Advantages of e-learning over traditional second language instruction

Benefits of e-learning

When it comes to second language acquisition, e-learning has definite benefits over traditional classroom training. While the most obvious ones are the flexibility and cost savings from not having to travel or spend too much time away from work, there are also others that may not be so obvious. For example:

* You learn at your own pace and much faster without depending on someone else’s progress. If something is too easy, you can skip to the next topic with the click of a button. If something seems too difficult for you, you can spend as much time as you need to fully understand it.

* You can work from anywhere at any time: e-learners can take training sessions from anywhere, usually at any time. This is crucial; In a world where many busy professionals, business managers or simply students need to travel regularly, sometimes within their own country and sometimes abroad, E-learning is the only option that allows them to continue studying as if they were at home. . This, of course, could never happen in a traditional course.

* For those students who need to improve their oral or oral comprehension, E-learning, especially that taught through audio or videoconference, is an unbeatable alternative. The conversation time of the students is maximized by up to 100%, something unthinkable in a traditional course in which the conversation time of each student is highly restricted.

* When classes are taught by native Spanish speakers via audio or video conferencing, students of Spanish can acquire the language almost as effectively as if they traveled to a Spanish-speaking country. After all, they will be learning not only the language but also the culture, from someone who is originally from that same background. Also, if the online instructor is a native Spanish speaker, the student can practice their listening comprehension skills in real time, in real contexts and listening to the same Spanish that is used outside of the classroom. In most traditional classrooms, students are exposed to simplified recordings that do not resemble the way native speakers speak. In an online class with a native speaker of the language that does not happen. It’s REAL Spanish, all the time.

* Can be updated easily and quickly: Online e-learning sessions are especially easy to keep up to date because updated materials are simply uploaded to a server. In traditional instruction this is more difficult. Imagine a book that had to be reprinted in light of new discoveries. It can take a long time to hit newsstands, whereas online, changes and updates can be posted overnight.

* Can lead to higher retention and a stronger understanding of the subject – E-learning goes in line with the theory of multiples

which basically states that we all learn differently. For example, some people have visual memory, so retention occurs when looking, reading or visual stimuli. Some others are more musical and rely on your auditory memory. And of course there are many other different ways that people learn. E-learning is ideal due to the fact that it presents students with information from many different angles. This is due to the many elements that are combined in e-learning to reinforce the message, such as video, audio, quizzes, interaction, etc.

* Quick and fast review of the contents: at any time you can revisit or replay sections of the training that might not have been clear the first time. Needless to say, this is literally impossible in a traditional classroom.

These are just a few of the MANY substantial advantages of e-learning over traditional instruction when it comes to teaching and learning a second language. In future articles we will study each of these advantages in detail.