Candlin & Mynard ePublishing: encouraging, exploring, enabling

Learning Languages with Technology Series

Overview

The “Learning Languages with Technology” series explores and exploits the roles technology plays in language teaching and learning. Each ebook links theory to practice and back again with case studies, examples, practical resources and practice activities. All of the ebooks in the series put the learner and language learning first by exploring how technology (activities and hardware) can enhance students’ learning experiences. Volumes in this series will be either single-authored or joint-authored ebooks. We are especially keen to publish works that incorporate examples from international contexts. Ebooks in this series will be around 60,000 words in length (about 160 pages). Each ebook and its authors receive close series editorial guidance throughout the development process. We would be interested in hearing from potential authors of titles in this series.

Target audience
Primary audiences for the ebooks include:

  • Language educators looking for innovative, accessible teaching and learning resources
  • Teacher trainers and developers looking for authoritative resource materials for their own ‘banks’ of  teacher and learner-friendly activities

Key features 
  • Each ebook has its own focus for teaching and learning. 
  • Each ebook uses brief and accessible accounts of research and practice to show how technology can enrich and expand the learning experience, drawing on key examples and case studies.
  • Rather than focusing on a particular piece of software or hardware, examples can be adapted for a range of applications or products. That way the content will outlast product cycles and trends.
  • Each of the ebooks includes an “Application” section encouraging users to apply ideas to their own teaching and learning contexts.
  • The series includes accompanying online forums for users and readers to post comments on the activities presented in any of the ebooks, and to share their own activity ideas.

All the ebooks are designed for practicing language educators who are reasonably comfortable with using technology in general, but do not necessarily have any specific experience with CALL. At the same time, educators with some CALL expertise will appreciate the creative ideas presented in the ebooks.

Structure of the ebooks in the series
The books all follow a similar structure and including six distinct parts. We want to ensure readers are involved in the co-constructing awareness and knowledge process throughout the ebooks. We assume that readers will most likely be experienced educators and practice-related scholars with some prior knowledge of the field. The ebooks include reflection questions and tasks allowing readers to make links to their own contexts. 

1. INTRODUCTION
This section outlines the purposes and audiences of the book

2. BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE “What we know about the topic”
This short section sets out the groundwork for the rest of the book. It include details of the research background (including a very brief review of the literature on the topic), and reviews the role of technology in supporting language learning development. We want to achieve authoritative jargon-free texts which are accessible to our primary audiences

3. PRACTICE “How we can put ideas into practice”
This section contains around six different ways of supporting the language study area with technology. Each of the ways offer three or four practical examples and lesson plans which language educators could use with their learners. These examples of practice are either written by the main author(s), or provided by other contributors that the authors have selected.

4. CASE STUDIES “Real examples from the classroom” 
This section will offer actual examples of how educators and learners in a range of contexts are using technology in order to support the topic in question. Authors offer insights on how a particular activity or approach has actually been put into action. Reflections on some of the challenges as well as the successes are included. The case studies are either written by the main author(s) or by other contributors chosen by the authors.

5. APPLICATION “Creating your own practice activities” 
This section guides readers by:
  • helping them to look for opportunities in their own contexts of teaching and learning
  • encouraging them to try out the activities with their own learners 
  • assisting them to design or adapt activities to suit their learners, and 
  • encouraging them to share their ideas and experiences through the accompanying online forums

At the same time, this section will include usable classroom-focused tools to guide these processes such as frameworks, checklists, observation sheets, or reflective questionnaires.

6. RESOURCES 
This section enables readers to extend what they already know. It contains annotated references, access to websites, example worksheets or other resources that readers might find useful. Extra content is linked to the accompanying ebook website.

Titles currently under consideration include:
  • Facilitating L2 student research with technology
  • Vocabulary-building with technology
  • Promoting language learner autonomy with technology
  • Promoting target language interaction with technology
  • Second language reading with technology 
  • Second language speaking with technology      

Prospective authors should contact the series editors giving a brief overview of their focus area. Depending on the scope, we will then provide a proposal form and solicit further details and sample material.