An initiative of International Education Services, the MOOEC’s goal is to help English language learners online to develop the skills they’ll need to move forward in their careers, education, and lives. The learning experience, which can be self-directed, is aimed at supporting students who may otherwise be unable to take English language courses. The not-for-profit organization was launched on December 4th, 2013.
Course Tools:
MOOEC attempts to help students develop English language skills without the benefits of face-to-face collaboration. In order to achieve this goal, the website has implemented two applications intended to help students improve both their speaking and listening skills:
- MOOEC TALK, which helps students to recognize subtle pronunciation differences between words and respond properly.
- MOOEC Conversation Partner, which focuses on helping students to become aware of grammar rules and develop proper sentences.
Course Offerings:
Students can direct their learning by the difficulty of the material as the courses are organized into three different levels:
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Additionally, students can direct their learning by subject matter. MOOEC offers courses in five general subject areas:
- Lifestyle
- General English
- Pathway to Higher Learning
- English for Academic Purposes
- IELTS Preparation
Lifestyle course subject matters typically address matters an individual is likely to encounter outside of a classroom. For example, students can take courses on English words used on a golf course and the vocabulary necessary for living in the city of Brisbane.
General English courses help students to develop basic English skills that can be used in many different situations. The website offers an Elementary English Course and classes that specifically address common errors, subject – verb agreement, and prepositions. Additionally, the General English section also contains courses on Lifestyle subjects life Coffee Culture.
The Pathway to Higher Learning section helps students to develop the English skills they’ll need to succeed in college. Examples include classes on learning styles, referencing, time management, asking questions in lectures, and learning in tutorials.
Students can also learn take courses in a related subject area: English for Academic Purposes. These classes help students to develop the language skills and presentation techniques they’ll need to not only complete their college degrees, but excel in the classroom. Sample classes include presentation impact technique, researching an academic database, and basic paraphrasing.
The International English Language Testing Systems, or IELTS, is a standardized test that verifies the English proficiency of non-English speakers. MOOEC offers a variety of courses directed towards helping students to prepare for and pass this test. These include classes on grammar, listening, prepositions, and uncountable nouns. Students can also take an IELTS Practice Listening Test through MOOEC.
Partners:
MOOEC has partnered with institutions in various countries in an effort to provide useful ESL course materials to its students. A large number of the organization’s partners come from Australia. The partnering universities include Australian Catholic University, the Queensland University of Technology, the Shafston International College’s Institute of Technology, Langports English Language College, Griffith University’s English Language Institute, and the University of Newscastle.
Additionally, over non-university organizations, many of which specialize in ESL education. have partnered with MOOEC:
- BROWNS English Language School
- Charlton Brown
- TAFE Queensland Gold Coast
- TAFE Queensland English Language and Literacy Services
- TAFE South Australia