Teachers’ attitudes towards the use of blended learning in general English classroom

Abstract

The paper deals with the application of ICT and the use of blended teaching and learning within the curriculum of general English at the levels A1-B2 in tertiary education. The research presented in the paper focuses on analyzing the language teachers’ experience in computer assisted language teaching as well as their practices and attitudes towards the blended learning courses created at the Centre of Foreign Languages at Vytautas Magnus University (VMU). Given the fact that the contemporary society is especially sensitive with regard to the development and the application of innovative technologies and given the fact that current and future university students are increasingly ‘digital natives’, the task of language teachers to make the best use of ICT in teaching languages becomes their most acute need and their biggest challenge. Therefore, the authors of the present paper take it as their aim to ease the above indicated task of the teachers by scrutinizing and casting light on their relevant doubts, needs and endeavours. The research was carried out at the Centre of Foreign Languages (VMU) with 24 teachers of English taking the role of the respondents. The research is based mainly on qualitative methodology including the methods of an informal interview and a questionnaire.