Autonomous Digital Language Learning in Higher Education. The DIAL4U Erasmus+Project

This paper aims at documenting some important aspects related to the process of teaching foreign languages in an online/hybrid university environment in Romania. The focus is on describing the online reality of foreign language instruction in Romania, sharing information on a series of observed challenges that language instructors and learners have had/need to focus on, and comparing and contrasting analysis of a selection of answers provided by teachers in Higher Education (HE) on various aspects connected to digital language instruction. The paper draws on theoretical research in the field of online/hybrid education, using the DIAL4U (Digital pedagogy to develop Autonomy, mediate and certify Lifewide and Lifelong Language Learning for (European) Universities) project to collect and analyse relevant data regarding the language instructors’ perception on the use of digital apps and tools in the teaching process. Emphasis is also placed on how teachers acknowledge and use metacognitive and face management strategies as instruments of digital pedagogy. The research was based on a questionnaire which provided valuable qualitative and quantitative data. The results focus on the development of digital skills pre- and post-pandemic and preferences for certain resources, tools and apps, while also correlating these tendencies with metacognitive and pragmatic politeness strategies. The potential outcomes would be to identify creative solutions and design open educational resources to effectively teach online/hybrid language classes.