Flexibility and Interaction at a Distance: A Mixed-Model Environment For Language Learning

This article reports on the process of design and development of two language courses for university students at beginning levels of competence. Following a preliminary experience in a low-tech environment for distance language learning and teaching, and a thorough review of the available literature, we identified two major challenges that would need to be addressed in our design: (1) a necessity to build sufficient flexibility into the materials to cater to a variety of learners' styles, interests and skill levels, therefore sustaining learners' motivation; and (2) a need to design materials that would present the necessary requisites of authenticity and interactivity identified in the examined literature, in spite of the reduced opportunities for face-to-face communication. In response to these considerations, we designed and developed learning materials and tasks to be distributed on CD-ROM, complemented by a WebCT component for added interactivity and task authenticity. Although only part of the original design was implemented, and further research is needed to assess the impact of our environment on learning outcomes, the results of preliminary evaluations are encouraging

Flexibility and Interaction at a Distance: A Mixed-Mode Environment for Language Learning

This article reports on the process of design and development of two language courses for university students at beginning levels of competence. Following a preliminary experience in a low-tech environment for distance language learning and teaching, and a thorough review of the available literature, we identified two major challenges that would need to be addressed in our design: (1) a necessity to build sufficient flexibility into the materials to cater to a variety of learners ' styles, interests and skill levels, therefore sustaining learners ' motivation; and (2) a need to design materials that would present the necessary requisites of authenticity and interactivity identified in the examined literature, in spite of the reduced opportunities for face-to-face communication. In response to these considerations, we designed and developed learning materials and tasks to be distributed on CD-ROM, complemented by a WebCT component for added interactivity and task authenticity. Although only part of the original design was implemented, and further research is needed to assess the impact of our environment on learning outcomes, the results of preliminary evaluations are encouraging

Learners' Perceptions of a Web-enhanced Learning Environment: Insights from a Longitudinal Study

This article presents the results of a longitudinal study on the perceptions of a web-enhanced learning environment by a group of beginning-level students of Italian. A website was specially designed and implemented as a complement to the existing syllabus, in order to enhance interactivity, variety, and authenticity of materials and tasks, as well as flexibility and learner control. The aim of the study is to ascertain whether the introduction of computing technology can promote learners' positive attitudes, as suggested in much of the current literature on Computer-Assisted Language Learning. Quantitative and qualitative data collected from a variety of sources confirm that the introduction of computing technology can contribute to learners' positive perceptions of the opportunities offered by their learning environment. However, a few drawbacks are also identified which suggest that the introduction of web-enhanced learning in itself cannot be expected to promote and sustain learners' positive attitudes and motivation in the long term, and the more research is needed to explore effective ways of using web-based materials, particularly at introductory levels of competence in the target language

How angry can you be in French and Italian? Integrating research and teaching for the development of pragmatic competencies in L2 classrooms

In recent years, discourse analysis has contributed to raising language practitioners’ awareness of the pragmatic aspects of culture in language and communication. However, the application of research data to teaching has often been limited to ESL contexts. On the other hand, the need to use research data in teaching cross-cultural pragmatic competence has been strongly advocated in the literature on SLA (Kasper, 1997), in view of the well-documented absence of the socio-pragmatic aspects of language/culture from foreign language textbooks (Liddicoat, 1997). In this paper we illustrate the rationale, as well as the main theoretical and practical aspects, of a research project designed to allow closer interaction between our research and teaching activities. In 2003, we initiated a cross-cultural investigation of emotion display and self-disclosure by Anglo-Australian, French and Italian speakers, based on the observation and analysis of non-verbal behaviour displayed in contemporary feature films. Following a discussion of issues that pertain to our research, we suggest ways in which our results can be brought into the classroom, with a view to provide opportunities for the development of socio-pragmatic competence in learners of French and Italian

Smiling and teasing as strategies masking anger among French and Australian cultural groups

This paper reports on an ongoing project that is concerned with the interpretation and processing of emotion in communication, particularly anger, within an interactional dynamics perspective (Holtgraves, 1990). In a previous publication (Strambi & Mrowa 2007), we presented an analytical model and some preliminary analyses of ‘processing’ strategies for managing the communication of anger among friends across three cultural groups: Anglo-Australian, French and Italian. In this paper, we are presenting further elaborations on this model, and analyses from a non-verbal perspective of how smiling and teasing function in the construction and negotiation of anger scenarios among French and Anglo-Australian groups

Socialising learners into emotion communication in a L2: Establishing a link between research data and classroom-based activities. [abstract].

In this paper, we explore ways in which the results of our studies on emotion communication across cultures can be used as a starting point for material and activity design, within a language socialization approach. Starting from theoretical and pedagogical considerations, we will illustrate our rationale for material design, demonstrate some sample activities and suggest implementation strategies, as well as methods for evaluation

La dimension émotionnelle de la communication en situation interculturelle

Notre étude s’inscrit dans une perspective à la fois interrelationnelle et interculturelle et porte sur la dimension émotionnelle de la communication entre locuteurs de groupes culturellement différenciés. La démarche que nous avons adoptée s’articule autour d’une réflexion théorique plus large portant sur le comportement non verbal dans l’expression et la communication des émotions dans les relations interpersonnelles impliquant divers degrés d’investissement de soi et de distanciation. Notre attention se portera en particulier sur les manifestations de la colère, et les différences observées entre les trois groupes culturels sélectionnés dans notre étude

Executive Functioning and Personality Traits in Insomnia Disorder: A Preliminary Report on the Clinical Importance of Objective and Subjective Reduction of Total Sleep Time

To confirm and extend previous findings on the relationships between executive functioning (EF) and insomnia, as well as the available evidence on the associations between personality traits and insomnia, 30 consecutively-admitted insomnia participants and 30 community dwelling adult participants matched on age, gender and educational level, were administered a battery of EF measures and the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5). Insomnia participants underwent two full-night polysomnographic (PSG) recording, followed by a morning assessment of subjective sleep parameters. A misperception index (MI) was computed in order to identify participants characterized by objective insomnia and non-objective insomnia. The EF performance associations between insomnia and poor performance on selected executive functions was confirmed. However, the objective insomnia and non-objective insomnia sub-groups show significant differences on specific EF indices, as well as on dysfunctional personality dimensions

Assessing Sleep Habits in Italian Community-Dwelling Adolescents: Psychometric Properties of the School Sleep Habits Survey Scales

Background. In the field of adolescent sleep research, different sleep surveys have been implemented; however, psychometric properties of these instruments have been investigated only minimally. Methods. In order to assess the psychometric properties of the Sleep–Wake Problems Behaviour Scale (SWP), the Sleepiness Scale (SLS), and the Morningness/Eveningness Questionnaire (ME), a moderately large sample of community-dwelling Italian adolescents (N = 778; 59.8% female; mean age = 15.77 years) was administered the Italian translation of the School Sleep Habits Survey. Results. Internal consistency estimates values were satisfactory for all measures; dimensionality analyses suggested a unidimensional structure for SWP, SLS and ME, respectively. Goodness-of-fit statistics for the one-factor model of the SLS, SWP, and ME scale items were adequate for all measures. Non-redundant taxometric analysis results consistently suggested a dimensional latent structure for the SLS, SWP, and ME, respectively. Conclusion. Our findings supported the use of the SLS, SWP, and ME total scores as measures of sleepiness, sleep-wake problem, and morningness/eveningness, at least among Italian community-dwelling adolescents, and encourage practitioners to rely on the conventional percentiles in order to interpret the SLS, SWP, and ME total scores