ABSTRACT
Blended learning (BL) remains a buzz term in language teaching. This chapter explores the successful design of BL courses and describes a wide variety of such courses in language teaching. It shows how some of the BL research supports a number of aspects of a BL approach, although attempts to demonstrate better learning outcomes remain elusive. The literature of BL specifically within language teaching contexts is still somewhat limited. Other common reasons given for blending include combining the positives of classroom teaching with the advantages of online learning. One of the biggest challenges in setting up a BL course is that the course fails to satisfy anyone's learning preference. One reason for blending in one environment was the impossibility of obtaining funding for printed books, necessitating the use of free, online materials. The number of BL courses delivered worldwide is huge. Adaptive learning systems of varying sophistications are already built into some learning platforms.
