Hybrid Language Teaching and Learning: Assessing Pedagogical and Curricular Issues

In recent years, several economic factors have led to an increase in the number of hybrid courses offered in foreign language departments at the post-secondary level in the U. S. Hybrid courses incorporate several technological applications not typically used in a traditional face-to-face course. Hybrid courses combine contact time in a traditional classroom with virtual days, in which students are responsible for working with content on their own or in small groups outside of the classroom. This study reports on student and instructor perceptions of and reactions to a hybrid course piloted in three lower-level Spanish language courses at a large university in the southern region of the U.S. It examines the challenges and benefits of offering hybrid Spanish language courses by discussing student and instructor responses to surveys and interviews administered over an academic year. The study also includes a brief review of some of the technologies used in the hybrid Spanish language courses.