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Contentid: 24605
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Title: Using Online Media to Increase Pragmatic Competence
Body:

By Zach Patrick-Riley, CASLS Fellow

Learners need to be able to navigate a myriad of sociocultural contexts and transcend geopolitical boundaries (Bachman,1990; Canale & Swain, 1980; Celce-Murcia 2008; Sykes, 2016; Taguchi & Sykes, 2012). Often cited in discussions of sociocultural awareness is Byram’s (1997) Intercultural Competence Model which articulates the importance of specifically training students to interact in intercultural contexts. Of related importance is interlanguage pragmatics, a field that can be summarized as the place where language and culture intersect. Sykes (2016) illuminates the central crux of this field writing, “Meaning is not always linguistically encoded and is often understood through implicature, background knowledge, and cultural factors.” To summarize, pragmatic competence is the ability to communicate and interpret what was intended, keeping all dynamic sociocultural factors in mind.  

Sykes (ibid.) and other researchers (Brown & Adler, 2008; Kessler, 2013; Sykes, Oskoz, & Thorne, 2008; Thorne, 2008) point to the utility of online media in promoting the acquisition of pragmatic competence. An underlying foundation for this assertion is the social context provided by the media. There are consequences for communicating what was intended and for understanding the illocutionary force (speaker’s intent) of utterances. For example, Massive Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games (MMORPG’s) require players to work together to achieve a common goal. In a very real way, success rests upon pragmatic competence (Sykes, ibid.) in the target language. Consequently, learners engaging in these gaming spaces are likely to be motivated to increase their knowledge and awareness in this domain.

Other CMC (Computer-Mediated Communication) media promote improved pragmatic competence as well. For example, in the language exchange app Tandem, learners communicate with expert speakers of the target language currently living in a country of their choosing. These exchanges, along with exchanges in other CMC media (e.g., social media platforms, telecollaboration, and SMS tools), prime users to discuss and reflect on various discourse patterns, contexts, experiences, and distinct worldviews. Such work primes learners to be more socio-culturally conscious going forward (Kasper, 2000; Sykes, 2016). The potential impact of CMC media on improving pragmatic competence is multiplied upon consideration of increasing access to digital technologies in the domestic sphere. Simply put, learners who want extra practice in the L2 may engage in it autonomously.   

To sum up, to promote learner interactions in a multitude of social contexts, it is necessary to include meaningful material which goes beyond ‘traditional’ language learning and prepares students to be 21st century communicators (Brown & Adler, 2008). In the end, the goal is not to disregard linguistic competence, rather it is to have a more holistic curriculum which facilitates cross-cultural and cross-situational communication and pragmatic awareness.

This week’s Activity of the Week uses the new mobile application called LingroToGo, which has explicit pragmatic training. You can download the app at http://www.lingrolearning.com/ .

References

Bachman, L. F. (1990). Fundamental considerations in language testing. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Brown, J., & Adler, R. P. (2008). Open education, the long tail, and learning 2.0. Educause Review, 43(1), 16-20.

Byram, M. (1997). Teaching and assessing intercultural communicative competence. Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters.

Canale, M., & Swain, M. (1980). Theoretical bases of communicative approaches to second language teaching and testing. Applied Linguistics, 1(1), 1-47.

Celce-Murcia, M. (2008). Rethinking the role of communicative competence in language teaching. In Soler, E. & Safont Jorda, M. (Eds.), Intercultural language use and language learning (pp. 41-57). Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer Netherlands.

Kasper, L. (2000). New technologies, new literacies: Focus discipline research and ESL learning communities. Language Learning & Technology, 4(2), 105-128.

Kessler, G. (2013). Teaching ESL/EFL in a world of social media, mash‐ups, and hyper‐collaboration. TESOL Journal, 4(4), 615-632.

Seely Brown, J., & Adler, R. P. (2008). Open education, the long tail, and learning 2.0. Educause Review, 43(1), 16-20.

Sykes, J. M. (2017) Technologies for teaching and learning intercultural competence and interlanguage pragmatics. In C. A. Chapelle and S. Sauro (Eds.), The handbook of technology and second language teaching and learning. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.  http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9781118914069.ch9/summary

Sykes, J. M., Oskoz, A., & Thorne, S. L. (2008). Web 2.0, synthetic immersive environments, and mobile resources for language education. CALICO Journal, 25(3), 528-546.

Thorne, S. L. (2008). Mediating technologies and second language learning. In Coiro, J. (Ed.), Handbook of research on new literacies (pp. 417-449). New York: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates/Taylor & Francis Group.


