Learning and having fun using ICT tools to language learning

Abstract

Playing and learning are not commonly linked at higher education level. However, with the Bologna Process, the shift towards a learner-centred approach to teaching and learning and the introduction of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools in the learning environment, ludic activities which initially were carried out using ICT have gradually gained relevance in the academic world. At Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa (UAL), a private university in Lisbon, Portugal, the course units of Foreign Language (English, Portuguese, German, Spanish and Mandarin) include online activities in their syllabi made available on the university’s elearning platform. This paper will focus on ludic activities, namely video presentations, animations, podcasts and interactive exercises, carried out within two language course units – English and Portuguese. Moreover, as a survey was applied to all language students in the academic year 2010/2011 on the perceived relevance of these tools/resources on the students’ learning experience, we will also discuss the results of the survey as well as our present and future activities.