Master's in IT & Communication in Language Education & Processing at UNED (Code 240901), Study notes of Communication

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DEGREE

MÁSTER UNIVERSITARIO EN LAS TECNOLOGÍAS DE

LA INFORMACIÓN Y LA COMUNICACIÓN EN LA

ENSEÑANZA Y EL TRATAMIENTO DE LENGUAS

CODE 240901

INTRODUCTION

OBJECTIVES AND COMPETENCES

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

ACCESS PREREQUISITES

ADMISSION CRITERIA

NUMBER OF NEW STUDENTS

CURRICULUM

RULES

PRACTICES

OFFICIAL DOCUMENTATION

INTERNAL QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEM FOR THE TITLE

PROFESSIONAL ATRRIBUTIONS

OPINIONES DE ALUMNOS

RECURSO 4: FORMULARIO DE AUTOEVALUACIÓN PARA SOLICITUD DE ACCESO

SEMINARIO PERMANENTE DE INVESTIGACIÓN

RECURSO 1: TABLA DE EQUIVALENCIA DE EXPEDIENTE ACADEMICO

COORDINACIÓN Y FORMA DE CONTACTO

MÁSTER UNIVERSITARIO EN LAS

TECNOLOGÍAS DE LA INFORMACIÓN Y LA

COMUNICACIÓN EN LA ENSEÑANZA Y EL

TRATAMIENTO DE LENGUAS

CODE 240901

INDEX

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION The computerisation of a multitude of language-related processes, information and documentation, which was carried out with rudimentary methods and support until recently, has become an incontrovertible fact in advanced and competitive societies, to the point of no return. This is due to its multitude of advantages in terms of profitability, quality and reliability. It should be noted in this regard, that, aside from the expert status of each member of the teaching staff of this master’s degree in the field of ICT for language education and processing, the UNED (National University of Distance Education), by its very nature, offers its members a real platform to experiment and reflect on a daily basis on the application of more advanced ICT in a multitude of processes related to information and document management, as they are present in virtually all activities of the institution (teaching, evaluation, research, organisational and administrative activities, etc.). The teachers at UNED which, with around 200,000 students, has the largest student population in Europe and the fifth largest in the world, are direct witnesses to the huge demand for resources for distance education, and not only in the context of our institution, but on a social level, due to profound changes in the educational demand of the population in developed countries. Owing to the growth, diversification and specialisation of the population in these countries, individuals face major difficulties in attending classes, as they are located far from the training centre or lack time due to a multitude of professional obligations, and social and personal commitments that are common to members of modern societies. The reconciliation of social, professional and educational life is only possible through ICT. In addition to responding to a real social demand, the benefits and possibilities of online learning have been highlighted by a large number of experts, both for knowledge-based subjects and also ones that entail the acquisition of practical skills and competences, such as languages. ICT is equally suitable for distance learning centres, where they make it possible to “reduce the distance” both between students, and teachers and students, and in educational institutions that provide face-to-face training, where they allow study time to be extended, as well as the contact or communication with other interlocutors. Therefore, it is not surprising that the method of computer-assisted language learning is spreading to countries, including Spain, that are both interested in and concerned about overcoming the language gap. Nevertheless, the dramatic proliferation of all kinds of products, systems and tools in the market is often mistakenly welcomed by language specialists who lack specific training on how to handle and benefit from them. This lack of technological training (known as digital competence, already objective of the curricula of compulsory education) leads to attitudes, such as alienating ICT-based language education and processing from the traditional didactic and scientific approaches, or creating unrealistic and absurdly high expectations of the role that ICT play in language education and processing, and rejecting it after those expectations have not been fulfilled. In an interdisciplinary field like this, other factors, such as separating the work of linguists, teachers and technologists, and not integrating their results and advances in the different areas, which make any collaborative progress impossible, do not pass unnoticed. Those

factors explain why ICT is not adequately present and frequently used in academic, professional and research activities related to languages. This master’s degree, using an interdisciplinary approach, aims to guide and assist experts in one or several languages in building various types of theoretical knowledge and developing practical skills and competencies that are necessary for the optimal use of ICT. A considerable number of language-related scientific (professional and academic, teaching and research) activities can be carried out more efficiently in this way. See the video presentation of this master’s degree elaborated by Elena Barcena and Noa Talavan: https://canal.uned.es/mmobj/index/id/ See the following video on aspects that must be taken into account before registering in this master : https://canal.uned.es/video/60746b45b60923270e1b16b

