Communicative tasks for language students and teacher trainees in video web communication

and virtual worlds

Kristi Jauregi, Rick de Graaff,Utrecht University

Overview• Short introduction to NIFLAR• Task design principles for intercultural

communicative competence• Video-web communication in Dutch• Second Life in Spanish• Results and discussion

NIFLAR• Time span: 1 January 2009 – 31 December 2010

• Lifelong Learning Programme• Partners: Universities of

– Granada and Valencia in Spain– Coimbra in Portugal – Palacky in Olomouc the Czech Republic,– Nevsky and Novosibirsk in Russia– Concepción in ChileTELL Consult (Netherlands)2 secondary schools, in Spain and The NetherlandsCoordination: Utrecht University

• Target languages: Dutch, Portuguese, Russian & Spanish

• Enrich and innovate academic programs of foreign languages (target groups: FL learners and pre-service teachers)

• By facilitating social and pedagogical authentic interaction in the target language, using adequate tasks with a focus on intercultural communication

• Using 2 innovative ICT environments

Objectives & ambitions NIFLAR

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FL learning in video-web communication

FL learning in virtual worlds

Task design principles for ICC in video-web communication and virtual worlds

Design principles for:• Communicative competence in L2 acquisition (Willis,

1996; Doughty & Long, 2003; Ellis, 2003; Moonen, 2007; Long, 2009)

• Intercultural competence in L2 acquisition(Byram, 1997; Müller-Jacquier, 2003)

• The application of VWC and VW in L2 acquisition (Jauregi & Bañados, 2008; Deutschmann, Panichi & Molka, 2009)

Design principles for communicative L2 competence

• Exposure to rich, authentic, multimodal and contextually relevant language input

• Elicitation of meaningful, contextually appropriate language use

• Focus on language form alonside meaning

• Convergent communicative outcome as a result of negotiation of meaning

Design principles for intercultural L2 competence

• Taking conceptions and misconceptions in daily life as a starting point

• Focus on intercultural contrasts and similarities

• Need to understand each other’s point of view for task completion

• Need to evaluate one’s own points of view by means of someone else’s

Design principles for the application of VWC

Video-web communication:• Personal contact is relevant• Access to visual cues is crucial• Nonverbal interaction is relevant• Only communication partners are present• Visual context outside communication partners is

irrelevant• Multimodal creation and negotiation of meaning

Design principles for the application of VW

Virtual worlds:• Visual context around communication partners is

relevant• Context is specifically selected for conversation

topics• As in real-life, others might interfere• Tasks should trigger oral communication• Contexts might be adapted (simplified,

exaggerated) in order to promote awareness and learning

Pilot video-web communication Dutch

Utrecht University• Participants:

- 32 pre-service teachers of different TLs(Dutch, English, Spanish, French, German)

• Integration in Mastercourse: Language Education

• February-April 2009: 10 weeks

Palacky University in Olomouc

-36 Czech students of Dutch 19 A2 + 17 B1 (CEFR)

- Dutch Language Course A2 + B1 (CEFR)

Pre-service teachers (UU)• Introduction to NIFLAR• Workgroup sessions on tasks, CMC,

CEFR, ICC • Virtual meeting with PU• Development of tasks in groups • Creation of evaluation schemes for

interaction sessions • Development of pre-/posttests • Tutorial about VWC tool• Plenary session• 3 interaction sessions (25 min.)• Poster-presentations & paper

experiences• NIFLAR surveys + interviews • Certificates of participation

NIFLAR experiences with Dutch - Process FL learners of Dutch (PU)• Introduction to NIFLAR

• Virtual meeting with UU

• Tutorial about VWC tool• Plenary session• 3 interaction sessions (25 min.)

• NIFLAR evaluation• NIFLAR surveys + interviews • Certificates of participation

FL learning in video-web communication

Examples of tasks developed by pre-service teachers

Results NIFLAR surveys (UU & PU)

Questions on the FL learners’ learning process(1 disagree … 5 agree)

T (UU)N25Mean StDev

FL (PU)N25Mean StDev

38 a. I/They have learned to talk more fluently 4,0 0,7 3,5 0,9

38 b. I/They became more confident talking in the TL 4,1 0,7 4,0 0,4

38 c. I/They became more aware of cultural contrasts & similarities

3,7 0,9 3,2 1,3

38 d. I/They have learned new words and expressions 3,7 0,6 3,2 0,7

38 e. I/They can talk more accurately 3,0 0,6 2,6 1,7

Results NIFLAR surveys (UU & PU)

Questions on the learning process of pre-service teachers

What have you learned in this project?

T (UU)N25Mean SD

60 a. How to use VWC tools for teaching purposes 4,2 0,6

60 b. How to use VWC tools for implementing purposeful interaction in the TL

3,9 0,8

60 c. To get familiar with (the elaboration of) tasks that contribute to the development of (intercultural) communicative competence

3,9 0,8

60 d. To be aware of the problems foreign language learners face when trying to communicate in the target language

3,7 0,8

60 e. To be aware of and develop adequate teaching strategies to help FL learners to overcome problems/shortages in their attempts to communicate in the target language.

3,5 1,1

Pilot Second Life Spanish

• Period: June & July 2009• Participants:

2 NS student teachers (Granada/Valencia); 2 NNS L students (Utrecht) • Objectives:

1. Explore possibilities of existing SL worlds for enhancing interaction2. Study anonymity versus familiarity in modeling interaction 3. Compare experiences: VWC versus SL

• Tasks: 1. Reflecting about intercultural similarities & differences2. Exploring Spanish SL worlds & interviewing anonymous NSs3. Sharing experiences & touring together4. Evaluating the experience

Pilot tasks for ICC in Second Life

Example Second Life

Task Evaluation

• Task 1 and 4:– dynamic verbal turn-taking– no space for silences, little action– Interaction merely task-oriented

• Task 2 and 3– much action and movements– large episodes of silence while touring around– Interaction merely process-oriented

Learners and teachers experiences in Second Life

• Were tasks adequate? (4,4,4,3)

• Should SL be integrated in language courses? (5,4,4,2)

• Which environment offers more possibilities to enrich your learning language experience? (a. Second Life b. video web communication) (a!)

• Is SL adequate for learning languages? (Yes!)

• If you had the possibility to choose the environment in future projects, which one would you use? (SL)

February 2010: Research on task environment effectiveness

• 3 conditions: VWC; VW; classroom

• Comparing ICC development– Interaction growth first/last session– Pretest/posttest

• Analysis:– LC: fluency, accuracy, complexity, adequacy– ICC: attitudes, knowledge, skills, awareness

Would you like to know more about NIFLAR?

Join us in niflar.ning.comwww.niflar.eu

r.degraaff@uu.nlk.jauregi@uu.nl