dedica-•ted to each network of teachers, representing the four languages most com-monly taught in the Netherlands. The section provides news, resources* and a calendar.Each community is structured around forums (accessible with a log-in and •password) and mailing lists run by teachers, who may be involved in promo-ting innovative teaching initiatives.The existence of this website, and the possibility of taking part in discussions •and asking questions to colleagues and specialists (and in particular the Ken-nisnet specialists) make it possible to organise and bring together teachers in what is a largely decentralised school system.

links to classroom training The Kennisnet network also runs training courses in educational ICT for teachers.

encouraging teachers to share good practices

Support websites are areas for sharing good practices. 22

They can also provide the following:Areas for sharing documents –A collaborative area (link with a platform*) –An area where online users can post contributions –A shared stock of teaching materials produced during training courses and/or by the –community 15

The main feature of collaborative and community websites is that teachers use them to exchange resources*. However, we can observe:

The quality of the resources is very uneven –only a small percentage of users actively participate –Access is restricted to members –There are frequent violations of copyright and intellectual property –

Accordingly, website users should use models or templates* to ensure a consistent applica-tion of good practices. 20 To ensure that resources are always of good quality, it is a good idea to set up an approval process, involving either an editorial committee and experts or the teachers themselves.


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ExAMPLE 30Sharing good practices

Website name Modern Foreign Languages Environmenturl of the website www.ltscotland.org.uk/url of the section concerned www.ltscotland.org.uk/mfle/sharingpractice/index.asp

The «sharing practice» section is based on trials conducted in the classroom. •Case studies raise fundamental questions about language teaching (assess-ment, the use of ICT in education, etc.).Good practices are organised into thematic sections (introduction, process, •outcome, challenges, next stages, find out more).online users can contract the people behind the project through the website.•

SAEL PRojECT TRIALFacilitating content sharing on Emilangues, an institutional website

Website name Emilanguesurl of the website www.emilangues.education.fr/url of the section concerned www.emilangues.education.fr/le-coin-des

context

Launched in 2006, Emilangues is an institutional website dedicated to CLIL* pro-grammes in France, known as European or Eastern language sections. The latter are characterised by a steep increase in student numbers and a great variety of subjects taught. The section entitled «le coin des…» had existed since the Emi-langues website was first created. However the posting procedures were indirect and the content was published by the website administrators rather than the teachers themselves.

new systemWhen the website was re-engineered, the «coin des...» section - along with the forum - became areas to which teachers could post directly. Teachers can share links to frequently-used websites, along with their projects in CLIL programmes.

good pointsMost contributions come from teachers of less frequently-taught non-language subjects, mainly in technical streams, for which there was previously no area for sharing practices.

difficultiesTechnical difficulties•Gap between the collaborative method of sharing and teachers’ practices •Lack of time for sharing good practices

evaluationTraffic to the section•online survey (mainly positive results)•

future developments Simplification of the publishing procedure

Support websites should encourage teachers to share good practices that can be trans-ferred to other languages and other contexts.

using user feedback to evaluate support measures

For quality assurance, it is important to:Analyse how language teachers use the resources* provided –Measure their re-use for other purposes (as training material, in the classroom, as self- –study* material)Adapt the support process to users’ profile and skills –

The tools available for achieving this include: An analysis of online users’ navigation on the website –online surveys –Interviews with teachers, trainers and pilot schools –


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For optimum ergonomics*, the focus should be on:The structure of the content, which should be flexible enough to allow rearrangement –to suit online users’ needsIndexing the resources –

ExAMPLE 31MELT: teacher-indexed resources

Website name MELTurl of the website http://info.melt-project.euImplementation The project asks teachers to index the available resources* themselves and pro-•

vide a definition that reflects the way they use them.It also highlights the criteria that make resources easier to transfer and re-use in •different cultural contexts.

Support websites should listen to user feedback so they can improve and adapt their support measures.

