Social Dimensions of Telecollaborative Foreign

Language Study

Julie A. BelzThe Pennsylvania State Univeristy

Presentation by Kathryn Sederberg, Nov 2008

CALL – Computer Assisted Language Learning

Research so far:Pedagogical, structuralNot cultural, historical, social dimensions

“the social turn”Recognizes culturally and historically shaped

nature of learnersRecognizes learning and teaching processes in

which they are situated

Telecollaboration

The application of global communication networks in foreign language education

Social dimensions of languge learning and use

Learner agency

Socio-cognitive investigation

Brings togetherSiociocultural, ethnographic, qualitative data

sourcesPsycholinguistic, linguistic, and quantitative

data sources

“social realism” (Archer, Layder) as an approach to the exploration and interpretation of social action

Social realism

Theoretically:Empirical world is highly complex and multi-

facetedSocial action is shaped by an intimate interplay

of macro level (social context, setting) and micro-level (linguistic interaction and psycho-biography)

Social action is embedded within history and power relations

Social realism, cont.

Methodologically:Reflects complex and layered nature of

empirical worldBedrock of interpretive work (interviews,

participant observation), but also quantitative data

Tries to keep “scientific attitude” towards social analysis without ignoring the importance of actors’ meanings

Belz’ method

Social realist investigationRelationships between structure and

agency Ex: transatlantic email correspondenceFocus on inter-relationship of broader

context of telecollaboration and language learning and language use in telecollaboration

Research map: multi-strategy research in German-American telecollaboration

Additional Factors

Research elements

Types of Data

Qualitative - Quantitative

HISTORY – eg, patterns of socialization into classroom FLL

CONTEXT

SETTING

Theoretical/interpretive characterizations, eg, institutional histories; policy documents; informational interviews with administrators; scholarly publications

Aggregates of individuals in specific social circumstances, eg, computer ownership by race/ethnicity from gov. statistical databases

POWER – eg, student-teacher or NS-NNS differentials; learning accreditation pressures

SITUATED ACTIVITY

SELF

-participant observation

-interviews with learners

-classroom discourse

-learner portfolios

-email correspondence

-chat transcripts

-biographical surveys

-project assessments

Simple forms of counting, eg, occurrence of linguistic features in electronic discourse; number of email messages composed per group

Actual Project: PhasesPhase I (US students)

Biographical sketches, university information Read first set of parallel texts, films

Phase II (German and US students)Form pairs or groups based on mutual interestsDiscuss and analyze parallel texts with partners via

email (both in English and German)Phase III (German and US students)

Merge to form larger groupsDevelop a web site with bilingual essay pertaining to

parallel texts, and a bilingual discussion of cultural construct from multiple perspectives

Phase IV (German students)Final discussion

Level of Context

Language ValuationGerman vs. EnglishDiscrepancy in proficiencyLearning expectations/perceived learning

outcomes

Technological Access and Know-HowInstitutional Level of Setting

Course accreditationAmerican perspectives (ie frustrations)German perspectives

Discussion, Conclusions

ContextNat’l differences in technological know-how, access

SettingInstitutional differences

Multidirectional Interaction of Context, Setting, Situated Activity, and SelfSocial realism (role of the individual in all this)

Telecollaborative Best Practices

Main cultural learning not related to tasks assigned

Projects should be designed to minimize the logistical difficulties to shift learning to task

OR: should the cultural faultlines inherent in this project be allowed to surface and function as the main point of intercultural learning? Pedagogical intervention (“clash of faultlines” shouldn’t

be smoothed over, but encouraged, yet not in a counterproductive way)

More cultural work at beginning