Using the Spanish online resource Aula Virtual de Español (AVE) to promote a blended teaching approach in high school Spanish language classrooms

The study explores the effectiveness of the implementation of blended teaching (BT) by combining the Spanish online resource Aula Virtual de Español (AVE) with the face-to-face (F2F) delivery approach in second language Spanish programs in two high schools in Alberta, Canada.
Findings demonstrate the effectiveness of combining the online resource AVE to the F2F teaching approach to promote BT in the Spanish language classroom. The use of BT approach in the language classroom had a positive impact on the students’ attitudes towards the study of the language, the students’ motivation and their participation levels in class, as well as their use of the target language in the classroom. Moreover, the multimodal experiences provided by the use of the online AVE resource combined with the F2F delivery approach responded more to the different learners learning styles and specific needs. Finally, the use of online AVE in conjunction with F2F teaching was also perceived as an effective tool in the preparation for the International Spanish Diplomas (DELE) taken by the students in the more advanced Spanish classes.