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Language teaching is undergoing radical, far-reaching changes. At the same time, the current economic crisis is accelerating the reorganisation processes designed to make training more efficient and more effective. Against this dual backdrop, our reflection on support websites has given us a better understanding of their role as reference areas for teachers and as a valu-able management and communication tool for institutional bodies and associations.

As we have seen, policy decisions at European and national level have been put into practice in the form of concrete tools: the websites. These are designed to support teachers in their tasks and help accomplish them in accordance with European recommendations, national directives and association objectives. They also set out to meet the profession’s many and various needs for more general, long-term support.

The websites studied take into account the changes that have occurred in the field of languages as a result of their growing, recognised importance in the construction of Europe, not only from an economic point of view but also with regard to social cohesion. These developments have led to the emergence of new reference tools, such as the CEFR, and new approaches, which, in turn, are bringing about changes in teachers’ work culture, as they aspire to greater autonomy and take a larger part in their own lifelong learning, aided by the widespread use of information and communication technology.

What is new about this means of supporting change in the educational sphere is that it can work hand in hand with classroom training programmes, which have been in existence for longer and which remain necessary. Moreover, it reflects a more flexible style of management and communication, in which European and national objectives are combined with sugges-tions from the field. This method helps guarantee the quality of language teaching and a certain consistency in content and approaches from one school or institution to another and even from one country to another. But it also lets individual teachers work at their own pace, find the specific resources they and their class need, and play an active part in enhancing the system through their contributions and the exchange of good practices.

To conclude, we hope that this guide will help improve support websites in Europe and broaden their horizons, so that a future network of teacher websites can boost exchanges of good practices across Europe.

ConCLuSIon


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LIST oF Good PRACTICES

A list of the good practices identified by the SAEL project can be found online at www.euro-sael.eu/fr/guide.

no. List of good practices Website name Website address

Good practices in authentic resources

1 Audio bank Audio-lingua www.audio-lingua.eu/

2 Authentic resources and latest research La clé des langues www.cle.ens-lsh.fr/

3 Indexing of resources Linguanet www.linguanet-europa.org/

4 Co-production by a media company and a language centre Tv5 Monde www.tv5.org

Good practices in teaching lessons

5 online resources for three types of target audience CNICE www.isftic.mepsyd.es/formacion/enred/index.php

6 Unit outline with audio file PrimLangues www.primlangues.education.fr/

7 CLIL unit Emilangues www.emilangues.education.fr/

8 Educational ICT lesson plans and competences Lehrer-online www.lehrer-online.de/

9 Using illustrated children’s books in teaching PrimLangues www.primlangues.education.fr/

Good practices in educational ICT

10 Filmed sequences on using ICT in education Primary languages www.primarylanguages.org.uk/

11 ICT in education: linking theory and practice Agence des usages des TICE www.agence-usages-tice.education.fr/

12 resource websites for ICT in education Languages ICT www.languages-ict.org.uk/

13 Self-study sheets Franc-parler www.francparler.org/

14 ICT in language teaching (special reports) Educnet www.educnet.education.fr/

15 Sharing training in educational ICT rEDiris http://flenet.rediris.es/

Good practices in training and self-study

16 Project website: Training in the Portfolio CELv www.ecml.at/

17 Television and language teacher training Teacher’s Tv www.teachers.tv/

18 Self-study matrix and module for CLIL teachers CELv www.ecml.at/

19 Self-study module on the CEFr CEFTrain www.ceftrain.net/

20 Special reports on assessment MFLE www.ltscotland.org.uk/mfle/index.asp

21 Indexing resources against CEFr levels CITo www.cito.com/

22 Indexing projects Edubase www.educnet.education.fr/.../documentation/

23 Intercomprehension Euromania www.euro-mania.eu/

24 Tele-Tandem project oFAJ www.ofaj.org/

Editorial and technical good practices

25 Transition from old to new website Académie de Nantes www.ac-nantes.fr/

26 virtual space eTwinning www.etwinning.net/

27 Sustaining an online European project in the long term by inserting a blog ICT4 www.ict4lt.org/en/index.htm

28 News management blog Franc-parler www.francparler.org/

29 Webquest generator XTEC www.xtec.cat

30 Newsletter with instructions for use DAF www.deutsch-als-fremdsprache.de/

31 Shared monitoring CrDP www.netvibes.com/europe

LISTE DES BoNNES PrATIQUES

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Good practices in collaboration

