Social networking: developing intercultural competence and

fostering autonomous learning

Ruby Vurdien White Rose Language School

Valladolid, Spain

IATEFL Manchester 2015 10-14 April

Advantages of social network sites

• Provide an opportunity to interact in authentic ways• Form social connections with their peers and share views with

them• Create profiles and develop relationships online (Thorne, 2010)• Build friendship and collaborate with others

(Lomicka & Lord, 2009)• Receive appropriate feedback through engagement online• As a form of telecollaboration, foster online intercultural

interaction between students of different countries

Intercultural competence

Intercultural competence is a combination of social and communicative skills (Meyer, 2000), including:• Empathy• Ability to deal with conflict• Ability to work collaboratively• Flexibility• Foreign language awareness• Refection on one’s own cultural background• Tolerance of ambiguity• Awareness that culture causes different discussion styles,

speech speeds, interpretation and thought patterns

Learner Autonomy

• Managing their own learning• Being able to take initiative, monitor progress

and assess their own learning (Benson, 2001; Little, 2003)Little (1994) describes autonomy as ‘the product of interdependence rather than independence’ (p. 435)

Research questions

• How do students perceive learning about each other’s culture through online interaction?

• To what extent can social interaction foster learning autonomy?

The Project

• Length – 4 months• N= 24 participants (14 Spaniards and 10

Mauritians)• Levels of Spaniards – C1 and C2 on CEFR • Mauritians – ESL speakers• Tasks assigned every 2 weeks• Platform used - Elgg

The project

• Length: 4 months • N= 24 (university students) (14 Spaniards & 10

Mauritians) • Level of participants: Spaniards -C1 and C2

(CEFR) Mauritians – ESL speakers • Tasks assigned every two weeks• The platform used - Elgg

The project

Online tasks

• Introduction of each other• University education• Hobbies and interests• Lifestyle, traditions &

festivals

• Gastronomy • Music• Interview about a cultural

trait• Making a short video

The Project

Students discussing the types of music they like

R.R. I love Bruce Springsteen and Van Morrison. I’m also into classical music, mainly one opera in particular “Madame Butterfly” and Bach, or the music and performances of classical ballets like “Swan Lake” or “The Nutcracker”. But there are many others with grand songs or soundtracks I love to listen to depending on my mood. I went to see Van Morrison when he came to Valladolid long ago, or more recently Bruce Springsteen. There is one group of music “El Grito de Harpo” who are from Valladolid and Palencia. Has anyone heard of them?

E.M. Yes, R.R. I have heard of them and they’re quite good. I am not a big fan of concerts, but, for me, one of the best days of my life was 08/07/09, the Depeche Mode´s concert in Valladolid. In this link are my six favourite songs from Depeche. Another favourite group is Extremoduro. I hate rock. I don´t like it, but Spanish rock. There is a very particular rock style in Spain that I have not seen in any other country.

The ProjectM. C. E. M. I really like your explanations about the music you like. I do agree we have very good singers and groups in Spain. I also like very much Loquillo, although I discovered him some time ago (well, I knew him, but I was never too interested in his music...better late than never!)

A. S. Interesting to read your comments! Well, I have a series of type of music I like. Like you, R.R. I’m into some classical (Beethoven Ode To Joy, Andrea Bocelli Vivo Per Lei). E….. I’m also into old rock songs like Guns N Roses, Ozzy Osbourne, Pop such as Michael Jackson then also some new recent singers like Lady Gaga. One of my favourite classical music link is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et7ivehL7wM

I. M. I’m different from you because I don’t like any specific music style. Depending on the moment, I’ll listen to some kind of music or another. When I’m at home, I prefer slower music (for instance http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qE-OA5lhRRA) unless I’m getting ready to go out! And when I’m driving, I prefer livelier music.

A.S. @ all- Mauritius doesn’t host any "big star" concert alas, we do get some French stars coming like Christophe Mae etc. But never like Lady Gaga. Rihanna. I mean we are a small island, it would be a loss for sponsors to come here. And I am sorry to be unaware of Spanish music except for: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsQ_wvNW_EQ D. A. Wow! You all seem to be music lovers! I’m sort of a music lover too, and when I’m asked what kind of music I listen to, it’s quite difficult to give a straight answer. I love to listen to many different genres of music, and most of them are sung in English. But I’m more inclined towards soft rock, rock & roll, classical and hard rock + metal. Concerning local music, I like the old Sega and some Bhojpuri songs. One favourite Sega artist is Serge Lebrasse. Mauritius also had the pleasure of having a local rock band. This band is called “Xbreed Supersoul”, and one song I like is Be Mine. E. M. @ D. A. What´s the language of the Sega songs? New Daft Punk´s single is great! V. A. @ D. A. Serge Lebrasse is the best D.A. , and Bhojpuri boys reminds me when I go to weddings, especially on Saturday evening.

Participants’ interview questions

• Architecture – What kind of architectural style is popular in Mauritius? What materials are used in construction?

• Politics – I’d like to know about the political system in Spain. What do you think of the politicians in general?

