Prior Experience and Student Satisfaction with E-Tandem Language Learning of Spanish and English

Recent literature in the field of foreign language learning has indicated that classroom learning is not necessarily enough for students to acquire proficiency in a foreign language. Learners who achieve a high level in the target language often combine work in the classroom with activities outside it. At the same time, a number of studies indicate that, when foreign language learners do work with their target language beyond the classroom, it is often to practice the receptive skills of reading and listening as opposed to the productive ones of speaking and writing. For this reason, students at The College of New Jersey in the United States and Universidad de Alcalá in Spain were paired up to work in tandem to practice Spanish and English through a private Facebook© page and Skype calls©. This paper discusses the impressions of 195 participating students on both sides of the Atlantic to the activities as determined through a questionnaire. The overall objective was to determine if prior experience with the two applications and in using the foreign language in conversation has an impact on student satisfaction. The results indicate prior experience with the applications and with the target language correlates with a positive estimation of the activities. Additional variations were also found. Language instructors who wish to set up an e-tandem experience are advised to assist students with less experience so that they can benefit from the activity

#InstagramELE: Learning Spanish Through a Social Network

Social networking (SN) tools have the potential to contribute to language learning because they promote linguistic interactions in person-to-person communication, increasing the opportunities to process input in the L2, engaging learners in negotiation of meaning and requiring learners to produce L2 output, as proposed in the interactionist theory by Long (1985, 1996). These virtual personal connections with other learners and language experts around the world could provide a rich environment for sociocultural language exchanges (following the principles of the sociocultural approach proposed by Lantolf, 2002, based on the work of Vygotsky, 1978) that may increase motivation for learning, develop L2 sociopragmatic competence and learners’ online identities through expression, interaction and community building, as researchers have found (see Lomicka & Lord, 2010, for a summary of SN research). In addition, social networking is also believed to promote autonomous learning because the learners take responsibility of their own learning process in socially interactive environments by exploring the L2 through communication, collaboration and experimentation (Blake, 2013). Due to the popularity of social networking sites such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, language teachers have explored different ways to integrate them into the language education curriculum. This presentation will describe the #InstagramELE global learning community of Spanish learners and teachers. Instagram involves sharing photos and images that lend themselves to the development of descriptive language. The use of visual elements often leads nicely into cultural issues and development of cultural awareness and competence. We will describe an instructional task, the #instragramELE challenge, that could be a vehicle for the acquisition of new vocabulary, cultural topics, and the development of reading and writing expression. This challenge has already accumulated more than 30000 tagged photos, from all over the world. We will also discuss its benefits and challenges as an autonomous learning tool and some ideas for classroom implementation and teacher training

Academic e-tandems as a strategy for English language learning in a Mexican university

E-tandems, or virtual synchronous exchanges, offer opportunities for language learners to practice their skills with native speakers. While they are regularly conducted informally, some institutions are exploring their academic use. This paper reports on the experience of eight students who were learning English at a public university in Mexico. They connected via Skype with a group of peers who were taking a Spanish course in the United Kingdom. Data sources included field notes taken during the e-tandem session, a follow-up survey and a focus group. Participants reported feeling motivated and excited about meeting students from another country. They practiced their oral language skills and received feedback directly from native speakers. Their learning included nonverbal communication, such as hand gestures. Participants discovered cultural differences but also common ground with their peers. The e-tandem experience was an effective strategy for foreign language learning

“Ways of integrating e-tandem mode in the language curriculum in the English career at Technical University of Cotopaxi”

