Semi-autonomous blended learning for Intercultural Communication in the Euregio Meuse-Rhine

Interreg IV2009 – 2012

with support of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

Anouk Gelan

Researcher CTL - Center Applied Linguistics

Hasselt University

Belgium

EUNOM Conference,

Barcelona, 14-15 May 2012

INTERcCOM

Structure

•Euregio Meuse-Rhine•Need EMR•Project aims•Research questions and methodology

•Development e-learning modules (semi-autonomous blended learning)

Semi-autonomous blended learning for Intercultural Communication in the Meuse-Rhine Euregio

Euregio Meuse-Rhine

• One of the many E.U. border regions collaborating internationally

• About 3,9 million inhabitants

• About 11.000 km2

• Subregions situated around the river Meuse and west of river Rhine

• Sort of mini-Europe: provinces / administrative entities from 3 countries, representing 3 different languages and 5 different cultures

Need EMR3 languages – 5 cultures

TR

PL

First generation

drop-out TR 3d generation

General aims

• Optimize studying and working in EMR • Prevent braindrain and drop-out

by

• Improving language and culture skills different EMR regions: learn to communicate with your neighbour in his/her language respecting his/her culture and to prevent miscommunication

Operational aims

•Research on cultural differences within the EMR•Development of e-modules for semi-autonomous blended learning

•Publication results scientific journals

Project aims

* Aachen 5

Provinciale Hogeschool Limburg

contractant

Centrum Toegepaste LinguïstiekUHasselt

promotor(adm. + fin.

coördinator)(wet. coördinator)

CommArt

Université de LiègeInstitut supérieur des

langues vivantes

Hogeschool Zuyd

Rheinisch-Westphälische Technische Hochschule Aachen

+Gymnasium St. Leonhard

Aachen

Consortium

Language

• Which interference errors and other language errors do native youngsters make in the languages of the other EMR border regions?

• Which interference errors and other language errors do Polish and Turkish youngsters make in the EMR languages? Are those errors similar to native youngsters’ errors?

Research questions

• Inventorising frequent language errors per language couple (NL, FR, DE, TR, PL as mother tongue to NL, FR, DE as target language) - by teaching professionals target language

• general language errors (e.g. overgeneralisation, interlanguage)

• interference errors: contrastive didactics

• Labeling errors- by native speaker partners:

• very disturbing - stigmatising - hindering communication and causing misunderstandings - non disturbing for native speakers

• Basis for development remedial courses for EMR students - by teaching professionals target language

• Validation - by native speaker partners

Frequent language errors

Culture (values and practises)

•Which are the cultural attributes of each of the subregions and of their migrant youngsters in particular?

•To what extent do subregions differ in the field of cultural attributes?

•Which are the cultural attributes of the 1st generation of Turkish and Polish youngsters?

•In what way are cultural attributes of Polish and Turkish youngsters different from the cultural profiles of each subregion?

Research questions

Are good language skills not sufficient for functioning/feeling well in a new region?

•Culture influences verbal (as well as non-verbal) behaviour and perception

•Common language ≠ common culture (“Dutch – Flemish”)

•Insufficient knowledge of the other person's culture > miscommunication, misunderstandings

because:

perception through the glasses of one's own culture

things that are different are bad

“Germans are stiff- Belgians are stupid–Dutchmen are loud”

Why exercises on culture?

What is culture?

“not all Belgians are stupid J”Hofstede- Trompenaars

Each individual:

personality

culture

Human nature

learned

innate

innate + learned

universal

specific for group or category

specific for each individual

What is culture?

Hofstede - Trompenaars• all individuals belonging to the same group share the

same layers of culture

symbolsjargon, hair style, flags…

heroesmodel of behaviour

ritualsgreeting, discours, ceremonials…

valuesinvisible

+ change (very) slowly

practices

visible+ changequite fast

What is culture?

Well known studies measure and compare national, larger regional (Flemish-Walloon) cultures

Hofstede – Trompenaars – Schwartz…

But so far no research on EMR subregions – no comparative research

Survey –11 cultural attributes X 4 questions X 3 cat. Respondents oMonochrone PolychroneoIndividualism CollectivismoExternalism InternalismoUniversalism ParticularismoSmall power distance Big power distanceoMasculinity FemininityoLow uncertainty avoidance High uncertainty avoidanceoAscription AchievementoLong-term orientation Short-term orientationoHigh context Low contextoFormal Informal

Survey cultural dimensions

>>> 30 modules

>>> combination of each subregion (source language/culture) with each of the other subregions (target language/culture)

source language/culture subregion 1source language/culture subregion 2 source language/culture subregion 3 language/culture subregion 5source language/culture subregion 4source language/culture Turks source language/culture Pools

>>> 5 target languages: BENL, NLNL, DEDE, BEDE, FR

Beginning 2013: 20 400 e-learning modules to be distributed for free in EMR!!!

