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 Project
M. 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 discussion
Students’ 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
More similarities
Mauritians
More differences
(habits, lifestyle, (way of thinking,
university education) behaviour)
Participants’ comments
The 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 discussion
Students’ perception of learning through online
interaction
• Developing relationships
Mauritians
social online interaction
building relationship
Spaniards
project not long enough
for in-depth exploration
of 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 …”
Students’ intercultural learning
Mean
Median
SD
3.54
4
1.69
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
4.5
5
1.10
1. Reading my peers’ posts
helped me reflect upon
my views and those of
my peers.
2. I enhanced my
knowledge of my
counterparts’ lifestyle,
customs and habits.
5. I now have a better
understanding of my
peers’ cultural traits.
Students’ learning autonomy
Mean
Median
SD
4.16
4
0.761
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
1. I felt motivated to
interact with my
peers online.
2.
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
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