E-tandem mode is a language learning method where students of different mother tongues can practice and improve a language. It has been implemented in some universities providing students with an innovative way of learning a language. E-tandem has helped students to develop their communicative and cultural competence. Despite these benefits, the Technical University of Cotopaxi (UTC) does not have this modality in the English career. Thus, it is important to integrate e-tandem into the language curriculum since it would allow pre-service English teacher to enhance their pedagogical skills. Whereby, this research study aimed at analyzing the different ways of integrating e-tandem mode in the language curriculum in the English career at UTC, because of their important experiences with this mode of language learning. The qualitative methodology was followed as well as interviews and focus groups techniques. The participants were eleven EFL pre-service teachers: two were in their fifth semester, four in their sixth semester, one in his seventh semester, and four in their eighth semesters as well as two professors. The criteria to select the participants was that they had participated in the e-tandem pilot project carried out in 2020-2021 at UTC. The bottom-up approach was used to analyze the collected data from participants’ opinions. In addition, the Academic Regime Regulations of Ecuador were analyzed, to have a better perspective of the e-tandem curriculum inclusion. The analysis of the data suggested that the e-tandem can be integrated into the curriculum of the English career in two ways: as a component of a subject and as pre-professional practice. As a component of a subject, giving rewards (scores) when learners participate in sessions. As a pre-professional practice activity in which students of the last career levels can participate as tutors in the e-tandem interactions. Moreover, as a part of the results, it can be said that if this mode is integrated into the curriculum, it would be able to minimize technological problems, have the e-tandem sessions in the schedule, and monitor students’ performance. It is recommended to apply pilot plans in the English career with the application of the e-tandem sessions in the two modalities, to then be subjected to an evaluation and thus know which of them would give better results.E-tándem es un método de aprendizaje de idiomas donde los estudiantes de diferentes lenguas maternas pueden practicar y mejorar un idioma. Éste se ha implementado en algunas universidades brindando a los estudiantes una forma innovadora de aprender un idioma. E-tándem ha ayudado a los estudiantes a desarrollar su competencia comunicativa y cultural. A pesar de esos beneficios, la Universidad Técnica de Cotopaxi (UTC) no cuenta con esta modalidad en la carrera de inglés. Por lo tanto, es importante integrar e-tándem en el plan de estudios de idiomas, ya que permitiría a los profesores de inglés en formación mejorar sus habilidades pedagógicas. Por lo cual, el presente estudio de investigación tuvo como objetivo analizar las diferentes formas de integrar la modalidad e-tándem en el currículo de idiomas en la carrera de inglés de la UTC. Se siguió la metodología cualitativa, así como también las técnicas de entrevistas y grupos focales. Los participantes fueron once profesores en formación de inglés: dos estaban en quinto semestre, cuatro en sexto, uno en séptimo y cuatro en octavo, y dos profesores. El criterio para seleccionar a los participantes fue que hubieran participado en el proyecto piloto e-tándem realizado en 2020-2021 en la UTC. El enfoque de abajo hacia arriba se utilizó para analizar los datos recopilados de las opiniones de los participantes. Se analizó el Reglamento de Régimen Académico del Ecuador, para tener una mejor perspectiva de la inclusión curricular del e-tándem. Los resultados mostraron que e-tándem puede incluirse en el currículo de la carrera de inglés de dos formas: como componente de una asignatura y como práctica preprofesional. Como componente de una asignatura, otorgando puntuaciones cuando los alumnos participan en las sesiones. Como actividad de práctica preprofesional, los estudiantes de los últimos niveles de carrera pueden participar como tutores en las interacciones. como de los resultados, puede decir que, si esta modalidad se integra en el currículo, sería capaz de minimizar los problemas tecnológicos, tener las sesiones de e-tándem en el horario y monitorear el desempeño de los estudiantes. Se recomienda aplicar planes piloto en la carrea de inglés con la aplicación de las sesiones e-tándem en las dos modalidades, para luego ser sometido a una evaluación y así saber cuál de ellas daría mejores resultados

Community-Based Learning: Face-to-Face Tandem Language Exchanges as a Complementary Course Component for Acquisition of Spanish

Conceptual, in-class communication activities are the most common oral practice foreign language educators provide for L2 learners with the absence of native speakers. In most L2 classrooms in the U.S., Spanish-speaking practice transpires among learners who share the same native language and culture. For this reason, ACTFL encourages language educators to connect with local communities and those abroad to create intercultural interactions that can provide crucial avenues for achieving proficiency benchmarks and shaping globally minded citizens. To provide intercultural language-learning experiences for 16 undergraduate learners enrolled in my Spanish III course, I created a collaboration with a local ESL organization that connected us with five adult learners of English from various Spanish-speaking countries for seven face-to-face tandem language exchanges. This study utilizes a mixed-methods approach to investigate speaking performance as well as perceptions of linguistic growth, cultural knowledge, and confidence to speak Spanish. Results suggest that most participants increased in speaking competency, learned new cultural information, and further developed confidence to speak Spanish. Intercultural interactions following the three guiding principles of tandem placed learners from both educational institutions in active learning positions and capitalized on the linguistic background and culture of each group for mutual benefit of enhanced communication and understanding of one another