OBJECTIVES AND COMPETENCES

MASTER’S DEGREE IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES AND COMMUNICATION IN LANGUAGE EDUCATION AND PROCESSING (UNED) OBJECTIVES AND COMPETENCIES The distance learning master’s degree programme in Information Technologies and Communication in Language Education and Processing has two main objectives that students need to prioritise. Firstly, it aims to provide to opportunity to complete their theoretical training and develop skills and competencies at an advanced level, which enables them to competently practise their language-related profession in the field of ICT. Secondly, it serves as an introduction to their theoretical and practical training as a researcher in education and/or other fields that involve computerised language processing at an advanced level. The latter can be attained by the student himself at a later stage by writing a dissertation related to the content of master’s degree. The teaching/learning level of the proposed master’s degree can be described by the following links :

• L e v e l 6 o f I S C E D ( I n t e r n a t i o n a l S t a n d a r d C l a s s i f i c a t i o n o f E d u c a t i o n ; http://uis.unesco.org/sites/default/files/documents/isced-2011-sp.pdf): second stage of tertiary education (leading to an advanced research qualification). •Second stage of the “Dublin Descriptors” (2004; https://studylib.es/doc/109157/descriptores- de-dubl%C3%ADn). •Level 7 of the European Qualifications Framework (https://europa.eu/europass/es/european- qualifications-framework-eqf).

ACCESS PREREQUISITES

MASTER’S DEGREE IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES AND COMMUNICATION IN LANGUAGE EDUCATION AND PROCESSING (UNED) ENTRY REQUIREMENTS To access the master’s degree in Information Technologies and Communication in Language Education and Processing, you must be in possession of a 240 ECTS official Spanish university degree or other qualifications issued by an institution within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), namely, the following: •Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent (comparable to the Spanish Titulo de Grado, Titulo de Licenciado or Titulo de Ingeniero Superior) Also, as explained above, graduates may access the programme through educational systems outside the EHEA. The recognition of their previous qualifications is not required after the university verified that the studies completed by the student are equivalent to the corresponding Spanish official university degrees, and give authorisation to access postgraduate programmes in the issuing country. Access in this way does not imply, in any case, the official recognition of the candidate’s previous qualifications, or its recognition for any other purpose than that of accessing the master’s degree. To provide some guidance, a prioritised list of different student profiles to whom this master’s degree is geared is included below. This list is by no means exhaustive and mostly refers to “degree groups”. The Degree Committee will make a decision in each case: •Graduates in any branch of Philology / Graduates with 240 credits in any degrees substituting bachelor’s degrees in Philology •Graduates in Translation and Interpretation / Graduates with 240 credits in any degrees substituting bachelor’s degrees in Translation and Interpretation •Humanities graduates / Graduates with 240 credits in any degrees substituting bachelor’s degrees in Humanities •Graduates in Information Technology (Management, System) / Graduates with 240 credits in any degrees substituting bachelor’s degrees in any branch of Information Technology •Graduates in any branch of Education (Pedagogy, Psychopedagogy) / Graduates with 240 credits in any degrees substituting bachelor’s degrees in any branch of Education •Graduates in Psychology, Philosophy, Library and Information Science or any other degree / Graduates with 240 credits in any other degree programme These current university degrees are equivalent to future EHEA bachelor’s degrees, including new comparable degrees for teaching purposes. Therefore, the degrees and qualifications that ensure direct access to the master’s degree should be compared with the catalogue or list of future university degrees. Access to the proposed master’s degree is governed by the provisions of Article 16 of Royal Decree 1393/2007. Therefore, two cases can be distinguished regarding students with foreign university degrees :

