Quantitative Analysis of MOOC for Language Training

Abstract

The article provides a quantitative analysis of online language courses located on such online platforms as Coursera, Udemy, Edx and Alison. Communicative and linguistic competencies are necessary characteristics of an active citizen who interacts effectively with the surrounding society. Also, in the conditions when the internationalization processes are increasing knowledge of a foreign language becomes very important. Massive open online courses (MOOC) are considered to be a promising and powerful means of language training. Today, they have combined the possibilities provided by the Internet, the quality content, and the best teaching practices. We have found that MOOC can be used for distance and blended learning, as well as in the process of self-education. When designing online language courses for MOOC you should consider certain criteria and requirements. The topics of the online courses, level of complexity, quality educational content, practical orientation, interactivity, availability of feedback, etc. are of special importance. We found that the analyzed platforms have several identical functional features: multilingual interface, a possibility to choose the language of courses, a possibility to obtain a certificate, the availability of links to related courses, the availability of headings, a possibility to search for courses by keywords. In total, we identified 5,159 online courses for learning 21 languages. The Udemy platform has the largest number of online language courses (4,270 courses). The most popular languages appeared to be English (1,760 courses), Spanish (544 courses), French (451 courses), and Chinese (450 courses). The least popular languages, which are represented by only one online course, are Swedish, Latin, Noongar, and Tibetan. We found that such online platforms as Coursera and Edx provide courses that give users an opportunity to obtain a professional certificate, specialization, or a degree.