We report on how technological developments have enabled us to change our concepts and practices
regarding voice and text coaching and how this in turn has raised the level of literary competence among non-native
doctoral students seeking publication in English in scientific journals. We describe models for marking, peer reviewing and
coaching spoken delivery and written text. Our models spring from our dedicated physical CALL environment and take into
account learner expectations and further develop tangible learner strategies. As our models are applied in an open learning
platform they are accessible, interactive and facilitate both differentiated progressive feedback and student profiling.
The four skills are revisited through very traditional means in a methodological
paradigm requiring some ‘new literacy’. Between 1997 and 2000 we were devoted to developing and testing our
dedicated physical CALL classroom model; in the period 2000–2003 we have focused on both sustaining this and improving
our procedures. Refining the coaching and interactive feedback procedures for both text and voice development within
the virtual classroom model (established at the Institute for Living Languages at KULeuven in 1997) informs the focus of
our research. During the latter period, the resulting models have been rigorously tested by about three hundred KULeuven
students, half of whom are post graduates and half of whom are undergraduates. The specific need for refined coaching
and feedback for doctoral students is first defined, then the concept, procedure and results of three models are outlined
and illustrated. The models include a text marking and coaching model, a speech marking and coaching model and a model
to contextualise and manage the interactive cycle of learner, peer and coach writing and speaking processes. Key to our
findings is the fact that our models help us to help learners differentiate between passive and active retrieval, plus
transfer issues versus knowledge gap issues. The discussion centres on further model development integration.