• Students holding foreign qualifications issued outside the framework of the EHEA may be admitted to the master’s degree without the official recognition of their degrees, after the UNED has verified that the qualification corresponds to an educational level equivalent to an official Spanish university degree and it enables the student to access university master’s

degree courses in the issuing country. It should be noted that access in this way does not imply the official recognition of the candidate’s previous qualifications, or its recognition for any other purpose than that of accessing the Spanish master’s degree in question.

• Students holding qualifications issued within the framework of the EHEA may access the master’s degree after it has been verified that they are in possession of a qualification issued within the framework of the EHEA, enabling the student to access university master’s degrees in the issuing country. The UNED, being a distance university, has students residing abroad , and provides them with fourteen support centres abroad (mainly in Europe, America and Africa). They would be among the main beneficiaries of completing the master’s degree in question in the virtual learning environment, as well as of the computerisation of the information and administrative process , including the dissemination of the annual list of master’s degrees at UNED through its web portal (with some information on each programme), the electronic service for administrative and academic queries about the course (the email addresses of the Degree Committee members, who may facilitate the dissemination of the existence of the master’s degree for advertising purposes and student recruitment), and the application for admission or pre-enrolment, which have to be done online through the web portal of the UNED: http://portal.uned.es/portal/page?_pageid=93,574511&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL, the validation of pre-enrolment and registration: http://portal.uned.es/portal/page?_pageid=93,1450534&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL.

ADMISSION CRITERIA

MASTER’S DEGREE IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES AND COMMUNICATION IN LANGUAGE EDUCATION AND PROCESSING (UNED) ADMISSIONS CRITERIA As described in the previous section, this master’s degree is primarily aimed at students holding a bachelor’s degree in Philology, but its approach and content allows it to be completed by students with a different profile relevant to the master’s degree, such as, for example, by students holding a degree in Translation, Library and Information Science, Humanities, Information Technology or Education, after passing a subject of the levelling course module, as the case may be. As mentioned above, there will be a Degree Committee to ensure that, prior to the master’s degree, each student who does not hold any certificates attesting their language skills or technological competency acquire additional training through passing one or both subjects of the levelling course module, depending on their academic (and, exceptionally, professional) career. This committee will be formed by a subset of the course teachers, representing the various subjects of the programme. To study this master’s degree, it is necessary, firstly, to have a user-level competency in managing basic information and communication tools (web browser, email client, etc.). Also, due to the fact that most of the learning takes place online, students will be informed about the prerequisite of having a continuous fast and stable Internet connection. Secondly, it is required that students have a B1 level reading comprehension in English according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (sufficient for accessing and

NUMBER OF NEW STUDENTS

MASTER’S DEGREE IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES AND COMMUNICATION IN LANGUAGE EDUCATION AND PROCESSING (UNED) THE NUMBER OF NEW STUDENTS The master’s degree can accept up to 70 new students. If you are a student of the master’s degree and wish to continue, remember that in order to do so, you should have first submitted your application form to continue with your studies on the UNED website within the set deadlines. Once they receive the admission letter they will be able to register. Furthermore, if your maximum period of study has ended (either due to the number of academic courses taken or exams repeated, as specified in the permanence regulations), you should complete and submit both the abovementioned application form together with a request for a final study period , in order to stay in the programme.

CURRICULUM

MASTER’S DEGREE IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES AND COMMUNICATION IN LANGUAGE EDUCATION AND PROCESSING (UNED) SYLLABUS The structure of this section is as follows:

1. GENERAL STRUCTURE OF THE COURSE

The master’s degree consists of 60 credits and is divided into four subject modules, a module of internship and the master’s thesis as the last module:

A core module with subjects of generic content, useful for other specialties in the master, and also for other master’s degrees at the Faculty of Philology at UNED. A training module with subjects that are fundamental for the objectives of the master’s degree. Four itinerary modules: one specifically oriented towards ICT-based language education while the other with broader content is oriented towards computational linguistics with strong demand and relevance in academic, research, professional and social areas. Each of these can be undertaken following either the professional or the research route. A practicum or tutored internship period, mandatory for students who have chosen the professional route while not obligatory for students who opted for the research route.