Placement type and language learning during residence abroad

The “year abroad” is a longstanding component of British university degree programmes in languages. As noted by other commentators (Coleman, 1997 and this volume; Collentine, 2009), the British “year abroad” is typically undertaken by language majors with several years’ prior language study and a relatively advanced proficiency level in their target language(s). It is a common requirement for programme completion, to spend two academic semesters abroad. However students can have considerable latitude in how the time abroad is spent, and assessment by the home institution is relatively “light touch”, typically involving e.g. a substantial project or long essay. Today, languages students typically undertake one of three placement types: as English language teaching assistants, on other forms of work placement, or as Erasmus exchange students following relevant academic programmes at a partner university. Numbers of U.K. languages students undertaking the classic university student exchange version of the year abroad are relatively stable at around 7,500 per year, a much smaller number than incoming international students at U.K. universities, though numbers undertaking teaching assistantships and other work placements have risen (British Academy & University Council for Modern Languages, 2012; King, Findlay, & Ahrens, 2010). The linguistic benefits of the year abroad have been tracked in various research studies (Coleman, 1996, 1997; Ife, 2000; Klapper & Rees, 2012; Meara, 1994; Willis, Doble, Sankarayya, & Smithers, 1977). In general, this research indicates that while learners make considerable progress in their target L2, the variability which is characteristic of residence abroad programmes more widely (Kinginger, 2008) affects this group as well (on this see especially Klapper & Rees, 2012). The research project “Social Networks, Target Language Interaction and Second Language Acquisition During the Year Abroad: A longitudinal study“ (the LANGSNAP project: http://langsnap.soton.ac.uk) was planned to provide fuller evidence on L2 acquisition during the year abroad, including documenting development on a range of language domains, and connecting progress in L2 to a range of individual, social and contextual variables. (See Mitchell, 2014 for an overview.)The project tracked a cohort of 56 students majoring in French or Spanish, before, during and after spending their year abroad in France, Spain or Mexico during the academic year 2011-12.This chapter reports one aspect of the findings of this project: the experience of the French L2 participants (N=29) of different placement types in France, and how placement type related to aspects of their target language developmen

Learner autonomy and intercultural exchange in language learning: ALICE as institutional Tandem

Peer reviewe

The effects of virtual exchanges on oral skills and motivation

The present study aims to assess the benefits of participating in a virtual language exchange (VE) for practicing oral skills with native speakers by measuring learners’ motivation to learn the language, communicate, and collaborate. The oral language development of advanced learners of English at a Spanish university was compared with a control group from the same class who did not participate in the VE. This study’s motivation was two-fold: 1) pilot testing the VE project before making it mainstream and offering it as an integral part of this university’s language courses, and 2) testing whether that increased advanced learners’ purpose and motivation to communicate with others in the target language. Data were gathered from learners’ oral grades and two questionnaires to report on the participants’ experiences and examine the VEs’ potential to support the development of oral skills. Quantitative analyses of learners’ oral grades and questionnaires revealed that the VE contributed to boosting their oral skills, increased their motivation to learn the foreign language, and added a sense of purpose to collaborate with other learners while carrying out communicative tasks. Findings also suggest that improvement in oral skills was more noticeable among lower-proficiency learners taking part in the VE

Child-to-child interaction and corrective feedback during a tandem chat exchange project

L’objectif principal de cette recherche était d’examiner l’interaction entre élèves d’ALS et de FLS de sixième année du primaire du Québec et de l’Ontario communicant par clavardage et utilisant l’approche en Tandem. Plus spécifiquement, elle visait à vérifier si ces apprenants offraient de la rétroaction corrective et, le cas échéant, si cette dernière suscitait de la réparation. L’opinion des participants par rapport à leur expérience de communication en Tandem a été examinée. Les sessions de clavardage ont eu lieu sur une période de quatre mois produisant 16 séances de clavardage (8 en anglais et 8 en français). Les résultats montrent que des apprenants de langue seconde ont offert de la rétroaction corrective à 370 occasions. L’examen des données révèle que les sujets ont utilisé les trois types de rétroaction: la rétroaction explicite, la reformulation et la négociation de la forme. Contrairement à ce qui a pu être observé dans d’autres études antérieures impliquant de jeunes apprenants, une des découvertes majeures de cette recherche fut l’utilisation, par les participants, de la rétroaction explicite plutôt que la reformulation. Par contraste avec la recherche de Morris (2005) qui impliquait également de jeunes apprenants de niveau primaire utilisant le clavardage, le taux de réparation a été plutôt bas. La grande majorité des élèves d’ALS ont aimé utiliser l’ordinateur comme moyen d’apprentissage de leur L2 et de leur L1 contrairement aux élèves de FLS. Les implications pédagogiques des résultats de cette recherche ainsi que des suggestions pour de futures recherches sont également discutées.The main objective of this research was to examine the interaction between ESL and FSL sixth graders in Quebec and Ontario communicating in a Tandem chat project. More specifically, it aimed to find out if participants provided each other with different types of corrective feedback and whether this feedback led to repair. It also examined how the students viewed this project. The chat sessions took place over four months and involved the completion of 16 tasks (8 in English and 8 in French). The results showed that L2 Grade 6 students provided feedback to their chat partners in 370 instances. The students in both the ESL and FSL exchanges provided three types of feedback: explicit, recasts, and negotiation of form. A major finding is that unlike previous studies involving young learners, the preference was for explicit feedback rather than recasts. In contrast to the Morris’ (2005) study which also involved young learners engaged in chat, the rate of repair was very low. Unlike the FSL students, the great majority of ESL students liked the chat exchange and found it useful not only for learning their L2 but also their L1. The pedagogical implications of this study as well as suggestions for future research are discussed