Linguistic Markers of Intercultural Competence in Student Blogs (original) (raw)
Language and Intercultural Communication, 2009
Telecollaboration is an approach to intercultural learning that uses Internet technology as a tool to facilitate intercultural communication between classes of learners in different countries. The question of what language learners can gain from telecollaboration is fundamental in putting the case forward for its place in a language course. This paper looks at what learner diaries can tell us about learners' gains, in terms of intercultural competence, from participation in telecollaboration projects. It also explores the potential of quantitative corpusprocessing tools as a supporting tool for qualitative analysis of narrative diaries.
2020
This paper is a report on a three-month telecollaboration between two groups of students studying in ISEAH of Sbeitla in Tunisia and SPSU, Atlanta, GA, in the USA. By bringing together students from two culturally and linguistically different environments, the telecollaboration aims at helping them communicate interculturally and raise their intercultural awareness and understanding. By means of a blog, students exchanged, discussed, and compared information about their cultures in the form of stories of which they are the main characters. The telecollaboration was evaluated by means of a questionnaire inquiring about students’ satisfaction with the use of the blog, the knowledge they gained of the foreign culture, their attitudes toward it, and the intercultural communicative skills acquired. The findings revealed participants’ satisfaction with the use of the blog as a means of communication and intercultural learning. It was also found out that students’ development of intercultu...
This paper presents a case study in which the implications of using social media as part of English as a second language learning are explored. More specifically two principle questions are embraced: how does the institutional setting of a shared blog co-determine the framing of the activity by the students? And what does this framing of the activity imply for the textual interaction and linguistic repertoires that the students use? The empirical material comprise of community documentation of a blog that was created in an international collaboration between two upper secondary classes in Sweden and Thailand. The study is grounded in a sociocultural perspective and the analysis of the blog postings was informed using the conceptual distinctions of frame analysis. The findings show that the students' linguistic repertoires draw on both the language that is taught in school with rather cultured formulations corresponding to their imagined expectations of fulfilling a school task, but also to their out-of-school codemixing vernacular and jargon which are prevalent in social media. The challenge for education is how to embrace social networking sites without diminishing students' digital vernacular yet encourage and inspire their parlance in ways that enhance second language learning that may be less present in their digital vernacular but useful in other communicative contexts.
Blog Posts and Traditional Assignments by First- and Second-Language Writers
Language Learning & Technology, 2017
This study investigates differences in the language and discourse characteristics of course blogs and traditional academic submissions produced in English by native (L1) and advanced second language (L2) writers. One hundred and fifty two texts generated by 38 graduate students within the context of the same Master’s level course were analysed using Coh-Metrix indices at the surface code, textbase and situation model levels. The two text types differed in their lexical sophistication, syntactic complexity, use of cohesion and agency. Overall, the traditional course assignments were more formal, lexically sophisticated and syntactically complex, while the blog posts contained more semantic and situational redundancy, resulting in higher readability, and communicated a clearer sense of agency. There were also reliable differences between the textual artefacts generated by the L1 and L2 writers, one of which was a more traditional impersonal academic style of the L2 texts. Although no ...
Multilingual Upbringing as Portrayed in the Blogosphere: On Parent-Bloggers’ Profile
2016
This article presents the results of an online survey completed by an international group of parents who write about their multilingual upbringing experience on personal blogs. As the first stage in a multi-case study that aims at characterizing multilingual parenting styles and strategies, the web questionnaire was designed to build the profile of the participants based on their demographic and linguistic background, their blogging practices, and their family’s linguistic situation. The literature review discusses the prevalence of multilingual child rearing and endorses parent-blogging both as a genre and as a potential research data source. The methodology, on the other hand, introduces the participants, as well as the survey design procedure. Results derive from the identification of salient themes, summarized in two preliminary categories: parents’ views on being bi-/multilingual and parental insights on multilingual upbringing strategies. The descriptive-interpretive analysis ...
Discovering intercultural communication: From language users to language use
2021
Kim, H., & Penry Williams, C. (2021). Discovering intercultural communication: From language users to language use. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-76595-8 This textbook provides a succinct, contemporary introduction to intercultural communication with a focus on actual language use. With English as a lingua franca and Communicative Accommodation Theory as the underpinning concepts, it explores communication, language use, and culture in action. Each chapter includes discourse extracts so that students can apply what they have learned to real text examples, and supplementary instructor materials including suggestions for discussion points and activities are hosted on springer.com. The book will be key reading for students taking modules on Intercultural Communication or Language, Culture and Communication as part of a degree in Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, or English Language both at undergraduate and postgraduate level.
