LEARN! Academy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Amrita Das of VU LEARN! Academy has helped develop components of the online course MOOC English Pronunciation in a Global World, such as its mentor programme. She currently co-supervises research projects that deploy methods of the VU Mixed Classroom Educational Model.
Jawaharlal Nehru University
Our collaboration with Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi, India, has helped students with their English speaking skills through our guided learning programme.
In the first batch of this program, 36 JNU students received one-on-one guidance from our VU mentors. They had direct access to them for their questions and for exchanging ideas. An online session made the students feel visible and heard, and in turn they felt more confident about speaking English in different contexts. A JNU student also joined the international live session of the MOOC.
Working closely with the students has enabled us to understand nuances in the English of native speakers of language/dialects spoken in India. Such collaborations lead to research opportunities and innovations within the Centre's MOOC to adapt region-specific pronunciation details to our exercises.