Different media for language learning: Does technology add quality?

One aspect of second language teaching that has received attention over the past few years is the impact of delivery mode on student performance and skill development. In the past decade, the use of technology for foreign language instruction has expanded rapidly and with it has come the expectation that online methods of teaching will supersede other more traditional methods of language learning. This article reports on a longitudinal study of Australian students studying French in three different modes. The results indicate that performance and achievement in 'open learning' mode where students self-direct their own learning, has the most successful approach, even when online facilities have not been available to learners. The results of the study affirm that multimedia enhanced teaching of foreign languages is highly successful.