Language ePortofolio-promoting self-direction in language learning & enhancing intercultural competence

Abstract

Although the provision of eLearning opportunities constitutes a rapidly expanding area of education and training, attracting the most research and development funding, little is known within the research community about the effect an online context can cast on nurturing the self-directed language learning skills of adult learners. Concomitantly, there is even less evidence in support of the effectiveness of an online context on the enrichment of adult learners’ intercultural competence. Given the above context, this dissertation thesis is principally aimed at stimulating interest and providing a clear and sharp insight into the way the synthesis of prospective or already settled in the destination country adult highly-educated, digitally-skilled migrants’ language ePortfolios, facilitated through an online course, designed along the lines of the self-directed learning theory and supported by a website, can develop their self-direction in learning the language of the receiving society and enhance their intercultural competence. Within this framework, heuristic evaluation methods have been employed in an attempt to evaluate “My Electronic Language Portfolio” website as regards the level at which its content can promote self-direction in language learning and enhance intercultural competence. In agreement with the procedure’s outcomes, the language ePortfolio is satisfactory in terms of its appearance, its operational features, the evidence it can support, the extension of learning it can promote and the external outcomes- an indispensable component of an individual’s intercultural competence- it may encourage. However, the reflection, self-management, self-monitoring as well as the attitudes indicators were proven to be the weakest ones regarding the designed ePortfolio, pointing to further improvement potentially required. At this point, it is also worth mentioning that the output of the results data has been supplemented with a set of comments submitted by the evaluators, regarding the overall usability of the website. Finally, this study provides theoretical implications and recommendations for further research. It is envisaged that these recommendations will assist future researchers focus their research design and further comprehend how to help migrant learners develop their self-directed language learning skills and intercultural competence.