Source: CASLS Topic of the Week
Inputdate: 2018-02-12 08:18:18
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Contentid: 24606
Content Type: 4
Title: Meal Etiquette: Don't Be Mr. Bean
Body:

By Zach Patrick-Riley, CASLS Fellow

Knowing how to navigate meal etiquette can be quite tricky, as behaving politely in these situations goes beyond knowing the food vocabulary and saying please and thank you. This activity aims to increase students’ awareness around being both verbally and non-verbally polite during mealtimes through the Observe >Act Model. This strategy will help students have positive interpersonal interactions and increase their pragmatic competence. 

Objectives: Learners will

  • Increase their pragmatic competence as it relates to meal discourse.
  • Describe why it is important to understand non-verbal communication.
  • Use observed behavioral patterns as a model for how to act during a meal and, consequentially, other social situations. 

Mode: Interpersonal

Materials needed:

Procedure:

1.  Students discuss the following question in pairs:

  • Have you eaten a meal in an unfamiliar context (e.g., the home of someone you just met, a home in another country)? How was your experience?

2.  Point to the title of the video on the projector, “Using Observed Behavioral Patterns as a Model” and ask the class what they think the video will be about.

3.  Have students watch the video and check their predictions.

4. Have students watch the video again and write down two answers for the question “How does Ian know how to act?” (answers will vary but possibilities include: mimic patterns he observes, consider physical actions, observes the language that accompanies different behaviors). Students check answers in pairs, and the whole class discusses.

5. In pairs/trios, students discuss these questions:

  • What else is important to consider during meals?
  • Do you know of any other behavior patterns during meals across the world?
  • What’s an interesting meal experience you’ve had?

6.  Hand out Observe Act Sheet to each student. Show Mr. Bean clip found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WvKJhwea1U. While watching students put each Mr. Bean action into one of the three columns: Action is following the Observe > Act Model, action is Not Following Observe > Act Model, or unclear. After video ends, students compare their answers with a partner and say why they put the action where they did. The whole class then discusses what students noticed.

7. Students discuss the following questions in pairs followed by whole class feedback.

  • How was Mr. Bean following or not following the Observe > Act Model?
  • How could Mr. Bean have been more polite?

8. To close, ask for volunteers to share something that they took away from the activity.

Notes/Modifications:


Source: CASLS Activity of the Week
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Contentid: 24607
Content Type: 5
Title: The Bridging Project: Building Collaboration and Access Across the Country
Body:

The Center for Applied Second Language Studies (CASLS) extends its thanks and congratulations to Jocelyn Danielson Raught and her class at Cactus Shadows High School of the Cave Creek Unified School District in Phoenix, Arizona, for piloting Gender and Society, a module within a place-based language learning curriculum developed by the team at CASLS. CASLS is delighted to have the opportunity to pilot this content advanced Spanish language learners. Thank you for your contribution to improving the course and making it better for Spanish students around the country.

The place-based language learning curriculum, otherwise known as the Bridging Project, has already been piloted for advanced learners of Mandarin and is slated to be piloted for advanced learners of Russian as well. For more information, check out https://casls.uoregon.edu/student-programs/bridging-project/!


Source: CASLS Spotlight
Inputdate: 2018-02-12 09:55:25
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Contentid: 24608
Content Type: 4
Title: "I See, I Think, I Wonder": Exploring Cultural Artifacts
Body:

This month, we will be offering activities that exemplify thinking routines (for more information please see Project Zero out of the Harvard Graduate School of education at  http://www.pz.harvard.edu/). These thinking routines are incorporated in the classroom in the hope that they will help learners dissect and acquire knowledge and skills in learner-directed contexts. This particular activity is designed to illustrate Haiti’s complex and rich cultural identity. It features the “See, Think, Wonder” thinking routine. This routine can be applied to a variety of contexts.

Goals: Learners will be able to:

  • Describe colors, shapes, and basic imagery.
  • Discuss their perceptions with others.
  • Identify additional information that they need or want to know to promote further inquiry.

Mode: Interpersonal Communication

Materials: A photo or image. For this particular context (exploring the culture of Haiti), this image (https://i.ytimg.com/vi/U1rEIUu3NmA/maxresdefault.jpg) was chosen.