1. The general structure of the master’s degree organised in modules and the duration of the course
2. Description of the subjects: content, ratio between levels, requirements, characteristics, number of credits, timing and evaluation
3. Degree routes: professional and academic master’s. Internship
4. Master’s thesis

A master’s thesis, mandatory for all students of the master’s degree.

The master’s degree can be completed in one academic year, although it is advisable to do it

in two to sequence the study of some subjects more evenly and facilitate the assimilation of

its contents. It is also possible to complete the master over a larger time period, in which

case, students have to comply with official regulations of the UNED regarding the maximum

period of study in official postgraduate programmes (approved by the Governing Board, 28

June 2011):

1. Students of the UNED on official university master’s degrees have a maximum of four

examination sessions per subject and two per academic year to sit an exam, regardless of

the session (ordinary exam sessions in February / June or the retakes in September).

2. In order to limit the number of examination sessions, in the official postgraduate

programmes, only those sessions that have been graded will be regarded as valid, and count

to toward the total. In the event that a student does not attend an examination session, "Not

presented" will be recorded in the minutes. No prior warning will be needed by the student of

his/her intention not to sit the examination.

3. UNED believes that students should be required a minimum academic performance in

order to benefit from the master’s degree, and therefore the following maximum period of

study should be:

Master’s student with a workload of 60 ECTS credits: 4 years. Master’s student with a workload between 61 and 90 credits: 5 years. Master’s student with a workload between 91 and 120 credits: 6 years.

4. Students who exhaust the maximum number of four exams per subject, or exceed the

maximum period of study must apply for an additional exam (extraordinary) before October

31 through a request addressed to the Dean of the Faculty (or Program Coordinator) to be

able to continue on the same master’s degree.

5. If a student has exhausted the maximum number of exam possibilities or exceeded the

maximum period of study, the student’s record in the initiated master’s degree shall be

closed, with the possibility of beginning studies in other official programmes of the UNED, if a

new admission is made.

Applicable regulations: RD 426/2005 of 15 April Statues and Regulations of the National

University of Distance Education. Art. 20.3 "Following a report from the Coordination Board,

the Governing Board may propose the rules governing the students’ progress and maximum

period of study at the University to the Board of Trustees, depending on the characteristics of

the student’s corresponding studies and academic record."

2. DESCRIPTION OF THE SUBJECTS

This master’s degree in question aims to cover the major language applications in the

professional field and the main research areas for which ICTs represent a qualitative and

quantitative improvement. All subjects on this master’s degree are optional, since all modules

abroad), it has become necessary to have contacts with various centres to ensure adequate

national coverage. Numerous companies and relevant institutions already have a cooperation

agreements with the UNED for internship for all of its qualifications.

All partner companies are committed to the following:

To help students become familiar with the environment of their internship and provide them with all the available tools and resources needed for the designed practice. To appoint a company tutor for each student, who will be responsible for ensuring everything related to his/her internship, namely: to make a detailed prior proposal of the activity for a period of 250 hours (with objectives, methodology, timing, etc.), to negotiate with the relevant course coordinator and reach an agreement with the student. monitor and advise the student according to his/her needs during the practice. submit a report with an evaluation at the end of the internship according to the template provided by the course coordinator.

