Monitoring Cross Sector
Language Learner Dialogues
Jane Hughes
Lydia Buravova
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Project Background
• CROSSCALL - Cross Sector Computer
Assisted Language Learning
– Linking school and university language students
– German, Spanish, Russian, Mandarin, Arabic
• Virtual learning environment (WebCT)
– Mainly asynchronous discussion
– MP3 files to exchange spoken messages
• Both sides learn
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Research background
• Multilingual Internet (** Writing in English)
– “Netspeak” or online written language
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Language choice (eg Durham, 2003)
Code switching, (eg Danet, Herring, 2003)
Written and oral forms, (eg Warshauer et al)
How writers adapt to technical constraints, eg Greeklish
• “Electronic literacy”
– (How) should language learners be taught online
communication in the target language? (Schetzer
and Warschauer, 2000; Chen, 2006)
• Collaboration between native speakers and
language learners online (eg Lee, 2004)
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Example
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What to monitor?
• Safety
• Process of online communication
– How relationships developed
– Characteristics of language used
– Students’ awareness about language use
• Register
• Use of target language and English
– Roles and images
• How the university students see their role
• The image of themselves that the students create
• Learning
– What students in both sectors learned
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Observations
• Developing relationships
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Initiating the dialogue
Pattern of questions and answers
Topics discussed
Features of more successful dialogues
• University student role conceptions
– Not teachers
– Approach to giving help and making corrections
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Language use
– Mainly informal but some variation
• Hola! Hi! Hallo, Hey! Guten Tag, Liebe Susan, no address
• Bis bald, xxx, Liebe Grüße, schreib bald, deine Susan,
viel Spass noch in der Schule
– English mixed with target language in varying
proportions
– Errors
– Internet and Texting features
• Seufz, :)), Chats, :D
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Examples
– Student perceptions
– call-discussionexamples.doc
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Acknowledgements
• Thanks to:
– The language teachers and students at
Elliot School, William Ellis School and
Weald of Kent Grammar School
– The UCL/SSEES university students
– The project leader, Terry King
– The funders, CfBT and UCL
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References
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Chen, C-F. E. (2006). The Development of E-Mail Literacy: from Writing to
Peers to Writing to Authority Figures. Language Learning & Technology,
Vol.10, No.2, May 2006, pp.35-55
Durham, Mercedes (2003). Language Choice on a Swiss Mailing List.
JCMC (Journal of Computer Mediated Communication?), Vol 9, issue 1.
Danet, Brenda, Herring, Susan C. (2003). Introduction: The Multilingual
Internet. JCMC 9 (1), November 2003
Lee, Lina (2004). Learners’ Perspectives on Networked Collaborative
Interaction with Native Speakers of Spanish in the US. Language Learning
& Technology 8(1), January 2004, pp 83-100
Shetzer, H., Warschauer, M. (2000): An Electronic Literacy Approach to
Network-based Language Teaching. In Warschauer, M., Kern, R. (Eds.):
Network based Language Teaching: Concepts and Practice. New York:
Cambridge University Press
Mark Warschauer, Ghada R. El Said, Ayman Zohry: Language Choice
Online: Globalization and Identity in Egypt
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