Unlocking Quality in
Language Teaching
Through…
• Community of Practice
• Virtual Learning Environment
• Personal Learning Environment

Quality First
• Most of our students refer friends
& colleagues to our school
• Quality is prime reason
• Quality drives school’s growth
• Quality is our priority

What is Quality?
• Focusing on the student
– Listening to the student
– Addressing specific needs
• Offering innovative solutions
– Enjoyable lessons
– Flexible and tailored
• Enabling learning
– Determine goals
– Achieve success

Enabling the Teacher
• Teachers play key role
• Teaching quality determines lesson
quality
• Teacher Training & Support is
central to Quality Management

Quality as Teacher Support
• We believe in our teachers
– Teachers want to be outstanding
– Teachers want support & guidance (to
become outstanding)
• We train by example
– Train teachers as individuals
– Listen to the teachers
– Help them to succeed … their way

The Challenge
• Train for specific skills
• Encourage teachers to reflect
• Enable sharing & collaboration

Needs Analysis
• Structured program for training in key
skills
• Expandable structure for future
development
• Flexible approach for individual needs
• Collaborative discussions for reflective
learning
• Community focus for mutual support

Solution = VLE + PLE
Virtual Learning Environment = Moodle
• Expandable structure
• Center for Community of Practice
Personal Learning Environment = Web 2.0
• Flexible additional programs
• Peripheral tools for individual learning

Moodle as VLE
• Expandable structure
– Module based
– Add further modules over time
• Center for Community of Practice
– Initial meeting point for participants
– Forums, wikis, blogs for discussions

Web 2.0 as PLE
• Flexible additional programs
– Google Docs & wikis for collaborative work
– Skype for conversations
– Diigo for shared resources
– Blip.tv for online video
• Peripheral tools for individual learning
– Each used for own advantages
– Flexibility for individual’s learning

Content Design
• Tasks & activities for specific skills
eg: using Google Street View for immersive
lessons
• Questions to prompt reflection
eg: asking teachers to consider their
experiences and results
• Web 2.0 tools for collaborative training
eg: using diigo to share resources

Community & Reflection
• Group activities to promote…
– Conversations
– Collaborative learning
• Community discussions to
promote…
– Reflective teaching

Specialist Expertise
Outside experts to develop project
• Establish Community of Practice
• Design training content
The Consultants-E: specialists in…
• Web 2.0 & virtual worlds
• Communities of Practice
• Language teaching with the web

Where to learn more
Quality in 1-to-1 language teaching…
www.avatarlanguages.com/quality.php
www.avatarlanguages.com/quality
Technology in language education…
www.theconsultants-e.com

Avatar Languages…
… is an online language school
• One-to-one language classes
– Spanish
– English
– Other languages
www.avatarlanguages.com