““Films & Blogs: An authentic Films & Blogs: An authentic approach to improve the writing skill -approach to improve the writing skill -

An intercultural project-based An intercultural project-based framework in the Senior High State framework in the Senior High State

School”School”

Kosmas VlachosKosmas Vlachos

The focus of the conducted researchThe focus of the conducted research

Development of Development of intercultural intercultural communicative competencecommunicative competence by senior high by senior high state school learners through an e-twining state school learners through an e-twining project linking two European countries project linking two European countries

Development of Development of new literaciesnew literacies (digital & (digital & media literacy) by the learners media literacy) by the learners

Improvement of Improvement of the writing skillthe writing skill and and promotion of promotion of group workgroup work

Using and exploring the potential of Using and exploring the potential of a well a well known teaching toolknown teaching tool (film) and of one of (film) and of one of the most recentthe most recent Web 2.0 toolsWeb 2.0 tools (blog) in (blog) in EFL to intrigue the learners & promote EFL to intrigue the learners & promote English as an International language English as an International language

Significance of the researchSignificance of the research

A small-scale country-specific research A small-scale country-specific research hoping to contribute to the hoping to contribute to the relatively new relatively new area of EFL intercultural telecollaborationarea of EFL intercultural telecollaboration by using one of the latest Internet tools by using one of the latest Internet tools (blog) (blog)

Conduct of a school project promoting Conduct of a school project promoting communicative, collaborative, effective communicative, collaborative, effective and autonomous language learning.and autonomous language learning.

The teaching context: The teaching context: the participating schools the participating schools

• Senior High Music School of Sparta Senior High Music School of Sparta (Greece) (Greece)

& & • Vocational High School of “Rosa Vocational High School of “Rosa

Luxemburg” in Bari (Italy)Luxemburg” in Bari (Italy)

Profiles of the learners & teachersProfiles of the learners & teachers The participating students:The participating students:

• were 17 years old & their linguistic level were 17 years old & their linguistic level ranged from B1 & B2 levelranged from B1 & B2 level

• the Greek students had two and the Italian the Greek students had two and the Italian students three teaching hours of English per students three teaching hours of English per week week

• all students worked in groups of 4all students worked in groups of 4 The participating teachers:The participating teachers:

• Were experienced with a post-graduate degree Were experienced with a post-graduate degree • Followed pioneer communicative teaching Followed pioneer communicative teaching

practicespractices• Were excellent cooperators and intercultural Were excellent cooperators and intercultural

speakersspeakers

The conducted research The conducted research Based on the needs & interests of the learners Based on the needs & interests of the learners

the researcher chose two comedies for the the researcher chose two comedies for the learners to watch in English:learners to watch in English:

1.1. ““My Big Greek Fat Wedding”My Big Greek Fat Wedding” by Joel Zwick by Joel Zwick

2.2. ““Moonstruck”Moonstruck” by Norman Jewison by Norman Jewison

The project lasted The project lasted three monthsthree months and was and was conducted in conducted in 20 teaching hours20 teaching hours. .

The films were separated into three The films were separated into three excerpts. excerpts.

For teaching each excerpt three stages For teaching each excerpt three stages were followed:were followed:

1. 1. PreparatoryPreparatory (pre-viewing & pre-blog (pre-viewing & pre-blog stage).stage).

2. 2. Watching and working with the excerpt Watching and working with the excerpt of the film.of the film.

3. 3. On-line communication with their e-On-line communication with their e-twining partners through the class blog.twining partners through the class blog.

Three blog sessions took place: Three blog sessions took place:

a)a) The first two were The first two were asynchronousasynchronous..

b)b) The last blog session was The last blog session was synchronous.synchronous.