Development: language & culture learning modules

• Tutorial CALL: computer as tutor, a program with a recognisable “teaching presence”

• Suited for autonomous learning (self-study) + for semi-autonomous blended learning: self-study based on the individual use of e-modules is combined with a physical face-to-face or on-line coach

• Remedial course with

• interactive language exercise material based on error analysis (anticipated errors): importance of immediate and tailor-made feedback

• interactive culture exercise material based on regional culture research

• Suited for teachers + HE students, and different types of learners (learning preferences, linguistic and cultural backgrounds, …)

• Development with dedicated authoring software for web environment

• Communicative language learning

• Include all language competences: listening, reading, speaking, interacting, writing

Instruction/teaching presence

• Tutorial modes:

• Presentation: provide info (i.c. in target language) using text, tables, schemes, pictures, video (interaction limited to clicking, pausing, repeating)

• Exploration: learners do the asking clicking on links, pictures, audio, looking for info with the option of skipping info already known

• Interrogation: computer does the asking, prompting the student for a response, providing feedback (correct and incorrect answers, score, comment) on accuracy of that response

• Didactic progression: from receptive to productive, to synthesis exercises

• Contrastive approach:

• comparison mother tongue-foreign language & 2 cultures

• use of facilitating language elements (positieve transfer) and of language differences causing errors (negative transfer)

Hubbard, 2001

Module NL-FRBE Limburg Liège

Language exercises

Culture exercises

AF_FR IF_NL-FRPractices

BELimburg + Liège

Dimensions BELimburg-

Liège

Module 1.

Content e-modules (e.g. module 1)

Communicative themes

1.Relaxation after college/work2.Accomodation3.Food4.Transport5.Extra earnings6.Studies and ceremony7.Communication8.Clothing and dress code9.Shopping10.Hierarchy study/work11.Religion and rituals12.Associations13.Study facilities14.Heroes/personalities15.Miscellaneous

Structuree-modules

Cultural practicesCultural practices

Module FR-NLLuik BE Limburg

Language ex. (AF and IF) Culture ex.

Cultural attributes1.Pronunciation and phonology

1.1 Separate sounds1.2 Stress(1.3 Liaison)1.4 Intonation

2.Spelling2.1 Spelling mistakes2.2 Interpunction

3.Morphology4.Syntax

4.1 Word order4.2 Congruence4.3 Missing sentence elements 4.4 Superfluous sentence elements 4.5 Auxiliary verbs

5. Lexicology and semantics5.1 Words5.2 Word combinations5.3 Expressions

6. Pragmatics

1. Relaxation after college/work

2. Accomodation3. Food4. Transport5. Extra earnings6. Studies and

ceremony7. Communication8. Clothing and dress

code9. Shopping10.Hierarchy study/work11.Religion and rituals12.Associations13.Study facilities14.Heroes/personalities15. Miscellaneous

1. Background culture and communication

2. Discovery own culture + how do others see my culture

3. Discovery target culture + comparison

4. Interpretation behaviour4.1 each cult. attribute4.2 all cult. attributes

5. Cultural strategies

LINEAR PROGRESSION

Exercises Theory

Language Culture

1. PR2. SP3. MO4. SY5. LE6. PG

- Source culture- Target culture

hyperlinks

Language exercise: example pronunciation FR

Culture exercise: example masculinity-feminityCouple Liège – Dutch LimburgFase 4: interpretation c2 behaviour

A Liège student hires a room in the house of a Dutch family. The man works half-time to take care of the kids and the housekeeping, the

woman works full-time.How can you interpret this? (multiple choice exercise)

• The man is dominated by the woman. • The woman is a feminist.

• This is normal in Dutch Limburg.

www.uhasselt.be/ctl

Research & developmentProjects and partnersINTERcCOM

www.commart.be (spin-off CTL)

Marketable e-modules Authoring software for creation of learning modules (web service)

More information?