Can you hear me now?Est-ce que vous m’entendez?

Student perception of learning from virtual Skype exchange

video

Project BackgroundEuroméditeranée Ecole de

Management, Marseille

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

•One hour/week Skype voice exchange

•30 min English - 30 min French

Student Profiles

• International Management Bachelor

• Planning study in USA• Enrolled Civilization and

Culture - Business English class

• Volunteers• 2nd year

• Undergraduates Ross School of Business BBA

• Liberal Arts Bachelor• Half studied abroad• Some planning

international internship• Enrolled Business French• Mix 2nd 3rd 4th year

Exposure Native Speakers

• MICHIGAN: classes in French, weekly conversation group, work/study abroad, tourism.

• EUROMED: International school with strong English language component. Daily contact with anglophones. Classes in English, work/study abroad, tourism.

Project Goals

• Enhance target language skills

• Increase cultural awareness target culture

• Familiarity with business practices

• Increased familiarity American campus life, university system

voice/video chat

list contactslist contacts

conference callconference call

text chattext chat

Structured Activities

• CV and cover letter peer critiques

• Current event discussions (elections)

• Cross-cultural advertising

• Comparison education systems

• Daily life and customs

Survey: What did we want to learn?

• Culture and language: What do the students think they learned?

• What are student attitudes?

• Feelings on collaborative learning?

• Impact of group dynamics?

• Motivation for contact outside class?

Online Survey

• Students from 3 semesters

• Return rate 18 USA / x

• Majority open-ended questions

• Also: focus group and personal communication

Attitudes: 5 adjectives

sympatique

innovant

ennuyeux

curieuse tolerant

contraignant

ludique

partage

marrant

amicale

dissipé

inutile

genial

fatigué

comprehensive

dubitative

reticente

motivation

apprentissage

convivialité

ouvert d’esprit

tardif

Positive Negative

Attitudes: 5 adjectives

informative

interesting

frustrating

curious educational

awkward

entertaining

riveting

enjoyable

realistic

disappointed

positive

nervous

interactive

boring

cautious

engaged

exciting

fun

modern

confusing

mellowenticing

enriching

Positive Negative

Attitudes: 5 adjectives

68 (83%) 14 (17%)

Positive 35 (54%)

Negative 29 (46%)

Postive themes: newness, interaction, satisfaction, content, enjoyment, relaxing environment

Negative themes: performance, dissatisfaction

Fre pos: newness, commitment, relationship, neg

Postive themes: newness, interaction, satisfaction, content, enjoyment, relaxing environment

Negative themes: performance, dissatisfaction

Fre pos: newness, commitment, relationship, enjoymentNeg: organization,

Committment

• envie de partager

• intéressé

• motivation

• ouvert d’esprit

• tolérante

• enthousiasmée

interested

open

riveting

engaged

“

“

• English: neg-performance, pos-commitment, satisfaction, interaction

• Fre: neg-org, pos- relationshp, enjoyment commitment

What did you learn?

• Business content; educational system, “tidbits”, very general “topic”

• Language expressions, language skill• Cultural value observation,

perspective • Don’t remember, rien• Communication skills (0) intcult comm

in (3elsewhere)• Découverte d’une personne

(elsewhere)

5 12

0 10

2 5

1 2

? 0

2 0

What did you learn own language culture?

• Left blank (5)

• Insert quotes?

Target language improve?

• Yes (12) Yes/No (1) No (2)• Actual French people• Comfortable speaking, conversation, improvisation• Constructive criticism encouraging partners (overt)• Listen, compare accent, identify gaps (noticing)

• Technical problems, frequent contact anglophones

Yes (2) Yes/No (2) No (4)

Best aspects

• Speaking (conversation) native student• Making connections, friends• Intercultural communication (2)• What international employers want (1)

• Vie de campus, système univérsitaire• Casser des stéréotypes• Apprentissage de la langue• Echange de culture• Interactivité

Least useful aspect

• Fewer French than American students (pairs)• Not same person every week• Worksheets (structured activities)• Staying on task

• Questions obligatoires, planning de discussion (everyone)

Contacts outside class

TIDBITS:• One pair exchanged holiday gifts• Two meet up in France• Romance • Continue contact And beyond …

Once or twice (16), regularly (3) via email and Skypewith the same personfor classwork and general conversation

Once or twice (16), regularly (3) via email and Skypewith the same personfor classwork and general conversation

Learning from peers

• Positive (7)(5), pos/neg (4) ( 2)• +Comments: • general language, more professional, sound

more French, better position myself in market, on apprend sans s’en rendre compte, charmante-brillante, bénéfique dans les deux sens

• -Comments: • too general, accuracy?

Learning from peers

• Ils ont une manière de nous parler qui fait que nous comprenons mieux, car ils ont notre âge, on sait ce qu’ils vivent comme nous

• You learn an actual French opinion and reaction through interacting with them which is impossible to learn through a lecture...

Group Dynamics

• Pairs: build relationship, des affinités se sont créés, more speaking time, focus on task, typical internet chat

• New partner = time getting to know people - not focus task

• Large group first encounter (less awkward)

Group Dynamics

• Pairs: •build relationship, •more speaking time,• focus on task, •typical internet chat

•build relationship, •more speaking time,• focus on task, •typical internet chatGetting to know new

partner takes time awayfrom task.

Getting to know new

partner takes time awayfrom task.

• New partner • Large group

Large group videoconferencemight make first meeting

less akward

Large group videoconferencemight make first meeting

less akward

Repeat Experience?

Videoconferencing?Yes (2) (2) Maybe (3) No (6) (4)

Video

body language, gestures

nice to see them, plus aisé

Distraction, ça nous force à être concentréAudio

hone comprehension

less anxiety, nervous

less worried appearance

He’s cute!

Teacher perception

• Notes on what teachers think they learned

Summary: What have we learned?

• Feedback from students?