FLEAT VI

In the constant effort to accustom to the inexorably changing educational paradigm, many language educators have embraced and integrated web-based technology in their curriculum developing new, stimulating tasks for their digital native students. Yet, the multifaceted implications of such assimilation, especially in the domain of foreign language learning, need to be further explored as the variables involved are numerous. This small-case study, conducted with 34 Turkish students enrolled in an Italian as a foreign language (FL) class in a private, English-medium university, concentrates on the students’ perceptions of the incorporation of a WebQuest (WQ) in the already hybrid instruction at CEFR A1 level. The perceptions of the role of the inquiry-oriented approach on students’ language learning are analyzed in terms of 1. Language skills 2. Material and content 3. Personal and social relevance of the WQ 4. Positive implications 5. Negative implications. Data were collected through a PIPQ (Post Instruction Perception Questionnaire) and semi-structured interviews. The initial hypotheses are supported by the results as students display an overall general favorable perception of the WQ, indicating more benefits than downsides. The students’ perceptions shed light on interesting aspects of the learning process through the WB, which, ultimately, becomes an added value in the collaborative learning of a foreign language.