• Health – In Spain we have a system called ‘Social Security’, which means we pay through our taxes and not when we visit doctors. What is the system like in Mauritius?

• Research – In Mauritius not much money is invested in research. What about in Spain?

Spanish Video

Mauritian Video

Results and discussionStudents’ perception of learning through online

interaction• Positive overview of learning experience• Enhancement of knowledge (university education, hobbies,

lifestyle, traditions, music, food)• Assessment of cultural similarities and differences:

Spaniards MauritiansMore similarities More differences

(habits, lifestyle, (way of thinking, university education) behaviour)

Participants’ commentsThe Spaniards:• “… it’s very interesting. We live far from our peers, but our system of education

is very similar…”• “ …we live in a globalised world so we know what is happening in other

countries…” • “… we listen to the same music and go out like all young people …”• “… it’s amazing! We also live with our parents while studying …”The Mauritians:• “… we live on an island and we’re more insular …”• “… not as open-minded as our Spanish friends …”• “…we don’t have the same opportunities as them, for example they travel

more than us …” • “… our experiences are different from theirs … we think differently about different issues …”

Results and discussionStudents’ perception of learning through online interaction

• Developing relationships

Mauritians Spaniardssocial online interaction project not long enough for in-depth exploration of relationship

building relationship

Participants’ comments• Mauritians“… I’ve learned so many things about my Spanish partners and I feel so close to them …” “ … I’m happy to have made new friends … this project has helped me to make new friends …” “… my Spanish peers are so nice and friendly and we have established a very good relationship…”

• Spaniards“… I don’t think I’ve developed friendship with my Mauritian peers because we didn’t have enough time to know each other well …”“ … I don’t consider my Mauritian partners friends as I need more time to make friends … it wasn’t a deep relationship …”“ … for me it’s not easy to become friends online in this way…”

Results and discussion

Learning autonomy

• Managing and planning learning activity

• Tasks motivated them to exchange their views• Information on different issues was shared• Collaborative tasks encouraged critical

reflection

Participants’ comments

• Spaniards“… I really enjoyed planning the tasks with my peers, especially, when we made the video …”“… I developed collaborative skills by exchanging views and sharing information with my peers …”

• Mauritians“...I wasn’t used to reflecting on my peers’ views …”“…I’d never done such an activity before and I didn’t know how to do it …”

Mean Median SD1. Reading my peers’ posts

helped me reflect upon my views and those of my peers.

3.54 4 1.69

2. I enhanced my knowledge of my counterparts’ lifestyle, customs and habits.

4.5 5 1.10

3. I found more similarities than differences in my peers’ habits. 3.58 4 1.21

4. I was curious to learn about my peers’ culture. 4.41 5 1.10

5. I now have a better understanding of my peers’ cultural traits. 4.5 5 1.10

Students’ intercultural learning

Mean Median SD

1. I felt motivated to interact with my peers online.

4.16 4 0.761

2. I developed collaborative skills. 3.62 4 1.13

3. I benefited from sharing knowledge and exchanging views with my peers.

3.45 4 1.28

4. I felt free to work at my own pace and monitor my work.

4.12 4 1.26

5. I found my peers’ comments to be very helpful and informative.

4.08 4 1.10

Students’ learning autonomy

Suggestions

• Length of project is of utmost importance• Tasks should be of thought-provoking nature• Clear information and feedback should be

provided by the teacher• A high degree of motivation is crucial for

intercultural development and learner autonomy

Conclusion

• Increase in motivation due to the dynamic nature of the online interaction

• Enhancing their understanding of each other’s cultural traits through collaborating with each other

• Greater engagement among students through social online interaction, helping them to manage their learning tasks in an autonomous way

THANK YOU• Benson, P. (2001). Teaching and researching autonomy in language learning. London:

Longman.• Little, D. (2003). Learner autonomy and second/foreign language learning. Subject Centre for

Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies, Guide to Good Practice. Available at http://www.llas.ac.uk/resources/gpg/1409

• Little, D. (1994). Learner Autonomy: A theoretical construct and its practical applications. Die Neuren Sprachen, 93(5), 430-442.

• Lomicka, L. & Lord, G. (2009). Introduction to social networking, collaboration and Web 2.0 tools. In L. Lomicka & G. Lord (Eds.), The next generations: Social networking and online collaboration in FL learning (pp. 1-11). San Marcos TX: CALICO Consortium.

• Meyer, F. (2000) “Wir waren, sind ein multinationales Haus”: Zur Bedeutung und Aspekten interkultureller Kompetenz am Beispiel eines Dienstleistungsbetriebes, Ressourcen, Kompetenzen, Qualifikationen: Potenziale von Zuwanderern in Weiterbildung und Arbeitsmarkt (pp. 17-26). Hamburg: Gesellschaft für Arbeit, Technik und Entwicklung.

• Thorne, S. (2010). The ‘intercultural turn’ and language learning in the crucible of new media. In F. Helm & S. Guth (Eds.), Telecollaboration 2.0 for Language and Intercultural Learning. Bern: Peter Lang.

Thank You