| Benefits of E-learning | | | | listening comprehension skills in real time, around |
| When it comes to Second Language Acquisition, | | | | real contexts and listening to the same Spanish |
| E-learning has definite benefits over traditional | | | | that is used outside the classroom. In most |
| classroom training. While the most obvious are the | | | | traditional classrooms, students are exposed to |
| flexibility and the cost savings from not having to | | | | simplified recordings that have no resemblance to |
| travel or spend excess time away from work, | | | | the way native speakers talk. In an online class |
| there are also others that might not be so | | | | with a native speaker of the language that does |
| obvious. For example: | | | | not happen. It is REAL Spanish, all the time. |
| * You learn at your own pace and much faster | | | | * It can be updated easily and quickly - Online |
| without depending on someone else's progress. If | | | | e-learning sessions are especially easy to keep |
| something is too easy you can pass on to the | | | | up-to-date because the updated materials are |
| next topic with the click of a button. If something | | | | simply uploaded to a server. In traditional |
| seems too hard for you, you can devote as | | | | instruction this is more difficult. Imagine a book |
| much time as you need to comprehend it entirely. | | | | that had to be reprinted in the light of new |
| * You can work from any location and any time - | | | | discoveries. It may take at ages to reach the |
| E-learners can go through training sessions from | | | | bookstands, whereas online, changes and updates |
| anywhere, usually at anytime. This is crucial; in a | | | | can be posted overnight. |
| world in which many busy professionals, business | | | | * It can lead to increased retention and a |
| managers or just students need to travel on a | | | | stronger grasp on the subject - E-learning goes in |
| regular basis, sometimes within their own country, | | | | line with the theory of multiplethat basically states |
| and sometimes abroad, E-learning is the only | | | | that we all learn differently. For example some |
| choice to enable them to continue studying just | | | | people have visual memory, so retention is |
| as if they were at home. This of course, could | | | | produced by watching, reading or visual stimuli. |
| never happen in a traditional course. | | | | Some others are more musical, and rely on their |
| * For those students who need to improve their | | | | auditory memory. And there are of course many |
| speaking or listening comprehension skills, | | | | other different ways in which people learn. |
| E-learning, especially the one delivered via audio or | | | | E-learning is ideal due to the fact that in presents |
| video conferencing, is an unbeatable alternative. | | | | students with info from very different angles. |
| The student talking time is maximized up to | | | | This is because of the many elements that are |
| 100%, something unthinkable in a traditional course | | | | combined in e-learning to reinforce the message, |
| in which every single student's talking time is very | | | | such as video, audio, quizzes, interaction, etc. |
| restricted. | | | | * Quick and fast revision of contents: at any time |
| * When classes are delivered by native Spanish | | | | you can revisit or replay sections of the training |
| speakers via audio or video conferencing, Spanish | | | | that might not have been clear the first time |
| learners can acquire the language almost as | | | | around. It goes without saying that this is literally |
| effectively as if they traveled to a Spanish | | | | impossible in a traditional classroom setting. |
| speaking country. After all, they will be learning | | | | These are just a few of the MANY substantial |
| not just language but also culture, from someone | | | | advantages of E-learning over traditional instruction |
| who is originally from that very same setting. In | | | | when it comes to the teaching and learning of a |
| addition, if the online instructor is a native Spanish | | | | second language. In future articles we will study |
| speaker, the student can be practicing his or her | | | | each of these advantages in detail. |