Course nr: 11 Playful pedagogies and technology/AI-supported tools to boost 21st century and productive modern language skills
| Dates/Venue 2025 Utrecht (Netherlands) July 13 – 17 Leuven (Belgium) August 17-22 |  |
Course description
This course introduces modern language teachers to ways to integrate (playful) approaches and immersive, goal-driven activities into their current practices.
The pedagogical benefits of task-based learning (TBL) scenarios will be explored with a focus on the design features that bring a sense of purpose and urgency to the language learning process that stimulate ‘flow’.
This enhanced engagement helps students to focus on the task at hand while subconsciously acquiring and/or reinforcing oral interaction and writing as well as creative, problem solving, improvisation skills and broader life competences such as collaboration and intercultural communication.
To develop the teacher competences to provide related informal and motivating learning contexts participants will experience and reflect on the potential of simulations, roleplays, gameplay (also in immerse environments such as FrameVR) and various forms of creative writing (auto, flash- and fanfiction) as well as digital, tabletop and traditional games (e.g. dice games, conversation games).
Target Groups
This course is designed for language (student) teachers in secondary education interested in integrating playful pedagogies in their teaching practices to develop students’ life competences and boost their productive language skills.
Course aims
The key objectives of this course are that participants will have:
- gained an understanding how a ludic approach to language teaching & learning can trigger joyful and effective learning, enhance student motivation, foster creativity & and develop social competencies.
- learned how to plan related project and classroom activities, select & design related materials and mediate students’ learning before, during and after the activities involved.
- become familiar with a range of methodologies and formats for playful & game-based language learning to promote students’ oral interaction and writing skills
Methodology
The course combines plenary, tutor-led introductions & viewing videos of exemplary classroom procedures with follow-up activities when participants do practical work individually, in pairs and small groups applying the concepts and principles presented. E.g by immersing themselves in gamification simulations to experience firsthand the impact of gamified elements on motivation, engagement, and learning outcomes. Participants also explore a variety of ICT tools and resources through guided demonstrations and hands-on experimentation, gaining practical experience in leveraging technology for gamified learning.
Preparation:
Delegates are advised to bring their subject book(s) and/or related digital materials (if available) to the course to be used when creating customised materials and activities.
Draft Agenda
Day 1
Greet & Meet
Intercultural event (Guided City Tour)
Day 2 Creating common ground
- Introduction to and Exploring the concepts of game-based learning, serious gaming, and gamification with an emphasis on their use and implementations in education.
- Analysing and categorising a number of representative applications and use cases
Day 3 Focus on oral interaction
- Exploring & Experiencing a number of scenarios, apps, chatbots and XR environments to practice oral interaction
- Sample task development and reflection on selection criteria for application use in local practice context
Day 4 Focus on (playful) writing
- Trialling a number of formats and methods for creative writing
- Designing sample materials for selected task type(s)
Day 4
- Methods and tools for the assessment of student language learning in playful contexts.
- Exploring further specific approaches and methodologies for playful language learning
- Designing sample materials for selected task type(s)
Day 5
– Finalising sample materials
– Sharing & discussing teaching & learning materials and project plans
– Suggestions for additional resources and sharing insights with school colleagues
– Course evaluation + Certificates
Click here for the General TELLConsult Course Terms (registration procedures, costs, cancellation, etc…)