Foreign Language Learning: Developing cultural skills for online discussions
In the fall of 2007, I visited a rural, North Carolina high school with my colleague Ann Marie Gunter from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. The purpose of our visit was to conduct a site visit of the implementation of an online Mandarin Chinese language course being offered for the first time. We spoke with three students who were enrolled in Level One of the course. Two of these students were partially motivated to take the course because they had already explored Japanese online, teaching themselves some of the language. When the opportunity to enroll in this course was presented, they felt a strong desire to pursue their interests in Asian culture even though the course was not Japanese.
On the drive home that afternoon, we pondered the agency of these students who sought opportunities for linguistic and cultural engagement through the Japanese course, outside of what their school could offer. We discussed the implications of student access to language and culture via the Internet: access to current information and access to speakers of the target language. We wondered what challenges, advantages, and phenomenon are now important considerations for the classroom teacher, whose students can participate both linguistically and culturally, of their own accord, in online venues where the target language is used. In other words, how does student engagement in authentic opportunities where they must use skills and knowledge of the target language and culture impact teaching pracatice? For example, students might participate in an online discussion forum, compete in an online game with their counterparts from another country, or learn to speak some of the target language from online tutorials where they can see and hear the language.
I was recently reminded of this conversation as I read A funny thing happened on the way to the forum: Electronic discussion and foreign language learning (http://llt.msu.edu/vol7num1/hanna/default.html), an article published in the online journal Language Teaching & Technology. Here, the authors present a study that explored the involvement of four students in online discussion forums hosted by Le Monde, the French national newspaper. Unlike email listservs or discussion lists, participation in an online forum like the one hosted by Le Monde is not teacher-generated and controlled, nor is it teacher-centered. And because the students in this study participated of their own volition, their participation was more task-oriented, i.e., authentic discussion of a particular topic, versus the linguistic practice we might normally seek for our students.
An intriguing outcome of the analysis of student participation in this study was the recognition that the discussions were inflected by culturally bound understandings of what constitutes a conversation. In this case, the interactions took the form of a debate, where participants provoked one another, often invoking cultural referents like statements made by historical figures. Similarly, participants were subject to the norms and guidelines for participating in an electronic forum of this nature. Ultimately, participants negotiated two cultures: the genre of electronic discussion and the culture of the target language, in this case -- French popular culture. How do our students develop the intercultural competence to participate in these environments?
The article highlights a number of important considerations for language teachers that were not even “on our radar” when we were prepared to teach a world language. Among these:
- How do we provide students with opportunities to practice cultural skills, not merely learn about them?
- When we engage students in electronic exchanges, do we pay attention to not only conventions for using the target language, but also conventions for electronic interaction?
- How do we help students negotiate communication with native speakers using both the target language AND their native language?
- How do we identify appropriate online opportunities for students to practice what they’ve learned?
- Because online forums and social networks are constantly changing in membership and culture, what guidance do we offer our students who want to participate in such dynamic environments?
- What are the stakes of student participation in forums dominated by speakers of the target culture? How might they be perceived as non-native speakers?
- What does successful participation in an online forum look like?
I would encourage you to read this article. Even if you do not choose to do so, what are you thoughts about the questions raised by this article and by the ability of our students to participate culturally outside of the classroom? To share your thoughts, please visit the forum topic Developing cultural skills for online discussions, in the Teaching and Learning forum of this site.
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expanding cultural opportunities online
All through my college years, and early teaching years, I considered myself quite knowledgeable about all things technology. My father is the director of online instruction at a college in upstate NY, and I read and use the web, projectors, smartboards, etc. Unfortunately these days, it usually is my students who are leading me to social networking sites, videos and other online tools. This is one reason I am working to keep up with and leap forward in online technology through the coursework with LearnNC. I don't feel that I am equipped to even answer the prompt, which is a scary thought. Am I even able to be a learning facilitator in this age? I hope I will learn to be one in the next few weeks and months...to be continued...
Developing skills online
OMG IDK RUOK? I would be thrilled to see my students communicate with technology using something other than the current techo-slang! A lot has changed since this article was written. I remember working with students in 2000 who would have communicated using real words either in their native language or in the target language. Many of today's students communicate only in abbreviations. It recently took me several weeks before I realized that a student wanted to know how to say I don't know in Spanish because she repeatedly asked me how to say IDK. I realize that this does not directly address any of the questions, but it illustrates how the conventions of communicating with technology have changed for the current generation.
What would I see as successful participation in an online forum? First, the participant would read the guidelines and attempt to follow them. Second, he would contribute to discussion in the topic in the language accepted. I would consider it better if he tryed writing in the target language, and did not give up when a native speaker offered suggestions for improvement. I would hope that if non-native speakers of the target language were accepted in the forum, then the native speaker participants would be patient enough to guide and not overly criticize attempts at communication in the language. Such a forum would provide a positive cultural exchange for all participants.