This master’s degree has been designed in a way that, after the completion of the subjects

and the master’s thesis, students who wish to complete their research training by writing a

doctoral dissertation , supervised by a professor of the course, on a research area related to

the studied contents, such as: computer-assisted language teaching: methodology,

development of different skills, its application in the classroom and in distant educational

environments, processing and digitising printed, audiovisual, educational and CLIL materials,

and individual and collaborative language learning in virtual environments (cognitive and

constructivist approaches, web 2.0); computational linguistics, natural language processing

and main applications: information management, semantic network, lexicography and

computational lexicography (including restricted domains and ontologies), machine

translation, speech technologies, computer-assisted language analysis (research

methodology, corpus linguistics, diachronic studies, variety, dialectology and

multiculturalism), etc.

4. MASTER’S THESIS

By regulating the official university education, the Royal Decree 1393/2007, of 29 October,

establishes, in the case of studies leading to a master's degree, that "these studies may

conclude with the preparation and public defence of a master’s thesis worth between 6 and

30 credits", and the need to create regulations that unify criteria and procedures to ensure

consistent performance in the planning and evaluation of the thesis, without prejudice to any

specific characteristics of each master’s degree.

The thesis coordinator of the master’s degree is in charge of this subject. If you have any

questions, please contact him/her through the virtual course forum or using his/her contact

details (available in the Coordination and contact section of this guide).

If a student wishes to change research areas, topic or tutor of their thesis, they must apply by

completing a new Request Form for Tutor and Topic (

http://portal.uned.es/portal/page?_pageid=93,49459446&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL),

posted on the website of the Faculty of Philology. If, on the other hand, a student wishes to

continue with the same thesis coordinator for the next course, they must complete the Tutor

Declaration Form beforehand.

The defence will take place at the main campus of UNED in Madrid unless the sudent lives

abroad or there are major reasons that justify undertaking it by videoconference. In this case,

a specific authorisation must be requested from the Organising Committee of the master’s

degree, explaining the case. If this is granted, the student must manage the act of defence

well in advance, since it will take place in a public body (e.g. a support centre of the UNED),

where an authority will ensure and certify the reliability of the act by sending the

corresponding document to the UNED thereafter.

5. CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN MODULES AND SUBJECTS

This master's degree programme is divided in subjects (except for the internship and the

master’s thesis) distributed in three modules, which are shown in the following table with their

main objectives:

Students should remember that, additionally, the master’s degree offers a module to level or

update linguistic and technological knowledge with the academic purpose of updating or

reinforcing basic knowledge, essential for completing the master’s degree. The two subjects,

offered in the levelling course module, are worth 5 credits each:

Introduction to linguistic theory and its applications and Introduction to the information and communications technology.

A correspondence list between modules and subjects can be found below, indicating the

number of credits that must be gained in each module (each subject is worth 5 credits):

Core module or scientific and technological language research, within the subject area of principles and techniques of scientific research in the field of different types of computer- assisted language learning.

Training module or Fundamentals of language technologies and its education within the subject area of common theoretical base of different ICT applications related to language education and processing

Itinerary module, divided into two sub-modules: ICT in language education within the subject area of procedures involved in the performance of concrete, specialised tasks and activities related to language learning and teaching with maximum rigor and optimal use of currently available ICTs.

ICT in language processing within the subject area of procedures involved in the performance of concrete, specialised tasks and activities related to language learning and processing with maximum rigor and optimal use of currently available ICTs.

In this document the term subject refers to a thematic area and the term module to a group of

subjects with a common fundamental objective. As reflected in the description below, the

distinction between these two concepts allows for essentially capturing the hybrid nature of

the training module of the master’s degree:

