The teaching and learning of German vocabulary : an online experience

Abstract

The Internet opens up a world of opportunities and learning possibilities and can be considered to be a wealth of learning tools especially in the foreign language classroom. Its advantage in language teaching is that it is a multimedia medium and thus expands the possibilities for teaching and learning of vocabulary. The present research study was conducted with this notion in mind. It focused on the teaching and learning of German vocabulary through the Internet at secondary level in Maltese foreign language classrooms. It aimed to expose the teachers and students to a virtual learning environment and investigate the benefits and limitations that the Internet might present in the teaching and learning of German vocabulary. This was achieved by means of a website I created, to be used during lessons, which offered interactive tasks and activities related to vocabulary set by the textbook and the national syllabus. It was implemented in two schools where four different sessions were held in each school. There was also a continuous evaluation of the website. Data was collected by means of pre-, mid- and post-project questionnaires. Teachers were interviewed at the end of the project. The study investigated also students' and teachers' attitudes toward the use of the Internet in connection with German vocabulary. The results show that although the use of the Internet both at school in German vocabulary lessons and at home for German related purposes is low, there is general agreement between students', teachers' and parents' that this tool can be beneficial.