The CADUBALM approach
The ever-increasing globalisation of commercial relations is forcing companies
to adopt a multilingual approach to communicate with their clients. In 2004 more than
215 million Europeans will have access to the Internet. Companies wishing to address
75% of these clients in their respective mother tongue, will have to use five different
European languages (German, English, French, Italian and Spanish). Companies who wish
to penetrate this technologically changing European market, have to prepare themselves
linguistically - either using English as "lingua franca" or learning the languages of
their clients and co-operation partners - as well as optimising their Internet skills.
CADUBALM (Computer Assisted Development of teaching Units Based on Authentic
Language Materials) has been developed within the framework of a European co-funded
LEONARDO project with nine partners, among which the Santander Group. The four main
components of the CADUBALM system are:
- Tools for a language audit of foreign language needs
- Online authoring tool for the creation of (multimedia-based) exercises and units
- Online learning environment
- Online monolingual dictionaries for English, German and Spanish
Together they form the basis of a complete virtual language learning and teaching system,
the main aim being to provide need-oriented language skills for specific vocational purposes.
The emphasis in all four components is on interaction.
Input is desired and required from all parties using the system, whether teaching or
learning, ensuring that CADUBALM is much more than an online self-study system.
© Language Service Centre 2011
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