The name of the subject, Scientific and technological research of languages, reflects the dual, scientific and information technological approach to language learning (its principles, techniques, methodologies, etc.). It is taught to the students in order to be subsequently adopted and adapted in different specific applications covered in the rest of the master’s degree. It is covered in the first quarter of the course through the three subjects of the core and training module with the same name. The name of the subject, Computer-assisted language teaching, clearly reflects its academic discipline and professional activity. It is covered in the first quarter of the course through three of the four subjects of the training module of the master’s degree, called Basics of language technology and its teaching, and, subsequently, during the second quarter of the course through the six subjects of itinerary module A: ICTs in language didactics. This module covers different aspects of CALL related to methodological, cognitive, social and cultural aspects that intervene in language teaching and other related services, such as project management and the development of materials. Finally, the name of the subject, Linguistic engineering and language industries, clearly reflects the multiple facets of basic and applied research and professional and business activity underlying the area on the computerisation of languages. It is covered in the first quarter of the year through two of the five subjects of the training module of the master’s degree, called Basics of language technologies and their teaching, and during the second quarter through the six subjects of itinerary module B: ICTs in language processing, in which different techniques related to computerised language processing are covered, which apply to the spoken language processing, written text processing, translation, specific linguistic studies, etc.

RULES

MASTER’S DEGREE IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES AND COMMUNICATION IN LANGUAGE EDUCATION AND PROCESSING (UNED) REGULATIONS

RD 1393/2007, 29 October, establishing the organization of official university education. RD 861/2010, 2 July, amending RD 1393/2007, 29 October, establishing the organization of official university education.

15 c. for Core Modules + 15 c. for Training Modules + 20 c. for Iinerary Modules + 10 c. for the Master’s thesis = 60 credits

RD 43/2015, 2 February, amending RD 1393/2007, 29 October, establishing the organization of official university education, and Royal Decree 99/2011, 28 January, which regulates official doctoral education. Update of the procedures of organization and academic management of the official university masters and doctoral programmes of UNED, for their adaptation following RD. 1393/2007. Rules and general criteria for the recognition and the transfer of credits for masters. Rules of permanence in studies leading to official UNED degrees. Regulation of the end of master project in the official master degree programmes at UNED.

PRACTICES

MASTER’S DEGREE IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES AND COMMUNICATION IN LANGUAGE EDUCATION AND PROCESSING (UNED) INTERNSHIP The master offers two possible routes for the students: professional or researcher. When opting for the first, the student is required to complete an internship, and has the support of companies and institutions related to the world of e-learning or distance language learning, translation, lexicography, speech technologies, documentation, etc. Those companies and institutions welcome/take our graduate students for a period of approximately 250 hours (distributed conveniently as agreed by the parties, but in any case, towards the end of the course). The objective is that students complete an internship –face-to-face or online - on a topic related to some aspect of their studies (which will also be agreed on by company tutor, the coordinator of the corresponding module of the master’s degree, and with the approval of the student). As our institution has students all around the country (and some abroad), it has become necessary to have contacts with a range of centres to ensure adequate national coverage. Agreements have been signed with a varied group of companies to collaborate with the master’s degree in information and communications technology in language education and processing offering internships (telecommunications companies, publishing and online training companies etc.). Each of these companies and institutions have signed an agreement that has been delivered to the address of this master’s degree. Numerous companies and relevant institutions already have cooperation agreements with the UNED for internship for all of its qualifications. All partner companies are committed to the following:

To help students become familiar with the environment of their internship and provide them with all the available tools and resources available and needed for the designed practice. To appoint a company tutor for each student, who will be responsible for ensuring everything related to his/her internship, namely:

o to make a detailed prior proposal of the activity for a period of 250 hours (with objectives,

methodology, timing, etc.), to negotiate with the relevant course coordinator and reach an

agreement with the student.

to ensure control and revision of the objectives of the degrees, the processes of access and admission of students, planning, monitoring and evaluation of the results of the training, mobility, academic counselling and job placement, the adequacy of academic and support staff and material resources, among others. For the implementation of SGIC, UNED has created: •A Statistical Portal , which provides information to the entire university community on both training results and the results of perception obtained through satisfaction surveys applied to the various stakeholders. •A repository called the information system for degree tracking (SIT), which collects all the evidence of the operation of the SGIC. The Office for information processing and the Quality office annually provide all this information to those responsible for the qualification, while reflecting and establishing improvement actions.

