ARE THERE EXAMPLES OF PROGRAMS THAT TEACH LANGUAGES VIA DISTANCE LEARNING?
The British and Canadian governments have both tried teaching languages through distance education. The national British program, established to teach French by radio and television, found it beneficial to augment the broadcasts with a course-linked magazine to increase learner involvement, with local study groups to allow students the opportunity to practice the language learned in the course, and with a telephone question-and-answer service to provide students with a channel for two-way communication (Rybak, 1984). A Canadian home study program was implemented in Manitoba, Ontario, and British Columbia to teach English as a second language using the telephone. Students work through units in a workbook using audiotapes. At specified points in each unit, the teacher provides the student with feedback over the telephone. The telephone conversation also provides the student with oral practice. The teacher records the telephone conversation and sends a tape to the student to review. A 198
