Educational Issues in the Knowledge Society - Creating the Conditions for Effective Learning in the New Environments

The paper focuses on the experience of the Open University in the UK in designing and delivering modern language programmes to mass audiences through supported open learning. The courses are designed to be accessible to adult learners on an open access basis, with no entry requirements or pre-testing. The programmes started in 1995 since when over 20 000 students have studied modern languages with the Open University. The paper draws on this experience to identify the necessary conditions for successful learning of languages and how best to create positive, supportive environments within which to foster selfdevelopment in language learning

Best practice · Constructed language · Knowledge Society · Language acquisition · Open Education · Open learning · Educational Theory and Curriculum Studies · Educational Tools and Methods · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning