Faced with the need to teach English to a large number of students, the Universidad
de Concepción, Chile, has created an innovative Communicative English
Program using ICT, which is made up of four modules covered in four academic
terms. The English program aims to develop integrated linguistic skills with a
focus on learning for authentic communication. The program has been implemented
in a blended-learning (b-learning) pedagogical model that includes: (a)
learners’ work with UdeC English Online, software conceived as the backbone
of the entire Communicative English Program, (b) online monitoring, (c) faceto-face
EFL teacher-led classes, and (d) conversation classes with native speakers
of English. The online software is an interactive multimedia environment
which houses all the materials and ICT tools that learners need in one central
web platform. Some of the core concepts underlying its design are multimodal
L2 input exposure, enhanced input, learner-fit content delivery, interaction (human-computer,
human-human, and intrapersonal) through computer supported
collaborative and individual learning tasks, as well as a more human-like dimension
for positive and corrective feedback. This paper describes the elements of
the b-learning model, issues about its implementation, and results obtained in the
piloting of its first module.