Negotiating meaning

1
Negotiating meaning

• K But I manage to study.
• F I dont understand manage.
• A She is able to study.
• K She makes time to study.

2
Q Impact of input, modeling?
vocabulary
grammar infinitive -model after error -doesnt
catch on
3
internships loses at end
field of concentration repeats clarifies
4
Group consciousness
input from all before new topic
5
Multiplethreads
Ad censorship
Ads catch attention
What money use?
6
Student evaluations

• Helpful? Beneficial?
  YES
• resumes
• interaction native peers
• daily life and culture
• practice language
• different opinions
• perspectives

7
Student evaluations

• Enjoyable?
  YES
• new approach teaching learning (ESP)
• opportunity direct, live contact peers
• emotional qualifiers
• cool
• fun
• looked forward

8
Student evaluations

• Achieve Goals? YES
• learn about business culture directly from native
  speaking peers
• improve communication skills by interacting with
  native speakers

9
Student evaluations

• Advice for the next group of students?
  
• take seriously, take advantage opportunity
  (overwhelmingly)
• prepare for class
• be open, friendly, ask lots questions
• try to get to know the people
• make sure you know when things are due

10
Student evaluations

• Other issues (open ended)
• want more chat, less discussion board
• freedom to set own topics
• Chat culture influence? Would they say the same
  about readings? general syllabus of course?
• workload, overload (other courses) - time,
• Specific questions
• good group size 4-5
• chats not too disorganized to follow
  (facilitator, familiarity)
• instructors should not faciltiate chat (USA)
• typing /computer skills hinder some (ESP)
• access to computers (ESP)

11
Student evaluations

• What did you learn?
• not skilled at answering this question
• survey format vs. reflective essay
• few state language (slang, expressions)
• often regurgitate the themes
• I learned to write a resume
• I learned about similarities and differences in
  resumes
• choose topic - answers improved (specific info)

INVISIBLE LEARNING chat logs, discussion board
logs -- errors visible -- lack of comprehension
visible -- correct language already know? learn
exchange? -- comprehension already know?
strategies? context?
12
USA Instructor evaluation What did I learn/Why
chat?

• Worth the time?
• Did students learn anything?
• Student accountability?
• Instructor feedback amount, timely
• Grading
• Need for facilitators
• Students say theyre not afraid because dont
  know person and grammar not graded
• No talking in class but blossomed

13
ESP Instructor observations

• Great motivation
• students stayed after classes until 4pm
• had to alter educational mindset - to weekly
  assignments (!)
• Truly enjoyed creating ad
• Appreciated new, dynamic, interactive approach
• Recognized, appreciated the instructor effort to
  provide this opportunity
• Added bonus computer skills, computer lingo only
  ENG
• Learned directly I dont think they will forget
  about discriminatory, illegal interview
  questions in USA, about US students financial
  situation on the one hand taking out loans and
  paying for their OWN education and on the other
  talking about their investments (unthinkable for
  Spanish students).
• Plagiarism increase attention, adherence to
  citing sources

14
Observations / Issues

• Social chat vs academic discussion (influence
  chat genre)
• participation without preparation
• facilitator changes question, slow down
• short, choppy sentences - superficialreluctance
  post in discussion board - reflective, in depth
• comments on evaluations superficial discussions
• Orientation acceptable posting/contribution
• acknowledge, refer to previous postings
• add your opinion, perspective
• expand with examples, related info
• ask question
• NOTE impact of threaded vs linear - group
  dynamics
• Integration chat - discussion board - chat
  sequence
• problem lack participation, repetition from
  chat, my opinion
• clarify instructions, approach
• may not improve until access improves

15
Observations / Issues (contd)

• Noticing language
• in the content articles (lack of evidence in
  postings, creating worksheet)
• follow up language analysis (individual, in
  class)
• Assignment vs Dialogue mentality (discussion
  board)
• one-way hand in assignment and Im done
• it is the interaction, the dialogue that counts
• submitting late make-up assignment
  ???????????????
• Maintain group throughout exchange
• eval get to know partner students
• contribute to increased participation
• limits exposure - alter task input from whole
  class, discussion among few
• ask for each other in subsequent chats

16
Future possibilities?

• Speaking, pronunciation skills
• Voice chatting
• More authentic, simulation tasks
• Video Conferencing
• Collaborative project with an international team
• Discourse analysis speech acts