scholarly journals Integrating cross-cultural interaction through videocommunication and virtual worlds in foreign language teaching programs: burden or added value?

2012 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 93
Author(s):  
Kristi Jauregi ◽  
Rick De Graaff ◽  
Silvia Canto
ReCALL ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Canto ◽  
Kristi Jauregi ◽  
Huub van den Bergh

AbstractOrganizing and implementing telecollaboration projects in foreign language curricula is not an easy endeavour (Belz & Thorne, 2006; Guth & Helm, 2010), as pedagogical, organizational and technical issues have to be addressed before cross-cultural interaction sessions can be carried out (O'Dowd & Ritter, 2006; O'Dowd, 2011). These issues make many teaching practitioners reluctant to try to integrate telecollaboration in their teaching, as they are more aware of the burden such initiatives might impose than of the benefits they might have for language learners.Within the European project NIFLAR1 we have tried to study the added value that integrating synchronous collaboration projects through video-web communication or Second Life might have in language learning. The study presented in this paper measures the oral communicative growth of language students, who were allocated at random to one of three research conditions: (1) the VC experimental group carried out interactions with native peers through video-web communication; (2) the SL experimental group carried out the same tasks with native peers in Second Life and (3) the control group performed the tasks face to face with classroom peers and had no opportunity to interact with native experts. Communicative growth was measured by comparing oral pre- and post-tests across conditions. Results show significant differences, the experimental groups outperforming the control group.


Author(s):  
E. V. Yakovleva ◽  
R. V. Agadzhanyan

The article offers a review of the most important trends in language didactics as revealed by the consistent development of academic thought in the field over the period of 20th-21st centuries. The aforesaid process has laid foundations for modern didactic practices in foreign language teaching, as it addresses media and competence approaches to cross-cultural understanding of functional characteristics, highlighting the new generation didactic materials.


Author(s):  
Ellen Yeh ◽  
Guofang Wan

This book chapter presents, a review of the literature from 2004-2014 regarding the various models of virtual worlds used in foreign language teaching and learning, the impact of virtual world learning environments and the implications of language teaching. The study being reported aims to address the following questions: (1) What are the models of virtual worlds used in language learning instruction in K-12 and higher education; (2) How do VWLEs impact language learning in terms of motivation, communicative competency, intercultural competency, collaborative competency, constructivist learning, and sociocultural competency; and (3) What are the implications of using VWLEs in foreign language teaching and learning? Results indicate that social context and task-based learning enhanced language learners' participation and motivations. Findings also indicate that consistent use of interactional strategies encouraged learners to engage in the tasks and stay motivated. The study suggested that a VWLE offers a motivating, engaging, and multi-dynamic environment for language learners.


Author(s):  
Ольга Ивановна Васючкова ◽  
Татьяна Васильевна Коваленок

В статье анализируется образовательный контент предмета “иностранный язык” с точки зрения потенциала для развития гибких навыков. Обсуждаются возможности экстраполяции полученных навыков на реальные ситуации делового общения юриста. The article deals with the content of foreign language teaching at law schools. The nature of soft skills development in the course of cross-cultural business communication is discussed. The authors stress the possibility of extrapolating such skills on real life professional situations.


Author(s):  
Ellen Yeh ◽  
Guofang Wan

This book chapter presents, a review of the literature from 2004-2014 regarding the various models of virtual worlds used in foreign language teaching and learning, the impact of virtual world learning environments and the implications of language teaching. The study being reported aims to address the following questions: (1) What are the models of virtual worlds used in language learning instruction in K-12 and higher education; (2) How do VWLEs impact language learning in terms of motivation, communicative competency, intercultural competency, collaborative competency, constructivist learning, and sociocultural competency; and (3) What are the implications of using VWLEs in foreign language teaching and learning? Results indicate that social context and task-based learning enhanced language learners' participation and motivations. Findings also indicate that consistent use of interactional strategies encouraged learners to engage in the tasks and stay motivated. The study suggested that a VWLE offers a motivating, engaging, and multi-dynamic environment for language learners.


10.12737/76 ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 0-0 ◽  
Author(s):  
Дубинский ◽  
Vladimir Dubinskiy

The article addresses the use of the basics of communication in foreign language teaching and the realization of communicative components in the alien linguistic environment, namely, social communication, verbal communication, cross-cultural communication.


2016 ◽  
Vol 79 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bjarne Ørsnes

Both German and Danish have distinct pronouns for addressing communication partners formally and informally (referred to as V for Sie/De and T for du/du). However, their use differs considerably in Germany and Denmark, e. g. in higher education. In Germany, the lecturer and the students use V, in Denmark they use T. Based on the observation that Danish students are very reluctant (and sometimes even opposed) to use V in the classroom in Denmark, this article proposes to consider the use of V and T as a case of Cross-Cultural Code-Switching. It is hypothesized that V causes Cultural Cognitive Dissonance for (young) Danes since V is interpreted as an overt manifestation of power distance in a society which considers itself as egalitarian. Ways to cope with such cognitive dissonance in foreign language teaching are discussed. Furthermore, the article addresses the broader question of when cultural behaviours are supposed to apply and – in particular – what conventions are appropriate in higher education in Denmark when German is the language of instruction: should we use V as in Germany or T as in Denmark? Arguments for both choices are presented and discussed.


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