bringing foreign language learning into students’ real lives: building facebook- based online...
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Bringing Foreign Language Bringing Foreign Language Learning into Students’ Real Learning into Students’ Real
Lives: Building Facebook-based Lives: Building Facebook-based Online CommunityOnline Community
By Li Jin, Ph.D. By Li Jin, Ph.D.
Department of Modern Languages
Foreign Languages Foreign Languages Teaching ApproachesTeaching Approaches
Grammar-Translation ApproachGrammar-Translation Approach
Audio-lingual Approach Audio-lingual Approach
Communicative Approach Communicative Approach Total Physical ResponseTotal Physical Response
Task-based / Functional-Notional Task-based / Functional-Notional
Computer-assisted Language Learning Computer-assisted Language Learning
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Computer-mediated Computer-mediated Communication & Foreign Communication & Foreign
Language LearningLanguage LearningCMC enhances second language CMC enhances second language acquisition: notice of form, participation acquisition: notice of form, participation and production, pragmatics, cultural and production, pragmatics, cultural sensitivity, learning strategies sensitivity, learning strategies (Wauschauer, 1997, 2000);(Wauschauer, 1997, 2000);
CMC supports zone of proximal development (Thorne, 2002)
CMC provides a relaxing and flexible learning environment and supports real-time communication in the target language.
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Remaining Issues in CALLRemaining Issues in CALL
Class project-based Class project-based Lack of autonomyLack of autonomy
Lack of authenticity Lack of authenticity
Limited exposure to language input Limited exposure to language input
Limited chance to produce the target Limited chance to produce the target languagelanguage
Limited teacher’s involvement & supervision Limited teacher’s involvement & supervision
Free communicationFree communicationLack of structureLack of structure
Lack of learning objectivesLack of learning objectives44
2009 DePaul Faculty Teaching and Learning 2009 DePaul Faculty Teaching and Learning ConferenceConference
Facebook PhenomenonFacebook Phenomenon
175 million active users worldwide 175 million active users worldwide
Multiple language platforms
Support personal profiles, status, photos, messages, chat, various groups & events
Important social networking tool: keep connected, less formal than email and less intimate than phone and text, prompt responses
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Context of the ProjectContext of the Project
An urban university: students live on or off An urban university: students live on or off campus; most have part-time jobs and campus; most have part-time jobs and maintain a busy daily schedule; maintain a busy daily schedule;
Beginning-level Chinese classes: 5 out of 25 are Cantonese heritage speakers;
The majority of students are active Facebook users: 14/22 check Facebook at least once a day; all but one use Facebook to get connected with friends.
Majority of students have foreign friends on Facebook, but mainly use English to communicate
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Facebook ProjectFacebook Project
DePaul Chinese Learning Group on Facebook
Learning TasksGroup wall posts (3~5 times/week)
Share videos, pictures, links
Events
Get feedback from the Instructor and revise
Peer revision
Rules10-week projects
All Chinese 77
2009 DePaul Faculty Teaching and Learning 2009 DePaul Faculty Teaching and Learning ConferenceConference
Project ResultsProject Results
Total group wall posts: 444 Total group wall posts: 444
Videos posted: 6
Pictures posted: 65
Links posted: 4
Events announced: 3
Communication with the instructor & classmates: students added classmates & the instructor as friends, post Chinese on each other’s walls, Chinese status
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Facebook-based Learning Facebook-based Learning CommunityCommunity
formed the identity of Chinese learners formed the identity of Chinese learners through shared experience and interaction on through shared experience and interaction on the Facebookthe Facebook
Added friends and formed offline learning groups
Declared learning experience on Facebook status & posted status in Chinese, e.g. “Blas is 学中文” ;
Commented on each other’s status in Chinese;
Posted learning resources in personal profiles
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Learners’ Perception:Learners’ Perception:AdvantagesAdvantages
Used Chinese for practical purposes Used Chinese for practical purposes (update status, describe daily life);(update status, describe daily life);
Had to think of and use Chinese more frequently;
Prompt responses from classmates and the instructor;
Support from the instructor (message & chat)
Relaxing environment
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Learners’ Perception:Learners’ Perception:DisadvantageDisadvantage
Group wall posting was too artificial, Group wall posting was too artificial, lack of structurelack of structure
Facebook is too distracting
No chance to practice speaking
Too few native speakers were involved
Anxiety about errors on the group wall
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Bringing Chinese Learning Bringing Chinese Learning into Students’ Real Lifeinto Students’ Real Life Authentic purpose: Learning Chinese by using it communicatively;
Updated status in Chinese
Communicated with each other & instructor in Chinese
Shared fun cultural resources with each other;
Authentic and Rich Language Input: Exposed to larger vocabulary and more varieties of structures;
Exposed to more language learning resources;
Authentic Language Output:Writing in Chinese (vocabulary & structure);
Fluency 1212
2009 DePaul Faculty Teaching and Learning 2009 DePaul Faculty Teaching and Learning ConferenceConference
Pedagogical ImplicationsPedagogical Implications
Maintain the group and nurture the Maintain the group and nurture the formation of identityformation of identity
Synchronous (chat ) vs. asynchronous (status update, discussions, video contests) activities for different proficiency level
Encourage students to organize off-Facebook events
Integrate Facebook cooperation in various course projects
Invite native speakers to the online community
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Pedagogical ImplicationsPedagogical Implications
Instructor’s rolesInstructor’s rolesModerator: create and organize events, Moderator: create and organize events, maintain information flow, coach student maintain information flow, coach student group leadersgroup leaders
Resource: language and culture input, Q & A Resource: language and culture input, Q & A sectionsection
Friend: status update/comments, wall Friend: status update/comments, wall posting, pictures, chat posting, pictures, chat
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Final ThoughtsFinal Thoughts
Foreign language learning can be Foreign language learning can be seamlessly integrated in students’ daily seamlessly integrated in students’ daily life through Facebook; life through Facebook;
The existence of an online community provides great support for students with more learning difficulty and help students form the identity of Chinese learners/users and reduces the anxiety of learning a difficult foreign language;
The community members’ relationship is vital to maintain the community.
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Should you have any question, please contact Dr. Li Jin at ljin2@depaul.edu.
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