Students on the Leading Edge
My students are very eager to explore the culture of France or Ancient Rome through online sources. They often come to school excited by music or videos they found on Itunes or videos that they saw on Youtube. Sometimes, I will look at what treasure they have found and be shocked by what they are actually viewing. I believe that my responsibility to them in this cyberworld that they love is to teach them some critical thinking skills. What was the source of the video or post, is the information verifiable elsewhere through a credible source. I try to encourage them to look at a variety of things and then we talk about the validity of what they have seen. It is exciting how much is available to them and to me.
Developing cultural skills for online discussions
This is certainly a very informative article that makes me reflect on what I have been doing in the classroom to implement and expand on certain activities to promote cultural understanding ,as well as appreciation that would lead to student involvement with native speakers. It is imperative however, to recognize that although we live in a technology oriented society, and most of our students own computers, unfortunately teachers are not prepared, neither equipped to take advantage of online resources. The questions raised in this article make anyone reflect on teaching practices, the attitude of the teacher towards teaching culture as something attainable, and part of the language rather than a form of entertainment for monthly celebrations in the foreign language classroom. Therefore, the role of the foreign language educator is no longer to dwell on grammatical structures that will be acquired thru practice and meaningful exposure, but to immerse the students in the outside world- the world of the language and its uses among the native speakers that would definately impact the process of language learning.
Latin and Cultural Immersion
Latin is outside the perimeters of many of these discussions I have read in the past. I am seriously old school. I do not believe in oral Latin. We moderns do not learn Latin to converse. We learn Latin to allow the long dead to communicate their culture to us. In an online environment the native element cannot exist. That leaves me thinking that collective support and help for one another in the battle against Latin grammar must be the primary focus of the online community.
I also see possibilities in shared experience of online resources and each student reacting to it and creating interrelationships in that way. A visual tour of Rome of the emperors or any number of online resources can provide a communal experience that can be discussed,elicit futher learning, and teach the connection of the language to the culture that it describes.
Article Response
What about setting up a Facebook account for your classroom and inviting students as well as native speakers of the target language to discuss "teacher led" topics in both English and the target language? Most if not all of my recent students have Facebook and Myspace pages. And I recently heard on the radio that they are making these two sites much safer for children. I like this idea and I think it's something I might try with future classes.
However, there are still plenty of students who don't have access to internet or computers at home. How do we include them in after school assignments that require computers, cellphones, internet, etc.? I would love to do text message/email assignments but not all students will be able to participate. Do I give them an alternate assigment or just make the "technology" assignment extra credit? For now it's tough to plan these kinds of lessons.
Article Response
I like the idea of using Facebook or something similar as a "cultural networking site" the way so many are "social networking sites". There are many difficulties in having students engage in unsupervised networking.. In a high school situation, ( like the one I've taught in for many years), there would need to be safeguards to ensure student well-being.
FACEBOOK
I use facebook with my students so that they can reach me for comments or questions etc...but you are right it is very necessary to keep control on the informations provided so the classroom blog may be easier for that purpose.
CULTURAL SKILLS FOR ONLINE DISCUSSION
As an high school French teacher, I introduce my students to cultural discussion through the usage of french magazines especially Paris Match and France magazine ( both of those offered on line) , I encourage them to listen to french music from the 1920/1930 1960/1980 and a few more modern ones they are to find the lyrics in french , listen to the song and either write or illustrate what the songs meant to them ( this could be done online also) . We also have a classroom blog where students discuss proverbs etc.....in french.
Developing cultural skills for online discussions
As a high school Spanish teacher, I am intrigued by the possibility of my students participating in on-line forums not set up exclusively for students. While there can be perils associated with unmonitored use of the internet by adolescents, I’ve already had students who search music sites to experience music popular and contemporary in target language countries. Why not experience current and cultural events on-line as well. Such experiences provide the ultimate in realia---conversational interaction with real people. The article talks a great deal about making students aware of the conventions of conversation vis a vis the conventions of on-line fora. I think that part of the richness of this experience for students is the discovery and acceptance of these conventions in a setting independent from the classroom.
How do we bring it into the classroom?
You raise an important point with the observation that students are already accessing music sites from around the world. It reminds me once again that the more we know about our students, the better equipped we are to reach them. Knowing that they are visiting certain sites, engaging in conversations with others, and reading content in the target language, shouldn't we adjust our instruction to capitalize on their interests and behaviors? Intrinsic motivation for learning can take us much further, I think.
Thanks for sharing your insight.