Aiden dela Cruz-Yeh Rita Zeinstejer Wenzao Ursuline College of Languages Asociacion Rosarina de Cultura Inglesa Kaohsiung, Taiwan Argentina Blended Learning Activities: Making Them Work for You and Your Students Becoming a Webhead 2007 EVO Seminar

World Englishes and Miscommunications II - International Collaborative Project Aiden dela Cruz-Yeh Wenzao Ursuline College of Languages Kaohsiung, Taiwan

World Englishes and Miscommunications II - International Collaborative Project

Aiden dela Cruz-Yeh

Wenzao Ursuline College of Languages

Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Five universities in the Asia-Pacific Region joined the course in 2006

Blended Learning Contexts Traditional f2f class Technologically-equipped classroom Students and teachers: the human factors that make this blended learning environment work

Traditional f2f class

Technologically-equipped classroom

Students and teachers: the human factors that make this blended learning environment work

Sponsors Waseda University On-Demand Internet Course (OIC) and Cross-Cultural Distance Language Learning (CCDL)- Digital Campus Consortium Project Head: Prof. Michiko Nakano http://www.cit.nus.edu.sg/dli2003/Biography/ProfMichikoNakano.pdf

Waseda University On-Demand Internet Course (OIC) and Cross-Cultural Distance Language Learning (CCDL)- Digital Campus Consortium

Project Head: Prof. Michiko Nakano

International Professors who contribute to the course For 2006

For 2006

The goals of the course “ English has been used as a common tool of communication in Asia. It has been reported that non-native users of English in the so-called Outer Circle and Expanding Circles outnumber the native speakers of English in the Inner Circle. ... As long as regional group accents do not jeopardize mutual intelligibility, World Englishes should be accepted as part and parcel of EIL. However, in our experiences of communication in cyberspace, learners' English reveals some difficulties, often leading to inadvertent misunderstanding. For this reason, in this omnibus course, we would like the students to learn the phonetic features, syntactic features, socio-cultural differences, and para-linguistic features which might cause some misunderstanding among native speakers and Asian interlocutors.” http://www.waseda.jp/dcc/jcc/we2/index.html

“ English has been used as a common tool of communication in Asia. It has been reported that non-native users of English in the so-called Outer Circle and Expanding Circles outnumber the native speakers of English in the Inner Circle. ... As long as regional group accents do not jeopardize mutual intelligibility, World Englishes should be accepted as part and parcel of EIL. However, in our experiences of communication in cyberspace, learners' English reveals some difficulties, often leading to inadvertent misunderstanding. For this reason, in this omnibus course, we would like the students to learn the phonetic features, syntactic features, socio-cultural differences, and para-linguistic features which might cause some misunderstanding among native speakers and Asian interlocutors.”

By the end of the course, students will be able to: learn about World Englishes and how this concept relates to them as EFL learners Learn about the goals of English language teaching in international/regional contexts and Establish a common ground to evaluate the local English language teaching and learning environment use the target language to interact and communicate with other students engage in synchronous and asynchronous communications and enhance students’ oral presentation and interpersonal skills

learn about World Englishes and how this concept relates to them as EFL learners

Learn about the goals of English language teaching in international/regional contexts and

Establish a common ground to evaluate the local English language teaching and learning environment

use the target language to interact and communicate with other students

engage in synchronous and asynchronous communications

and enhance students’ oral presentation and interpersonal skills

Outline of the Course This course consisted of live sessions and on-demand lectures. Live sessions were conducted using videoconferencing system during the course period. Each participating university provided on-demand lectures, and students were expected to view all lectures during the 2-month course period. Live sessions and on-demand lectures, including course materials, Q&A and discussions on the BBS and quizzes were conducted in English. http://www.waseda.jp/dcc/jcc/we2/index.html

This course consisted of live sessions and on-demand lectures. Live sessions were conducted using videoconferencing system during the course period.

Each participating university provided on-demand lectures, and students were expected to view all lectures during the 2-month course period.