Linguacultural identity paths in the blog Me4Change
2019
The debate on migration, identity and power has been thriving over the last decades. It is now a priority not only in the context of current television programmes and talk shows but also across different genres and social media, among which a pivotal role is played by websites and blogs. In the latter, the issues of identity, power, contact and belonging come into play more than in any other domain, pushing us towards ‘translanguaging’ ethnographies and ‘superdiversity’ (Blommaert and Rampton 2011), as well as to new forms of discourse which result from a process of complex adaptation (Larsen-Freeman and Cameron 2008). The aim of this paper is to gain some insights into the use of language as a means of identity expression on the part of migrants belonging to different lingua-cultural backgrounds. More specifically, we propose some excerpts taken from the website and blog Me4Change as expression of transnational uses of English as a Lingua Franca (Seidlhofer 2003, 2011) at both ling...
Blog posts and essay-style assignments by first- and second-language writers
2021
This study investigates differences in the language and discourse characteristics of course blogs and traditional academic submissions produced in English by native (L1) and advanced second language (L2) writers. One hundred and fifty two texts generated by 38 graduate students within the context of the same Master's level course were analysed using Coh-Metrix indices at the surface code, textbase and situation model levels. The two text types differed in their lexical sophistication, syntactic complexity, use of cohesion and agency. Overall, the traditional course assignments were more formal, lexically sophisticated and syntactically complex, while the blog posts contained more semantic and situational redundancy, resulting in higher readability, and communicated a clearer sense of agency. There were also reliable differences between the textual artefacts generated by the L1 and L2 writers, one of which was a more traditional impersonal academic style of the L2 texts. Although...
Higher Education Pedagogies, 2019
Since the early 2000s, the numbers studying Modern Foreign Languages at university has declined, although there is a strong body of evidence that language capabilities are valued and in demand by employers, operating in global markets and working with international partners. A significant element in the Higher Education MFL curriculum to these challenges is to adopt innovative and engaging approaches to teaching, including the use of technology to develop the range and confidence of students' language skills and prepare them for formative and summative assessment. This paper, drawing on theoretical perspectives of social learning, peer collaboration and curriculum design, considers the role of blogging in developing language capability, engaging students with real life non-academic forms of reflective writing and addressing the interrelatedness of language skills, cultural awareness and personal growth. It discusses the challenges of embedding new assessment methods in the curriculum and potential implications for practice in and beyond Modern Languages learning and teaching.
The Routledge handbook of language and intercultural communication
Choice Reviews Online
It is commonly noted that, owing to technological advances in transportation and communication, the redistribution of production and labour, and other reasons, the potential for intercultural contact is currently greater than it has ever been in human history. Moreover, with an estimated 6,900 languages across the approximately 200 countries of the world (Lewis 2009), it is very likely that intercultural contact will involve encounters between people who speak different languages. Sometimes, these encounters take place between members of groups with a long history of interaction and thus they are rather routine, such that personal and normative expectations regarding language use effectively guide the communication process to predictable, if not mutually satisfying, outcomes. At other times, we are less well acquainted with our interlocutors' practices, and so part of the process of communication involves grappling with the acquisition of new verbal and nonverbal communication systems. Regardless of the level of familiarity, a variety of sociopsychological and sociocultural processes operate within every intercultural interaction. In this chapter, we focus on how the languages we speak are linked to feelings of identity in intercultural encounters. This relation is a reciprocal one: the languages we learn and use open up possibilities for new identities, while at the same time our identities can have implications for engagement in language learning and use. We begin with a review of how scholars in social psychology, communication studies and applied linguistics have defined identity and described its function in intercultural communication. We discuss some prominent themes that reverberate (or not) across disciplines, particularly as they relate to notions of identity, language and culture, and we consider what the various conceptualizations of these constructs imply for research methodology. In so doing, we highlight areas where we believe that theory and research can be informed through interdisciplinary rapprochement. 2. Disciplinary perspectives on identity, language and intercultural communication Social psychology The view on language, identity and intercultural communication taken by many social psychologists might be described as an 'intergroup' perspective, in that it focuses on the social
Formation of senior students’ sociocultural competence by means of blog technology
3C TIC: Cuadernos de desarrollo aplicados a las TIC, 2019
This article is devoted to the research of the formation of sociocultural competence in the process of teaching a foreign language at the senior stage with the help of the blog technology. The relevance of this article is because sociocultural competence is one of the structural components of communicative competence, which is key in the context of global intercultural communication. The aim of the research is to provide the theoretical basis and practical verification of the effectiveness of using blog technology in the formation of the sociocultural competence of senior students in a foreign language class. In the research, the authors analysed the characteristics of the blog and the benefits of its use, revealed that using the blog technology can develop almost all types of speech activities: writing, reading and listening, as well as improve the sociocultural competence of students. Obviously, the blog technology has many advantages compared to other technologies, as it includes all types of information. Consequently, the blog provides an opportunity to implement various tasks. The article describes the experimental work, namely, its purpose, tasks, stages, conditions, content, methods of teaching the formation of the sociocultural competence of senior students.