32 Formespa: mailing list and virtual community Formespa http://formespa.rediris.es/

33 Teacher roundtable MyEurope http://myeurope.eun.org/ww/en/pub/myeurope/home.htm

34 Language teachers’ discussion forum Franc-parler www.francparler.org/

35 Specialised discussion forum Instituto Cervantès www.cervantes.es/

36 Teachers’ blog platform Weblettres www.weblettres.net/

37 Palabea: linguisitc social network Palabea www.palabea.net/

38 Community of practice Fle Campus http://flecampus.ning.com/

39 Discussion and sharing among teachers and pupils Fieralingue www.fieralingue.it

40 Teacher-indexed resources MELT http://info.melt-project.eu

41 Discussion forum and customisable area Teachingenglish www.teachingenglish.org.uk/

Good practices for international projects

42 Sections dedicated to exchanges Portail langues de l’académie de versailles www.langues.ac-versailles.fr/

43 Advice, ideas and roadmaps for conducting online projects Emilangues www.emilangues.education.fr/

44 video accounts by teachers conducting eTwinning projects Agence de l’usage des TICE www.agence-usages-tice.education.fr/

45 Tools for ICT-based correspondence Globalgateway www.globalgateway.org.uk/

46 Supporting exchanges oFAJ www.ofaj.org/

47 System for finding European partners eTwinning www.etwinning.net/

48 System for finding partners Globalgateway www.globalgateway.org.uk/

49 Teaching resources and online projects Lehrer-online www.lehrer-online.de/

50 Mobility: teacher accounts of mobility Curiosphère www.curiosphere.tv/

Institutional good practices

51 Sustaining training initiatives in the long term Instituto Pedagogico di Bolzano www.ipbz.it/

52 Website for teachers of community languages Community languages www.ourlanguages.org.uk/

53 Website for language assistants British Council www.teachingenglish.org.uk/language-assistant

54 Training module in the form of podcasts Association canadienne des professeurs de langues www.caslt.org/

55 Communication tools for promoting language teaching Languages Work www.languageswork.org.uk/

56 Multilingualism and intercultural dialogue Aula intercultural www.aulaintercultural.org/

57 Multilingualism Serveis de Llengües http://phobos.xtec.cat/pluriling/

58 Training programme in educational ICT Pairformance http://national.pairformance.education.fr/

59 Sharing good practices MFLE www.ltscotland.org.uk/mfle/index.asp

60 Presentation of a new exam paper/test Portail langues de l’académie de versailles www.langues.ac-versailles.fr/

61 Creative Commons resources openenglish web www.openenglishweb.org/

62 Professional development CLIL Cascade www.ccn-clil.eu/

no. List of good practices Website name Website address

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TAbLE oF ILLuSTRATIonS

Example 1 16PrimLangues, a website to support the introduction of language teaching in primary schools

Example 2 17The DaF-Netzwerk, a network of teachers and experts in teaching German as a foreign language

Example 3 18FLENET, a research community promoting ICT in education

Example 4 19Languages Work, a website promoting language learning

Example 5 20Primary Languages: specific, targeted sections for the different stakeholders involved in language teaching

Example 6 21Franc-parler, a resource and discussion website

Example 7 22Emilangues: supporting CLIL teachers in their professional development

Example 8 28Source of funding: French Ministry of Education

Example 9 29Source of funding: The French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs

Example 10 29Source of funding: Foundations

Example 11 29Source of funding: European funds

Example 12 30Franc-parler, its steering, monitoring and editorial policy committees

Example 13 33Composition of website administration teams

Example 14 33APLv: distribution of editorial tasks

SAEL project trial 1 35Completely redesigned newsletter

Example 15 42Page template for adding content (www.emilangues.education.fr)