The learners were taught the genre of film The learners were taught the genre of film review and review and in groups they wrote two film in groups they wrote two film reviews:reviews: A) One at the beginning of the project for A) One at the beginning of the project for

the first film they watched andthe first film they watched and B) Another one at the end of the project for B) Another one at the end of the project for

the second film they watched the second film they watched

(totally 16 film reviews were produced) (totally 16 film reviews were produced)

Peer feedbackPeer feedback took place and the final took place and the final products of the groups were published and products of the groups were published and are available in the project blog.are available in the project blog.

Presentation of the project blogsPresentation of the project blogs

In the following transparency a page from the In the following transparency a page from the class blog is presented. class blog is presented.

On the right side one can see the photos of the On the right side one can see the photos of the classes and on the right side there is the title of classes and on the right side there is the title of the film followed by the relevant tasks. the film followed by the relevant tasks.

Below one can see a relevant Below one can see a relevant videovideo from the film from the film “My Big Greek Fat Wedding” and “My Big Greek Fat Wedding” and the electronic the electronic dictionariesdictionaries which were used by the learners. which were used by the learners.

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Presentation of the project blogsPresentation of the project blogs

Teachers’ blogTeachers’ blog

Blog for future communicationBlog for future communication

Collecting & Processing dataCollecting & Processing data

For the purpose of the research the For the purpose of the research the learners of both schools completed learners of both schools completed two questionnairestwo questionnaires: :

a) one at the beginning of the projecta) one at the beginning of the project

b) one at the end of the projectb) one at the end of the project

Presentation of the findingsPresentation of the findings The findings were based: The findings were based: 1)1) On the On the quantitative dataquantitative data that came from: that came from: a) the processing of the two questionnaires a) the processing of the two questionnaires

analyzed in the statistical package “SPSS” andanalyzed in the statistical package “SPSS” andb) on the assessment of the film reviews that b) on the assessment of the film reviews that the participating groups produced and which the participating groups produced and which were analyzed with the help of Microsoft Excel were analyzed with the help of Microsoft Excel

2) On the 2) On the qualitative dataqualitative data that came from the that came from the processing of Blogspeak, that is, the language processing of Blogspeak, that is, the language used in the messages of the learners during used in the messages of the learners during the first two asynchronous blog sessions.the first two asynchronous blog sessions.

Motivation of the learnersMotivation of the learners In the final questionnaire:In the final questionnaire:95% of the Greek learners and 75% of the Italians 95% of the Greek learners and 75% of the Italians

stated that they stated that they found the project interesting.found the project interesting.The majority of all learners stated that The majority of all learners stated that the use of the use of

films and blogs in the English class increased films and blogs in the English class increased their interest and participationtheir interest and participation during the lesson. during the lesson.

The participation of the learners during the The participation of the learners during the second and third blog session increasedsecond and third blog session increased in in comparison with their participation during the comparison with their participation during the first blog session.first blog session.

Opportunities for developing intercultural Opportunities for developing intercultural communicative competencecommunicative competence

In the final questionnaire:In the final questionnaire: 95% of the learners confirmed the acquisition of 95% of the learners confirmed the acquisition of

cultural knowledge.cultural knowledge. Half of the learners stated that they Half of the learners stated that they succeeded in succeeded in

communicating with their e-twining partners without communicating with their e-twining partners without any difficultyany difficulty while the rest stated that they while the rest stated that they succeeded to some degree. succeeded to some degree.

90% of all learners expressed their 90% of all learners expressed their desire to desire to continue their communicationcontinue their communication with their partner with their partner learners after the project. learners after the project.

Moreover, during the end of the project the Moreover, during the end of the project the learners’ learners’ interest in the other culture increasedinterest in the other culture increased to a great to a great degree. degree.

Opportunities for improvement of the Opportunities for improvement of the writing skillwriting skill

In the final questionnaire 65% of the In the final questionnaire 65% of the learners stated that learners stated that the project helped the project helped them write film reviews collaborativelythem write film reviews collaboratively..