Procedure:

  1. Inform learners that they are going to complete the “See, Think, Wonder” thinking routine. Be explicit that this activity is designed to promote critical thinking and to bring learners’ awareness to their existing perceptions as well as the perceptions of others.
  2. Ask learners what they see in the image. Provide one minute for thinking and one minute for writing.
  3. Ask learners what they think about the image. Provide one minute for thinking and one minute for writing.
  4. Ask learners what they wonder about the image. Provide one minute for thinking and one minute for writing.
  5. Conduct a class discussion that explores what learners see, think, and wonder about the image. The success of this discussion rests upon a variety of factors. The most critical factors to keep in mind are listed below.
  • What learners see must be objective. For example, if they are looking at a building made of red brick, they should not decide what that the brick building is. It is typical that they will (which illuminates their perceptions), so make sure to redirect the discussion to what they see.
  • What learners think is subjective. Allow them to share their various opinions.
  • What learners wonder about can and should prime further discussion and investigation.

Notes: If you use the image linked in this activity, the information below may be helpful.

  • This vehicle is called a tap tap bus and is used for public transportation.
  • Usher, the performer from the United States, is the image on the door.
  • Writing is in English and French. The French phrase above the rear windows means “God acts without speaking.”
  • A possible extension activity would be an exploration of the various cultures that comprise contemporary Haitian culture. This extension could involve the identification of various cultural artifacts and exploring the degree to which they are hybridized.

Source: CASLS Activity of the Week
Inputdate: 2018-02-12 10:10:35
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Contentid: 24609
Content Type: 4
Title: Colleague Observation
Body:

This activity is designed to help educators who are establishing or who have established a Professional Learning Community (PLC). It involves the Peer Classroom Observation Report, an adapted classroom observation tool originally developed by Dr. Julie Sykes.

Learning Objectives:  Educators will be able to:

  • Provide colleagues with clear, objective feedback on their teaching.
  • Identify and evaluate evidence of contemporary pedagogical approaches to language acquisition in the classroom.
  • Build a shared vocabulary to inform subsequent discussions related to language education.

Materials Needed: Colleague Classroom Observation Report

Procedure:

  1. Select a colleague that you would like to observe. While unnecessary, it is recommended that you all engage in reciprocal observations (you observe one another).
  2. Agree upon a time (at least 20 minutes) in which to execute your observation(s). Shorter time periods are perfect for observing targeted best practices, while longer observations allow for more comprehensive insight.
  3. Engage in the observation. As you observe, fill out the Colleague Classroom Observation Report. Be as objective as possible. For example, comments like “Learner was on his phone during video” are more helpful to debriefing with your colleague than “Learner was unengaged while the video played.”
  4. Schedule a time to debrief after your observation. If you decide to engage in reciprocal observations, it is best to debrief simultaneously.
  5. Provide your colleague with the Colleague Classroom Observation Report that you filled in either before or during your meeting to debrief.

Notes:

If you want to observe your colleague but your schedules don’t align, it is fine to record your classes and share the video recordings to inform the observations. Not all classroom interactions will be visible, but this approach is nice for its capacity to facilitate collaboration across various campuses.


Source: CASLS Activity of the Week
Inputdate: 2018-02-12 10:28:05
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Contentid: 24610
Content Type: 5
Title: LingroToGo: Language Strategies on the Go!
Body:

Did you know that LingroToGo, a supplementary, mobile, video-game based app for enhancing the learning of Spanish, has materials to support learners of all languages? We are excited to highlight that the app incorporates free, one-minute videos about a language learning strategies that complement each featured language function! Teachers, no matter what language they teach, can have their students download the app and use these videos in class or assign them for homework to help their students learn how to learn. They are great warm-up activities, reflection activities, and can even be used as part of class discussions to encourage and empower learners. The one minute it takes to watch the video has the potential to unlock new approaches to learning for students.

LingroToGo is available on the App Store (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lingrotogo/id1273904866?mt=8) and on Google Play (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lingrolearning.LingroToGo&hl=en).

Download it today and start practicing language learning strategies on the go!


Source: CASLS Spotlight
Inputdate: 2018-02-12 10:48:40
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Contentid: 24611
Content Type: 1
Title: February 2018 Issue of Language Learning & Technology
Body:

From http://www.lltjournal.org

Volume 22, Number 1 of Language Teaching & Technology, a free refereed journal for second and foreign language scholars and educators brought to you by our sister LRC the National Foreign Language Resource Center, is available online at http://www.lltjournal.org/page/15.

