Discussion #4: Technology

The article I read focused on intercultural learning through the use of blogging and ethnographic interviews.  Blogs are a form of computer-mediated communication and are used to promote reflective learning.  The idea of having L2 learners read the blogs of NS’s (native speakers) is an excellent idea and I like that it can help those students that are study abroad improve their experience abroad, as well as helping students who are at home become more inter-culturally aware.  Blogs are a good way to learn about important cross-cultural issues, see other cultural perspectives and become culturally sensitive.   I loved this quote that commented on ethnographic interviews, “According to Spradley (1980), “Ethnography offers us the chance to step outside of our narrow cultural back grounds, to set aside our socially inherited ethnocentrism, if only for a brief period, and to apprehend the world from the viewpoint of other human beings who live by different meaning systems” (pp. vii–viii).,” (p.3).  Ethnocentrism is a huge problem and it hinders the experience that a student who goes abroad.  To fully enjoy a study abroad experience a person needs to be open to different cultural experiences and therefore become culturally aware.  The article discussed a study of 16 American students who were studying abroad in Spain and were able to use blogs (personal, class, project blogs) as well as ethnographic interviews to improve their study abroad experience and cultural awareness.  I think one important point made is that students need to be taught idioms (or phrases) that are used in the foreign country that they were be visiting, so that cultural misunderstanding does not happen because of literal/direct translation.  I would not give back my experience abroad for anything and I’m happy I have been able to experience speaking and interacting with a diverse population of NS’s. 

            I think that technology is most definitely an asset when it comes to foreign language learning.  I think foreign language teachers should use social networking tools like twitter, Facebook, blogs and wiki to supplement/enhance foreign language learning.  I have to say that I have become better at writing in Spanish because of the time I spent communicating via text message and chat on Facebook.  I was able to see things written out in front of me and would get instant feedback from the person (a native speaker of Spanish) who I was talking to.  The feedback would either be they did not understand, so I would have to rephrase/rethink what I wanted to say or they would send me an appropriate reply which let me know that the language I used was clear enough to get my message across.  This type of interaction is so different from just writing a dialogue or turning in a paper, since the teacher would give feedback after the fact and it did not show how language is used on a daily basis.             

 

Just this past week after I had posted a comment on Facebook in Spanish to respond to something a Mexican friend of mine had said, I actually had a friend from the Dominican Republic, who is learning English, message me and ask what “chinos” meant.  He wrote me, “hey what does mean chinos I haven't seen this word before at least mexican use it?”  I responded, “Yes, Mexicans use it. Chinos to them it means curly hair...which is really funny because Chinos (meaning Chinese people) do not have curly hair at all!” He messaged back, “alright now I know a new word.”  This shows that my friend is curious and culturally aware as well.  He knows that I have friends from Mexico, so he was correct in assuming that it must be Mexican “slang” or jerga.  It is nice to learn different dialects of Spanish and because of social networking like Facebook, I can see what my friends are up to and how they live their day to day lives. Through my friendships and continued communication with my Spanish friends via Facebook, it is like my time abroad has never really ended. 

            The Second Life for Language Learning was a cool YouTube video and I can see why this approach could be very beneficial for students who want to improve their English speaking skills.  Having a virtual classroom like this English school is an up and coming concept that is taking hold all over the world and a lot of people seem to agree that online learning is more than just a possibility, it is reality.  More people are opting to take online classes and the use of technology in the classroom has increased exponentially in the passing years.  We are more dependent on technology and it is great that we can take advantage of technology when it comes to language learning.  Face-to-face interaction with NS’s is not always a possibility, but not with computer-mediated communication we can chat, Skype, blog, twitter and get to know a NS without ever actually meeting him/her in real life.  Second Life puts a whole new spin on this because it takes role-playing to a whole new level.  I loved how the video had the English students practice being at the airport and the restaurant through this virtual world.  There were many opportunities to practice English, while also becoming more culturally competent.  During the airport practice the English teacher asked the students what they thought the most important thing was about the airport and during the restaurant practice students were able to learn about the food from other cultures.