Example 16 43Handling multilingualism (www.eurosael.eu)

Example 17 48carrying out multilingual monitoring using keywords in different languages

Example 18 50Indexing online resources for language learners and teachers

Example 19 50Audio-Lingua: a collaborative database of audio documents

Example 20 51Presenting and sharing educational ICT tools

Example 21 52XTEC: online applications and shared resources

Example 22 54Unit outlines on the PrimLangues website

Example 23 54Lehrer-online: educational ICT lesson plans and competences

Example 24 54Deutsch als Fremdsprache: instructions for conducting units

Example 25 56eTwinning workspace

Example 26 57CEFTrain Project: providing self-study modules on the CEFR

SAEL project trial 2 58Filmed lessons to support application of the CEFR

SAEL project trial 3 59Support online projects

Example 27 60Primary Languages: filmed units on the use of ICT in education

Example 28 61Aula Intercultural: a multilingual website focusing on intercultural education

Example 29 62Kennisnet: portal for language teacher communities

Example 30 63Sharing good practices

SAEL project trial 4 63Facilitating content sharing on Emilangues, an institutional website

Example 31 64MELT: teacher-indexed resources

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AccessibilityWeb accessibility is concerned with making online serv-ices and content readily accessible to the disabled and the elderly. It is defined by technical standards and must be addressed throughout a website’s life cycle.

Authentic materialsresources in the target language that can be used for language learning and teaching, even though they were not originally produced for that purpose. Examples include newspapers, online weather reports, timetables, museum and art gallery guides.

AutonomyAutonomy implies that people choose the objec-tives, content, methods and means to be used for their training, based on an analysis of their needs and personal interests.

bandwidthIn IT, the term “bandwidth” is used, somewhat mislead-ingly, to refer to the amount of data that can be sent.

CEFR - Acronym for Common European Framework of Reference for LanguagesPublished by the Council of Europe in 2001, it analyses and describes language learning and teaching today, the domains and ways in which languages and language skills are used in every area of social life. It also covers assessment (using scales, levels, performance indicators, etc.). It is available in many European languages.

CLIL – Acronym for Content and Language Integrated Learning.This acronym refers to the approach that consists in reinforcing language learning by using a language other the learner’s native language to teach a school subject. For example, teaching history in German, geography in French or citizenship education in Spanish.

CMS - Acronym for Content Management SystemA CMS is a software application used to design multimedia applications or websites, and perform dynamic updates.

Collaborative platformA collaborative work platform is a website that contains all the tools necessary for conducting a project. It provides software tools for team member communica-tion, task coordination, and production. It also offers a virtual workspace.

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Community of practiceThe notion of community of practice refers to the social learning process that emerges when people with a common centre of interest collaborate.

Competences“Competences are the sum of knowledge, skills and char-acteristics that allow a person to perform actions. (…) Communicative language competences are those which empower a person to act using specifically linguistic means.” (CEFR, p. 9).

Creative CommonsCreative Commons licences are a set of licences that govern the terms and conditions of use and/or distribution of works (and in particular multimedia works distributed over the Internet).

Curriculum (or teaching programme)The curriculum contains a definition of the objectives (knowledge, competences, approaches) and possibly even the selection of linguistic and cultural content to be taught in foreign languages at each step of the learning process.

dedicated serverA server is said to be dedicated when the hosting company makes it available to a single client. It is either administered remotely via the Internet or administered by the hosting service.

E-learningE-learning is “the use of new multimedia technologies and the Internet to improve the quality of learning by facili-tating access to resources and services as well as online exchanges and collaboration” (as defined by the European Commission).It is the use of technology to provide resources, services and training modules over the Internet.

ErgonomicsErgonomics can be defined as the science of work, aimed at adapting work to man (in other words, improving working conditions).In IT, ergonomics strives to make the information displayed on the screen through the graphic interface accessible (i.e. comprehensible, even pleasant) to users. The interface must be user-friendly.

