No abstract

Research suggests that Immersive Virtual Environments (IVEs) offer potential solutions to transform experiential immersion into language competence and knowledge. Instead of accepting the theoretical considerations at face-value, the present study questions the sometimes superficial infatuation with IVEs by proposing a hands-on teacher-training classroom experiment. 18 teacher-participants enrolled at a Master's teacher training course for pre-and in-service English and Spanish teachers propose teaching scenarios that integrate IVEs in language tasks. In order to understand how future language teachers make use of this novel technology at hand, the researchers question how the "real" affordances of IVEs (extracted from our literature review) are perceived by the teacher-participants. A mixed analysis of eleven learning scenarios reveal utilization schemes that demonstrate how IVEs are "instrumentalized" (RABARDEL, 1995) for use and perceived by participant-teachers as a potential support for language and culture learning. The results open the floor for questions that discuss whether IVEs are indeed a complementary resource among other authentic resources used in the classroom and whether they lead to a renewal of language learning practices KEYWORDS: affordance -immersion -language learning -scenarios -virtual reality RESUMEN Las investigaciones sugieren que los Entornos Virtuales Inmersivos (EVI) ofrecen soluciones potenciales para transformar la inmersión experiencial en competencia y conocimiento del lenguaje. En lugar de aceptar las consideraciones teóricas en su valor facial, el presente estudio cuestiona el encaprichamiento, a veces superficial, con los EVIs proponiendo un experimento práctico de formación de profesores en el aula. 18 profesores participantes inscritos en un curso de formación de maestros para profesores de inglés y español antes y durante el servicio, proponen escenarios de enseñanza que integran las EVIs en las tareas lingüísticas. Con el

Le secteur Lansad, fédérateur de diversité(s) ? D'un service transversal prestataire de services à une UFR décisionnaire de la politique des langues : exemple concret de la structuration d'une UFR Lansad à l'université de Lorraine et de ses impacts en termes de recherche et formations

The UFR Lansad (Language centre teaching languages to specialists of other disciplines) was created in 2014 at the University of Lorraine. The process leading to its creation was led by a small number of teachers and researchers, from the pre-existing teams of the previous Lorraine universities (Molle et al. 2019). It is the result of didactic reflection and expertise, which convinced the University board to set up a structure dedicated to foreign language teaching. After several evolutions, the newly-created structure positioned itself as a policy maker in language teaching. Finally, the university board asked the UFR to set up a language training model that could be implemented throughout the institution. This training model involves blended-learning systems that emphasise the concepts of self-directed learning and autonomy and gives a central role to the EDOlang platform and the self-access centres since “part of the research and practice on learner autonomy is situated in self-access language learning settings” (Chateau and Tassinari 2021: 53). After a brief history of the creation of the UFR, the article focuses on this model, inspired by research carried out within the CRAPEL team (Guèly et al. 2021; Holec 2000). It also describes how the model is the result of the dissemination of innovative training courses implemented through action research over the last ten years (Chateau and Zumbihl 2010, 2012; Chateau and Bailly 2021). Furthermore, the paper explains how the institutional recognition of the training framework illustrates the need to promote a strong link between research and training.