Satisfaction and training results (Statistic Portal) Documentation of the Information System for the monitoring of the programme (SIT) UNED Internal Quality Assurance System (SGIC)

The Coordinating Committee of the master’s degree in Information and Communications

Technology in Language Education and Processing was established on 19 December 2009

in order to discuss all relevant issues for the proper development of the master’s programme

and take appropriate decisions at all times (admissions, appointing tutors for master's thesis,

setting up training courts, preparation of research seminars, etc.). The committee also aims

to ensure the quality of the master’s degree through the creation of documents (reports,

forms, headings, etc.) that will be necessary for the proper progress of the degree.

The composition of the Committee is as follows:

Dr. Elena Bárcena (Coordinator) Dr. Ana Ibañez(Academic Secretary) Dr. Elena Martín Monje (Member) (substitute: Dr. Mª Dolores Castrillo) Ms. Azucena Berguío (Administrative representative) Student Representative

PROFESSIONAL ATRRIBUTIONS

OPINIONES DE ALUMNOS

MASTER’S DEGREE IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES AND COMMUNICATION IN

LANGUAGE EDUCATION AND PROCESSING (UNED)

Students’ opinions

"I (would like to) thank all the teachers by providing a demanding educational model with high

impact on labour activity. A very special thanks to the Director of my TFM, Dr. Esteban

Vázquez Cano, for providing me with a high-quality consultancy and monitoring the whole

process of my work until its defence. To Dr. María Jordano, who effectively managed the

TFM subject and made it possible to conduct this event via video conference. To Dr. Noa

Talaván, for providing ongoing support in matters of the master’s degree. To Dr. Ana Maria

Garcia Silva, coordinator of the UNED Centre in Lima, for the necessary coordination to

complete our studies from there. Finally, to all the evaluation panel, for their generous

contributions and wishes to continue my academic education by completing the doctoral

thesis. In addition to the conditions for being able to undertake the defence using a video

conference, sending scanned copies of the letters of Dr. Marco Martos Carrera, President of

the Peruvian Academy of language/linguistics and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Human

Sciences of the National University of San Marcos, and Jorge Manuel Runciman Tudela,

Head of the Department of Linguistics and Literature at the Universidad Nacional Federico

Villarreal. In them the legitimacy of my participation is detailed from Lima. I remain at your

disposal to express my sincere feelings of gratitude and esteem. "Mauro Marino Jimenez

(Lima, 2012-13).

"I wish to express my profound gratitude. UNED has provided a number of opportunities for

people who wish to develop a profession or specialise at postgraduate level with an obvious

requirement and rigor, and I think that it is a privileged experience. I will be attentive to the

calls for doctoral research stage, hoping to be able to complete work of major importance."

Mauro Marino Jimenez (Lima, 2012-13)

"I started the master’s degree in October, 2012 and finished in just over a year, defending my

thesis under the direction of Dr. Elena Martin-Monje, obtaining an Honours grade (10).

In the life of every person there are always three phases: one before, one during and after. I

am writing this for the following reason: I have been working as an English teacher first at an

academy and then as a school teacher in Secondary Education and Baccalaureate for almost

20 years. And I will continue in the same field because education is one of my great

passions.

Practically, since I started working as an English teacher, Lifelong Learning has been a key

factor in my professional life because, in my humble opinion, teaching is one of those jobs, in

which continual renewal should be a compulsory and vocational task.

Until 2012-2013, at which time I considered convenient to enrol in the Master in ICT-ETL,

after having undertaken detailed exploration of existing master’s degrees related to the field

of ICT and education, I decided on the Master in ICT-ETL: undoubtedly one of the best

decisions I ever made in my life.

In the first phase, my intention was simply to know and learn all the possibilities of the

application of ICTs in the English classroom with my students in secondary and high schools.

In the second phase I enormously enjoyed studying various subjects, such as "Advances en

ELAO", "Web 2.0", "Second Life", "Editing audiovisual materials", and a long list of other

activities, interacting using the forums on the aLF platform and exchanging ideas, opinions