Semi-autonomous blended learning for Intercultural Communication in the Euregio Meuse-Rhine

Abstract

INTERcCOM (Intercultural communication in the Euregio Meuse-Rhine) is an Interreg project co-ordinated by the Center of Applied Linguistics - Hasselt University. The projects' aims are to improve mutual communication and to simplify studying and working in the EMR, composed of 3 different languages and 5 different cultures. To achieve this goal, a scientific research consisting of a language and a culture part was undertaken, in which we sought an answer to the following main questions: - What interference errors and other recurrent errors do native youngsters and young Polish and Turkish immigrants keep on making in the other region's languages? - What are the cultural characteristics of each of the regions, and those of their native youngsters and young Polish and Turkish immigrants, in particular? Are there many resemblances or differences? Based on the research results, e-learning modules are being developed. The design for a web-based remedial course for improving HE Student's skills in French, Dutch and German was the common basis for different teams of teaching professionals in the different regions to start creating tailor-made exercise material based on the inventories of interference and other recurrent language errors and the contrastive cultural profiles assembled for each couple of regions. The learning modules, characterized by a communicative approach and created with dedicated language & culture authoring software, will be suited for fully independent learning as well as for semi-autonomous blended learning (guided by a teacher). Thanks to multi-labeling, students can assemble their learning path on the basis of different selection parameters.