According to the assessment of the two According to the assessment of the two film reviews film reviews 75% of the learners improved 75% of the learners improved their writing performancetheir writing performance in the genre of in the genre of film review to a great degree. film review to a great degree.

Opportunities for development of a new Opportunities for development of a new species of communicationspecies of communication

According to the discourse analysis of the According to the discourse analysis of the on-line messages of the participating on-line messages of the participating learners, learners, Blogspeak is a new species of Blogspeak is a new species of communicationcommunication because the discourse because the discourse found in the blog is interactive displaying found in the blog is interactive displaying both oral and written discourse features.both oral and written discourse features.

Opportunities for the cultivation of Opportunities for the cultivation of Multiple - New LilteraciesMultiple - New Lilteracies

In the final questionnaire the majority of In the final questionnaire the majority of the learners confirmed the fact that the the learners confirmed the fact that the project helped them project helped them write collaboratively write collaboratively on the blog and therefore achieved a on the blog and therefore achieved a degree of digital literacy.degree of digital literacy.

In the following pies the opinions of the In the following pies the opinions of the Greek and the Italian learners respectively Greek and the Italian learners respectively about the project are presented.about the project are presented.

Presentation of the findings based on the quantitative data:Presentation of the findings based on the quantitative data:

A pie from the ‘SPSS’ Analysis of the questionnaire answered by A pie from the ‘SPSS’ Analysis of the questionnaire answered by

the Greek learnersthe Greek learners

Videos

Hypertexts

Instant messages

Using e-mails

Nettiquette

Using the searchengines

Using the wordprocessor

Working collaborativelyto write on a blog

Greek students

Presentation of the findings based on the quantitative data:Presentation of the findings based on the quantitative data:A pie from the ‘SPSS’ Analysis of the questionnaire A pie from the ‘SPSS’ Analysis of the questionnaire

answered by the Italian learnersanswered by the Italian learners

Working collaborativelyto write on a blog

Using the wordprocessor

Using e-mailsItalian students

Presentation of the findings based on the quantitative and Presentation of the findings based on the quantitative and

qualitative processing of the data:qualitative processing of the data:

Based on the qualitative and quantitative Based on the qualitative and quantitative data, the following fact is confirmed:data, the following fact is confirmed:

The project promoted the development of The project promoted the development of media literacymedia literacy and as a result the learners and as a result the learners became able to evaluate and criticize films became able to evaluate and criticize films and became aware of the impact the films and became aware of the impact the films have on shaping national stereotypes. have on shaping national stereotypes.

SummarySummary The use of blog communication and the The use of blog communication and the

interaction triggered off & developed by films of interaction triggered off & developed by films of cultural content resulted in: cultural content resulted in:

The motivation of learnersThe motivation of learners The promotion of intercultural communicative The promotion of intercultural communicative

competence by using English as an International competence by using English as an International languagelanguage

The development of a new interactive species of The development of a new interactive species of communication (blogspeak) due to the creation communication (blogspeak) due to the creation of a new discourse displaying both oral and of a new discourse displaying both oral and written featureswritten features

The promotion of group work & of new literacies, The promotion of group work & of new literacies, such as digital and media literacy. such as digital and media literacy.

Changes I have made in my dissertation based on Changes I have made in my dissertation based on the assessors’ recommendations :the assessors’ recommendations :

At the discussion section (Chapter Four):At the discussion section (Chapter Four): I elaborated on & rephrased the findings so as I elaborated on & rephrased the findings so as

to provide the answers for all research questionsto provide the answers for all research questions I compared the findings of my research with I compared the findings of my research with

those of other studies abroadthose of other studies abroad I added a separate section on recommendations I added a separate section on recommendations

& limitations of the research& limitations of the research

I also added some information regarding the I also added some information regarding the teaching context, I added some footnotes & teaching context, I added some footnotes & reorganized the appendices. reorganized the appendices.

Thank you for Thank you for youryour

Kind Attention!Kind Attention!

Kosmas VlachosKosmas Vlachos