O n f e r e n c e

Carina Grobler*, Tom Smits** 
*North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa 
**University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium 
[e-mail], [e-mail] 
Designing a Digital Pedagogical Pattern for Improving
Foreign Language Students’ Oral Proficiency 
 
Bio data 
Ms 
Carina Grobler,
Master 2 (Université Stendhal, Grenoble III), is a lecturer in French 
as a Foreign Language at the North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa. Her 
fields of interest include the effective use of technology in FL teaching, the flipped 
classroom approach and bettering foreign language students’ oral proficiency. 
Prof 
Tom Smits
is an assistant professor of TEFL and German L2 teaching at the 
University of Antwerp (IOIW - Institute of Education and Information Sciences). His rich 
experience in the field of (mostly) academic teaching ranges from Foreign Language 
Learning over Translation Studies to Teacher Training. He is involved in the European 
Interactive Technologies in Language Teaching project (iTILT), which has led to 
publications on materials design for interactive whiteboards used in French, German and 
Spanish language classes.
Abstract 
South African undergraduate students require more opportunities to practice spoken 
French (Delena-le Roux 2010). Our research project aims to design a pedagogical pattern 
consisting of context, pedagogy and evaluative descriptors for the development of foreign 
language learners’ oral skills. This pattern will be analysed using Laurillard’s (2012) 
Conversational Framework
, which analyses formal learning and challenges the use of new 
technologies in learning.
A digitally supported micro-world providing a practice space for learners will be created 
using an innovative digital tool that is driven by educational needs. Establishing a digital 
pedagogical pattern for the development of oral skills should ultimately lead to an 
improved competency in spoken French. 
The project, therefore, calls for a custom-made ICT and e-learning tool for effective 
language development. This implies ensuring didactically sound materials development 
(and implementation) at the teaching institute as well as the availability and practicability 
of the selected e-learning medium. Both factors may constitute a challenge in view of the 
project’s South African setting and will be the focal point of our paper.
The implementation of the flipped classroom principle should counter foreign language 
anxiety (xenoglossophobia) 
–
a debilitating factor in language acquisition 
–
as it 
decreased anxiety in other disciplines (Wilson 2013, Roshan 2012). We will also consider 
modern communication and social media such as mobile phone apps and Facebook as 
viable educational tools. These are valuable instruments to support differentiation in 
teaching (learning styles, proficiency levels) and to counter anxiety. Our paper will 
discuss why we have decided upon these strategies and how they are to be didactically 
prepared for boosting FL oral proficiency. 

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-158- 
2014 CALL Conference 
LINGUAPOLIS
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