Live sessions and on-demand lectures, including course materials, Q&A and discussions on the BBS and quizzes were conducted in English.

http://www.waseda.jp/dcc/jcc/we2/index.html

Course Period: Late August 2006-early January 2007 http://www.waseda.jp/dcc/jcc/we2/index.html

On-demand Lectures (OIC) http://www.waseda.jp/dcc/jcc/we2/index.html

http://oic.wls.jp/eng/cgi-bin/bbs_login.cgx

Sample Screenshot of a lecture http://oic.wls.jp/eng/cgi-bin/bbs_login.cgx

Screenshot of the BBS

Live Session http://www.waseda.jp/dcc/jcc/we2/index.html

Waseda University students (Japan) Fudan University students (China) Wenzao College Ss (Taiwan) Namseoul University Ss (Korea) Hannam University Ss (Korea)

F2F session during the live-on presentations Wenzao College students

The gadget used for live-sessions

Culminating Activity http://www.waseda.jp/dcc/jcc/we2/index.html

Managing the Course Redefining learner autonomy Providing sufficient learner support using class blog and yahoogroup In-class lectures to discuss online lectures on video (OIC) Preparing comprehension questions to guide students Giving writing task questions to help students generate and maintain discussion topics on the BBS Giving task-based photostory projects to be presented during the live-sessions Maintaining a high level of motivation

Redefining learner autonomy

Providing sufficient learner support using class blog and yahoogroup

In-class lectures to discuss online lectures on video (OIC)

Preparing comprehension questions to guide students

Giving writing task questions to help students generate and maintain discussion topics on the BBS

Giving task-based photostory projects to be presented during the live-sessions

Maintaining a high level of motivation

Tools and Content ≠Learning Teachers need to: Put the pieces together, and present them as one unified learning framework Help Ss make sense of the learning materials i.e. detailed syllabus, clearly defined learning goals, pointers for review, etc. Assign creative tasks where Ss can apply what they have learned in class

Teachers need to:

Put the pieces together, and present them as one unified learning framework

Help Ss make sense of the learning materials i.e. detailed syllabus, clearly defined learning goals, pointers for review, etc.

Assign creative tasks where Ss can apply what they have learned in class

Putting the pieces together http://multienglishes.blogspot.com/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wenzao/

Making sense of learning http://multienglishes.blogspot.com/2006_09_01_archive.html

Bonding to learn http://www.bubbleshare.com/album/64423.194af54d7ce/overview#2087045

Linking the tools http://multienglishes.blogspot.com/2006_09_01_archive.html

Relating topic with Ss’s frame of reference http://multienglishes.blogspot.com/2006_09_01_archive.html

Making sense of learning http://multienglishes.blogspot.com/2006_09_01_archive.html

Guide questions to generate online discussion http://multienglishes.blogspot.com/2006_10_01_archive.html

Photostory Projects: Cultural Links http://multienglishes.blogspot.com/2006_11_01_archive.html

Pointers Students get to choose the main focus of their presentation from the list of guide questions provided. http://multienglishes.blogspot.com/2006_11_01_archive.html

Sharing Lecture Notes: Slideshare http://multienglishes.blogspot.com/2006_12_01_archive.html http://multienglishes.blogspot.com/2007_01_01_archive.html

Assessing your individual/group efforts in class Did you follow the requirements in doing the tasks? Did you submit your assignments on time? Did you read the required readings, watched online video lectures way before the assignment deadline? Did you watch the online video lectures before each video conference? (10/12, 10/19, 11/16) Did you participate in the discussions during the video conference by asking questions and/or sharing a point of view? What is the level of your motivation in participating in this course? Attendance- How many times did you miss the class? How many times did you fail to submit your assignments? How many times did you turn in (submit) late assignments? How would you rate the level of effort that you exerted in doing the required tasks in this course?

Did you follow the requirements in doing the tasks?

Did you submit your assignments on time?

Did you read the required readings, watched online video lectures way before the assignment deadline?

Did you watch the online video lectures before each video conference? (10/12, 10/19, 11/16)

Did you participate in the discussions during the video conference by asking questions and/or sharing a point of view?

What is the level of your motivation in participating in this course?

Attendance- How many times did you miss the class?

How many times did you fail to submit your assignments?

How many times did you turn in (submit) late assignments?

How would you rate the level of effort that you exerted in doing the required tasks in this course?

Evidence of learning Writing sentence outlines Writing feedback on each video online conference. Enhanced meta-cognitive skills through reflection Enhanced asynchronous communication skills Those who participated during the online video enhanced their oral skills Audio/video presentations enhanced oral skills, collaborative skills, and creativity

Writing sentence outlines

Writing feedback on each video online conference.

Enhanced meta-cognitive skills through reflection

Enhanced asynchronous communication skills

Those who participated during the online video enhanced their oral skills

Audio/video presentations enhanced oral skills, collaborative skills, and creativity