Participants gain real-life skills in technology, communications, and leadership, all while learning French. Wimba Voice™, a web-based application for vocal instruction, collaboration, coaching, and assessment is central to the learning experience. Reaching beyond the traditional language-laboratory environment, Wimba Voice supports traditional communicative styles of language learning by giving students multiple methods of speaking, writing, and listening to foreign languages - all online.

"Wimba adds an invaluable new dimension to language learning", explained Michèle Boisbourdin, lecturer of French at the Dublin Institute of Technology's School of Languages. "With Wimba, students can listen to the oral tasks they recorded as part of their course work - anytime, anywhere. More importantly, they can reflect on their oral production with the help of their lecturer's written comments, which are visible while they are listening. And what is central to the learning experience is that students can compare their various attempts, which helps them to become aware of their capacity to improve and progress."

The Dublin Institute of Technology is the largest school of modern languages in Ireland. The Institute's School of Languages offers a wide range of courses in various disciplines ranging from Chinese to English, French, German, Irish, Italian, Russian, and Spanish.

"Courses offered through the School of Languages at DIT illustrate how innovative technology greatly benefits teaching of complex subjects such as foreign languages", said Tommaso Trionfi, CEO of Wimba. "We are extremely honored that Wimba is recognised as a contributing factor in the success of their French Language SME simulation."