European Language Portfolio (ELP)It is “at the same time an information tool and a


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companion to language learning because it enables all language proficiency — whether acquired within or outside formal educational settings – and inter-cultural experience to be presented in a comprehen-sible, complete, and internationally comparable way. It also contains guidelines for reflecting on one’s own language learning and for planning and monitoring further learning.” (Council of Europe, 2002)

FunctionalityIn the language of computing, this word refers to a service that an application can deliver. Examples include printing a document, building a statistical table or editing a report.

Institutional resourcesThis word can refer to people (with an academic, tech-nical or administrative role), equipment, premises, financing, etc. used to conduct the training and teaching programmes offered by the institution.

Language skillsLanguage skills imply the use of specific linguistic means to accomplish a task. Language skill can refer to the process or the product.

navigationNavigation refers to the set of functionalities that guide users and help them to find their way around a website or platform.

online applicationThe word “application” refers to both a user activity that can be automated and the software that automates this activity.

open-source softwareopen-source software is supplied with its source code. Users are allowed to use it, modify it and distribute the modified versions. open-source software is not neces-sarily free of charge, though that is often the case.

PartnersThe institutions, businesses, organisations, associations, etc. that are interested or involved (financially or professionally) in the activities or projects of educational institutions.

PeersThis word refers to individuals engaged in the same training process and belonging to the same professional community.

Professional supportProfessional support is aimed at developing people’s competences for professional purposes, to help them adjust to new situations or solve problems.

PortalA web portal is a website that offers a single entry point for a wide array of resources and services (e-mail, discus-

sion forums, notice boards, search engine) focused on a particular field or community.

ResourcesThe various sources teachers can draw on when they localise, select and/or produce ideas, texts, activities, tasks and reference material of use for their learners.

RSS feedsrSS feeds are a simple way to be kept informed of new content on a website without having to visit it.

Self-assessmentThe way a person judges their own output, perform-ances, competences, strategies, etc.

Self-studyWhen a person takes charge of their own training, i.e. defines their own objectives and the means to achieve them.

Shared hostingShared hosting consists in hosting several Internet sites on one and the same server.

Source languageThe source language is the language in which the teaching medium or the resource are presented.

SpecificationsThe specifications are intended to be an exhaustive definition of the basic characteristics of the product or service to be supplied.

Strategies“Strategies are seen as a hinge between the learner’s resources (competences) and what he/she can do with them (communicative activities).” (CEFR, p.25)

Target languageThe target language is the language that the learner is aiming to learn. It can be the language of the teaching resource or the language the resource refers to.

Task“A task is defined as any purposeful action considered by an individual as necessary in order to achieve a given result in the context of a problem to be solved, an obliga-tion to fulfil or an objective to be achieved.” (CEFR, p.10)

Technical specificationsA document that supplements the specifications. It expresses the requirements in terms of functions, which describe the services rendered by the product and the constraints to which it is subject.

TemplateA template is a model for page layout, in which users can place images and text. It enables people with no particular IT qualifications to add content to a website.

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TrackThis word refers to a scenario for a sequence of activi-ties that seeks to organise a learner’s activities within a teaching content.

Training systemThe training system is the set of logistic, technical and human resources organised materially and in time to provide training;

Web 2.0Web 2.0 refers to the World Wide Web technologies and usages that followed the initial form of the Web. More specifically, it refers to interfaces that let online users interact with not only page content but also with each other, creating the social Web.

WebquestThis word refers to a structured research activity conducted by learners on the World Wide Web. WikiA software tool from the family of website content management systems. It enables web pages to be edited by any visitor who has access to them. It facilitates collabo-rative document writing with a minimum of constraints.

WorkflowWorkflow describes the process of approval, the tasks to be accomplished by the different people involved in a process, the time frame and the approval procedure, and gives each person involved the information neces-sary to carry out their task. For an online publishing process, for example, the workflow models the tasks of the entire editorial chain.

practical guide to designing, running and improving support websitesfor language teachers

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