Virtual worlds jauregi et al eurocall 2010 slideshare

Enhancing meaningful oral interaction in Second Life

Kristi Jauregi, Ton Koenraad, Silvia Canto, Rick de Graaff,

Utrecht University, TELL Consult,and partners

Structure• Introduction to NIFLAR • Experiences with virtual worlds

– Pilots– Follow-up:

• Tasks & scenarios• Fragments• Added value

• Open-Sim• Conclusions

Background to NIFLARLimitations in FLL & teaching contexts. Teaching:

• Teacher, book and grammar oriented• Scarce opportunities for FL learners to engage in meaningful

interaction with native peers • Intercultural awareness insufficiently addressed (Lace Report, 2007) • ICT underused (ICT-Impact Report, 2006) • Low motivation, low levels of achievement, possible drop outs

(Final Report High Level Group of Multilingualism, 2007)

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

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

• Target languages: Dutch, Portuguese, Russian & Spanish

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

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

• Target languages: Dutch, Portuguese, Russian & Spanish

To enrich and innovate academic programs of foreign languages and make them more rewarding and relevant

Promoting blended learning

Through the use of two virtual environments:– Video web communication (Adobe Connect) – 3D Virtual Worlds (Second Life / Open SIM)

To study the added value of implementing networked interactions

Two target groups: – FL learners at secondary and tertiary levels – Pre- (in) service teachers

Main objectives of NIFLAR:

Second Life

Open Sim

Adobe connect

Experiences with virtual worlds in NIFLAR• June-July 2009: first pilot experience with Second Life• Explore the possibilities of the existing world• TL: Spanish• 2 NS (U Valencia & Granada)• 2NNS (U Utrecht)• Volunteers• 4 exploratory tasks:

– ICC (x4) - Sharing exploration (x2)– Exploring (x2) - Evaluation (x4)

• Sessions recorded

Exploring the affordances of VWs• Opportunities for real-life and virtual synchronous voiced

communication & collaboration with (native) speakers of the target language

• Opportunities for creating culture-specific virtual scenarios for contextualised social communication

• Opportunities for action learning (Deutschmann et al. 2009)• Multimodal interaction (Hauck, 2010)

Resort to a sound pedagogical teaching approach > TBLT (Willis 1996, Ellis 2003)

Pilot 2: November-december 2010

•Scenarios for interaction task driven•Participants:

-4 student teachers (Valencia, Granada)

- 8 FLL of Spanish (Utrecht)

•Integration in language course (B2)•Scenarios for 5 tasks developed•Sessions recorded and evaluated > follow-up

Task effectiveness for language learners and student teachers

• Enhancing FL intercultural communicative competence (ICC) (Byram, 1997):

Oral interactionIntercultural awareness

• Facilitating pedagogical awareness on:ICCChallenges and opportunities of VWTask elaborationInteraction processesTeaching skills

Criteria for task design in virtual worlds

Design principles:• For communicative competence in L2 acquisition (Willis,

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

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

• For the application of VW in L2 acquisition (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/reference for task completion

In order to develop attitudes of openness and curiosity, enlarge intercultural knowledge, enhance skills of discovery and mediation in interaction, and critical awareness (Byram, 1997)

Follow-up• February – April 2010• Part of a bigger research study (2 experimental & 1 cotrol groups)

• TL: Spanish, B1• Tasks integrated in academic curricula (obligatory for FLls)

• Participants: 14 FLls (UU) & 7 pre-service teachers (UV)• Interaction formats: tryads• Tutorials + 5 interaction sessions (1-2 hours)• Data: recordings, pre-mid- and post-questionnaires,

interviews, pre- & post-tests

Research issues

What is the value of implementing virtual interaction (in Second Life) in language teaching curricula?

1. Meaningfulness2. Impact on motivation: Willingness to communicate

(MacIntyre et al. 2001) • Perceived competence• Communication anxiety

Meaningful interaction• Meaning-focused, authentic/realistic, interpersonal, spontaneous

(Krashen, 1982)

• Social (Lantolf, 2006) and transactional (social & intertersonal, information and opinion gap)

• Balanced engagement (Dörnyei & Cisar, 2005)

• Context dependent: taking into account the specific affordances of the virtual environment: action learning, multimodality

• LL: Relevant for SLA:– NEGOTIATION OF LINGUISTIC MEANING (comprehension / production)

both linguistic and cultural (focus on form) (Doughty & Long, 2003; Long, 1996; Swain, 1985; Varonis & Gass, 1986)

– NEGOTIATION OF INTERCULTURAL MEANING (Belz, 2005; Byram, 1997; Müller-Jacquier 2003)

• Student teacher: Pedagogic rich exposure

Tasks in Second Life

Task 1

Brilliant people!