It is commonly noted that, owing to technological advances in transportation and communication, the redistribution of production and labour, and other reasons, the potential for intercultural contact is currently greater than it has ever been in human history. Moreover, with an estimated 6,900 languages across the approximately 200 countries of the world (Lewis 2009), it is very likely that intercultural contact will involve encounters between people who speak different languages. Sometimes, these encounters take place between members of groups with a long history of interaction and thus they are rather routine, such that personal and normative expectations regarding language use effectively guide the communication process to predictable, if not mutually satisfying, outcomes. At other times, we are less well acquainted with our interlocutors' practices, and so part of the process of communication involves grappling with the acquisition of new verbal and nonverbal communication systems. Regardless of the level of familiarity, a variety of sociopsychological and sociocultural processes operate within every intercultural interaction. In this chapter, we focus on how the languages we speak are linked to feelings of identity in intercultural encounters. This relation is a reciprocal one: the languages we learn and use open up possibilities for new identities, while at the same time our identities can have implications for engagement in language learning and use. We begin with a review of how scholars in social psychology, communication studies and applied linguistics have defined identity and described its function in intercultural communication. We discuss some prominent themes that reverberate (or not) across disciplines, particularly as they relate to notions of identity, language and culture, and we consider what the various conceptualizations of these constructs imply for research methodology. In so doing, we highlight areas where we believe that theory and research can be informed through interdisciplinary rapprochement. 2. Disciplinary perspectives on identity, language and intercultural communication Social psychology The view on language, identity and intercultural communication taken by many social psychologists might be described as an 'intergroup' perspective, in that it focuses on the social
Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2014
PROBLEM STATEMENT: European universities are challenged to effectively teach English and assist students in developing the intercultural skills necessary for the multicultural environment. The publication "First European Survey on Language Competences" (2012) clearly states that the English language is a basic skill and tool for employment and professional development (2012). Bertelsmann Stiftung (2006) stated that intercultural competence is the 'key competence' of the 21st century. Based on these facts, the following method is proposed for teaching English and intercultural competence within the same course. PURPOSE OF STUDY: The method is based on cross-cultural communication research and intercultural competence skill development (Bennett, 1998). METHODS: Two Italian universities were used for the pilot program. Pre-course, mid-course and final evaluations were conducted for diagnosis of intercultural competence level and oral English language ECFR level. Assessment tools based on ECFR evaluation methods and an instrument based on the DMIS by Milton Bennett were used (2003). The course activities were based on multimodal analysis (Baldry, Thibault, 2006) and cross-cultural website analysis (Toffle, 2012). FINDINGS AND RESULTS: Final results showed an improvement ranging from (.5) to one complete ECFR level in 40 hours. The intercultural competence level was initially found to be in the area of ethnocentrism but ended in the area of ethnorelativism, mostly in the 'acceptance' zone. (Bennett 2003). CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: More research and development of assessment is recommended but the preliminary results were positive.
Language Learning in Higher Education, 2014
The testing of intercultural competence has long been regarded as the field of psychometric test procedures, which claim to analyse an individual's personality by specifying and quantifying personality traits with the help of self-answer questionnaires and the statistical evaluation of these. The underlying assumption is that what is analysed and described as a candidate's personality can be treated as an indicator of that same person's practical performance in intercultural encounters. From the point of view of a test constructor for language competence, all intercultural tests of this type raise basic questions concerning their construct and predictive validity.Against this background, this article firstly examines the shortcomings of personality-based tests of intercultural competence. Secondly, based on relevant parts of the CEFR as well as on the work of numerous contributors to the international debate, a practicable construct of intercultural communicative compete...
