PIVOTAL

About

The Pedagogical Innovation in Virtual and Online Teaching and Learning (PIVOTAL) lab explores how digital technologies can be harnessed to support language learning and teaching. We are particularly interested in how the affordance of digital technologies might be harnessed to create the conditions and engage learners in the processes Second Language Acquisition (SLA) research suggests promote language learning. Our research tends to focus on teaching speaking and writing. Working within the framework of Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT), we explore the impact of Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) on oral language production and how it can be employed to develop novel tasks. We take a process-oriented approach to writing and are exploring how technology can be employed to promote collaboration and engagement with peer feedback.  We also carry out pure research on speaking and writing designed to inform this applied work. We value teachers’ experiences in the field and are also exploring teacher’s understanding of how the affordances of digital technologies might be harnessed to facilitate language learning and teaching.

We welcome academic visitors, post-docs and PhD students in any of these areas.