-pre-task & task-NS & FLL

Brilliant people!

-pre-task & task-NS & FLL

Scenarios:-Participants go to an appartment:

look around, exchange info, watch pictures, eat and drink-Decide where to go: cinema,

Valencia, museum-Describe a brilliant person

Scenarios:-Participants go to an appartment:

look around, exchange info, watch pictures, eat and drink-Decide where to go: cinema,

Valencia, museum-Describe a brilliant person

Meaningful fragments: task 1

Exchanging info about appartment. Click here to activate the recording.

Sharing info about picturesClick here to activate the recording.

Click here to activate the recording.

Tasks in Second Life

Task 2 People and adventures:

-pre-task & task-NS & FLL

People and adventures:

-pre-task & task-NS & FLL

Scenarios:-Participants meet at a restaurant and have

to decide where to go to on holidays: winter/summer holidays.

-Go to a hotel (reception/room) -- Depending on their choice go to the

summer or winter slurl

Scenarios:-Participants meet at a restaurant and have

to decide where to go to on holidays: winter/summer holidays.

-Go to a hotel (reception/room) -- Depending on their choice go to the

summer or winter slurl

Meaningful fragments: task 2

Click here to activate the recording.

Task 3

Scenarios:Participants choose 2 out of these possible

scenes:-Birthday party / guests for dinner

- At the bar / on the bus

Scenarios:Participants choose 2 out of these possible

scenes:-Birthday party / guests for dinner

- At the bar / on the bus

People and films:Preparing, filming and evaluating scenes

Meaningful fragments: task 3

RequestsRequests

Greetings

Task 4

People with heart:Exchange info about social groups / identity

Describe pictures and compare

Scenarios:AppartmentScenarios:

Appartment

Task 5

People & cultures:Cultural contest

Scenarios:TV studioScenarios:TV studio

Task 5: meaningful fragments

Recordings

Recordings

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Week

2

3

4

5A

vera

ge

An

swe

r

VC VC VC

VC

VC

VC

VC

SL SL SL

SL

SL

SL

SL

C C C C C C C

Competence

Impact project on motivationMy competence in the target language is sufficient to communicate with natives

Start interaction sessions

Start interaction sessions

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Week

2

3

4

5A

vera

ge A

nsw

er

V

V V V V V V

S

S SS

SS

S

C C C C C C C

I like speaking to native speakers in the target language

Start interaction sessions

Start interaction sessions

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Week

2

3

4

5A

vera

ge A

nsw

er

VV

VV

VV

V

SS

SS

SS

S

C C C C C C C

I get very worried if I make mistakes when interacting in the target language

Start interaction sessions

Start interaction sessions

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Week

2

3

4

5A

vera

ge A

nsw

er

VV

VV

VV

V

SS

S

S

S

S

S

C C C C C C C

I feel nervous when speaking in the target language

Start interaction sessions

Start interaction sessions

Results post-questionnaires:The environment

X: 3,64; N:14)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Task / Week

2

3

4

5

V V V V

V

V

S

SS

S

S

SC C

C

C

C

Motivating Tasks

Results mid/post-questionnaires:Tasks

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Task / Week

2

3

4

5

VV

V

V

V

VS

S

S

S

S

SC

CC

CC

Useful Tasks

Results post-questionnaires: speech partner

Results post-questionnaires: learning

Results post-questionnaires: learning

To ta

lk m

ore

fluen

tly

Conclusions:The added value of integrating virtual interaction in education (1)

1. Challenging, motivating and innovative learning environment.

2. Offer opportunities for real-life and virtual synchronous communication with native speakers of the target language.

3. Rich linguistic and intercultural learning sequences emerge.4. Environment triggered communication sequences emerge:

spontaneous language use5. Collaborative learning and learner autonomy are enhanced.

The added value of integrating virtual interaction in education (2)

6. Participants favour experiences of enjoyment and success. 7. Support authenticity of learning by favouring motivation.8. Allows for action learning: language a resource for doing

things & engaging in meaningful co-activity (Thorne, 2010)

9. Significant impact of SL tasks on willingness to communicate.

10. Intersubjectivity and social empathy are enhanced

Would you like to know more about NIFLAR?

Come and visit our session tomorrow on teacher skillsfrom 14.00-15.30!

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

Thank you for your attention!!