Canadian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 2023
The Handbook edited by Jane Jackson has been released in contemporary and transnational times where interculturality-related challenges continue to emerge. Some of these challenges include "the rise in populism, elevated fear of difference, and heightened anti-immigration sentiments" (Jackson, 2020, p. 1) and may, to varying degrees, influence individuals' lives and well-being. To tackle these issues and foster greater equity, diversity, and inclusion in intercultural communication and research practices, the Handbook presents 34 chapters to introduce interdisciplinary studies of language and intercultural communication for senior undergraduate students, graduate students, and scholars from multidisciplinary backgrounds (e.g., language education, anthropology, sociology, business, tourism) who are interested in language and intercultural communication research. Each chapter not only critically assesses field-specific theories and research methods, but also discusses practical recommendations and future directions for conducting research. The Handbook categorizes chapters into five parts. Part I, 'Foundations of language and intercultural communication studies', contains five chapters mainly reviewing the (re)conceptualizations of language and intercultural communication research, with a particular focus on historical developments across the globe (Chapter 1), culture and power (Chapter 2), identity and communication (Chapter 3), intercultural competence and citizenship (Chapter 4), and criticality and reflexivity (Chapter 5). Part II, 'Core themes and issues', shares a similar theoretical orientation with 14 chapters structured under three themes to discuss the relationships between language and other constructs such as culture, identity, and global citizenship education. Diverging slightly in focus, Part III, 'Theory into practice: Towards intercultural (communicative) competence and citizenship', looks at some important practices such as intercultural education for second language teachers (Chapter 20), intercultural responsibility and glocal critical citizenship (Chapter 21), digitally mediated development of intercultural competence (Chapter 22), equity-and diversity-focused global citizenship education (Chapter 23), and intercultural learning assessment (Chapter 24). Exemplifying interdisciplinary approaches, Part IV, 'Language and intercultural communication in context', provides diverse contexts in which intercultural communication takes place, such as international education (Chapters 25, 26, & 27), business education (Chapter 28), workplace (Chapters 29 & 30), health services (Chapter 31), legal discourse (Chapter 32), and tourism (Chapter 33). Finally, Part V, 'New debates and future directions', includes a closing chapter (i.e., Chapter 34) synthesizing ongoing debates and highlighting the need to strengthen socially just research and practical efforts so as to promote interculturality across public and private domains. This edited volume possesses several strengths. An important aspect is that all chapters exhibit a high level of criticality and reflexivity. Chapter 5, for example, explains the interconnectedness between these two notions and increases the visibility
Intercultural Language Use and Language Learning - by Eva Alcón Soler and Maria Pilar Safont Jordà
International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 2008
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While the use of appropriate linguistic items is essential for successful communication in any language, sociocultural factors also play an important role. Intercultural communicative competence is one dimension of sociocultural awareness that has been recognized as integral for communicative competence, but its practical application remains a challenge, possibly due to the fact that language educators tend to have more knowledge about the target language than its related cultural aspects (Celce-Murcia, 2007). While cultural references are, even if implicitly, prevalent in textbooks, teacher discourse, and the media, they are often reduced to “American” or “British” while the culture of speakers of English from many other countries, including Brazil, are often ignored. Another important dimension that positively affects language and cultural learning is the representation of one’s identity (Norton, 2013). In this sense, implementing intercultural communicative competence (ICC) in English Language Teaching (ELT) allows learners to express their identities while engaging in meaningful discussions about cultural views. This article provides a brief overview of communicative competence and draws on Byram’s (1997) model of ICC to suggest pedagogical applications aimed at validating student identity in English language classes, particularly but not exclusively, in Brazil.
Blogs as protected spaces for language learners
This paper discusses the idea of blogs as protected spaces for language learners. Gumbrecht (2004) suggested that blogging provides the writer with more control over the communication episode and is therefore the preferred mode of interaction for some people. This study investigates the suitability of this concept for language learning. The discussion is based on the experience of 15 language learners who used a blog for self-reflection and peer-to-peer interaction as part of a tertiary German language course. The experience of these learners shows that blogging can provide language learners with a personal space in which they feel safe to express themselves and to interact with other learners. Blogging can therefore have a positive effect on their willingness to communicate, which is one of the main objectives in second language education.