A student’s motivation is one of the most important elements to take into consideration when trying to achieve a successful academic learning experience in any subject and especially in a second language. The way in which the linguistic teaching material is introduced, the steps that the teacher follows to involve the student in the learning process and the way in which they resolve students’ doubts are key to achieving greater implication and interest from the student.

In a context where new generations of students move in a 3.0 environment, where the use of mobile devices and multimedia applications prevail, the traditional way of teaching languages based on copying from the blackboard or memorizing infinite lists of irregular verbs have no place. It is useless for a student to know how to conjugate the verb “to bid” if later in an actual situation he or she is incapable of using it. Of course, a theoretical knowledge of the language is still essential, but if this is not accompanied by actual practice within a context that fits in with the taste and preferences of the student, in time he or she will lose their motivation.

For this reason, educational centers are increasingly more conscious about the need to create an environment in which students can experience a complete linguistic emersion: talk, read, write, listen and interact with others, and access updated multimedia material in a personalized and structured way. Educational professionals are leaning more and more towards integration in their language laboratory centers.

But, what is a language laboratory? Language laboratories are educational platforms that use advanced multimedia technologies. They create an interactive learning environment to facilitate the practice and development of different linguistic competences. These digital language laboratoriesare much more than a simple tool for oral practice and for listening comprehension, they are spaces that allow you to study and experiment with real use of language, interact with other students and teachers, learn grammar and practice the use of it. Moreover, the teacher can listen to their students in real time, verify what the student listens to, support them by resolving doubts and record their exercises and audios. Ultimately, these educational platforms allow us to move beyond the physical space of the classroom and transfer it anywhere in real time.

It is very important that when choosing this type of tool for the classroom, we always look for SCORM content, 100% compatible for any web environment, for example, HTML5. This way we ensure ourselves that it will work on any type of device: PC, tablets and smartphones. We should also ensure that it incorporates Apps for IOS and Android, and that in turn this allows for the integration of content, and enables a detailed follow-up of the student’s progress on an individual basis and a virtual community in which to share and practice the knowledge acquired. The security of the application should also be verified as it should not be opened to social networks without supervision of the educational center.

Therefore, these virtual training classrooms emerge as an indispensable requirement for complete language dominance. The Dexway courses for language laboratories are the first system to be able to adapt and transform any computer classroom in a complete and efficient language laboratory. The course also allows for local access with no need for an Internet connection, via one simple installation in the central computer of the classroom. This enables online/offline access without losing information and with a detailed follow-up of the student’s progress and skill development. The Dexway courses are accessible through tablets and smartphones, from a web browser as well as through an App for iPad, iPhone, Android, IOS, Windows and Mac. The course levels and the Dexway tests correspond to the levels that are specified in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), Cambridge University and TOEFL.

If you would like to find out more about the Dexway language laboratories, you can get in contact with us using: info@dexway.com.