In this issue: 

Articles:

A system for adaptive high-variability segmental perceptual training: Implementation, effectiveness, transfer
Manman Qian; Evgeny Chukharev-Hudilainen; John Levis

Improving argumentative writing: Effects of a blended learning approach and gamification
Yau Wai Lam; Khe Foon Hew; Kin Fung Chiu

Interactive digital textbooks and engagement: A learning strategies framework
Dawn Bikowski; Elliott Casal

Does the test work? Evaluating a web-based language placement test
Avizia Y. Long; Sun-Young Shin; Kimberly Geeslin; Erik W. Willis

Pre-service EFL teachers' online participation, interaction, and social presence
H. Müge Satar; Sumru Akcan

"I do which the question": Students' innovative use of technology resources in the language classroom
Melinda Dooly

Discourse moves and intercultural communicative competence in telecollaborative chats
Marianna Ryshina-Pankova

"Thanks, shokran, gracias": Translingual practices in a Facebook group
Derya Kulavuz-Onal; Camilla Vásquez

Columns:

Second language writing online: An update
Robert Godwin-Jones

Flipping the classroom in teaching Chinese as a foreign language
Jia Yang; Chengxu Yin; Wei Wang

Turnitin and peer review in ESL academic writing classrooms
Jinrong Li; Mimi Li

Language learners' perceptions of having two interactional contexts in eTandem
Se Jeong Yang

Reviews:

Review of Online intercultural exchange: Policy, pedagogy, practice
Han Luo; Min Gui

Review of Learner autonomy and Web 2.0
Randall Sadler

Review of Digital language learning and teaching: Research, theory, and practice
Ayşe Merzifonluoğlu; Talip Gonulal


Source: NFLRC
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Contentid: 24612
Content Type: 1
Title: Book: Designing and Implementing Multimodal Curricula and Programs
Body:

From https://www.routledge.com/Designing-and-Implementing-Multimodal-Curricula-and-Programs/Lee-Khadka/p/book/9781138065727

Designing and Implementing Multimodal Curricula and Programs
Edited by J. C. Lee and Santosh Khadka
Published by Routledge Taylor & Francis Group

This volume presents a comprehensive overview of multimodal approaches to curriculum and programmatic implementation across a diverse range of teaching environments and across geographic and cultural boundaries. Featuring contributions from scholars within and across both disciplines, the book examines the ways in which new technologies link to expanding definitions of literacy and, building on this, how multimodal approaches might most effectively address the unique opportunities and challenges instructors face in contemporary classrooms and professional development programs. Chapters draw on case studies from both existing scholarship and findings from the authors' own experiences in practice, including examples from writing, rhetoric, and composition courses, open online learning courses, and interdisciplinary faculty training programs. The final section of the book showcases how the conversation might be further extended to address increasingly multilingual classrooms by exploring how multimodality has been implemented in transnational settings. Engaging with key questions at the intersection of programmatic and curricular development and multimodal studies, this book is a fundamental resource for graduate students and scholars in multimodality, rhetoric studies, language education, applied linguistics, and communication studies.

Visit the publisher's website at https://www.routledge.com/Designing-and-Implementing-Multimodal-Curricula-and-Programs/Lee-Khadka/p/book/9781138065727


Source: Routledge
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Contentid: 24613
Content Type: 1
Title: Call for Papers: 21st Annual Workshop on American Indigenous Languages
Body:

From https://linguistlist.org/issues/29/29-653.html

21st Annual Workshop on American Indigenous Languages (WAIL 2018) 
Santa Barbara, CA 
April 20-21, 2018 

WAIL provides a forum for the discussion of theoretical, descriptive, and practical studies of the indigenous languages of the Americas. Anonymous abstracts are invited for talks on any topic relevant to the study of indigenous languages of the Americas. 

Deadline for receipt of abstracts: February 23, 2018 

View the full call for papers at https://linguistlist.org/issues/29/29-653.html


Source: LINGUIST List
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Contentid: 24614
Content Type: 1
Title: Call for Papers: Generative Approaches to Language Acquisition North America Conference
Body:

From http://galana8.indiana.edu/index.php?w=1280&h=800

The 8th biennial conference on Generative Approaches to Language Acquisition - North America (GALANA-8) will take place at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, on September 27-30, 2018. 

The GALANA conference features theoretically informed research on all types of language acquisition scenarios, including (but not limited to) monolingual first language acquisition, bilingual/multilingual first language acquisition, second language acquisition by children as well as adults, third language acquisition, acquisition of signed as well as spoken languages, language disorders, language acquisition in the presence of cognitive impairment and autism, the development of pidgins and creoles, and language attrition. GALANA-8 will be preceded by a special workshop, "Attrition in Individuals and Communities" on Thursday, September 27. 

GALANA-8 invites abstracts for the main session (oral & poster presentations) as well as the special workshop "Attrition in Individuals and Communities" (poster presentations only).

All abstracts are due March 21, 2018.

See the full call for papers at http://galana8.indiana.edu/index.php?w=1280&h=800


Source: Indiana University
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