Computer-mediated exchanges in language learning: what can be researched and how can we go about it? Mirjam Hauck, Regine Hampel Department of Languages The Open University/UK Eurocall CMC SIG, León, 23–25 April 2009

Outline Part 1: What is the focus of your research? Part 2: Researchable text and multimodal data Part 3: Tools for recording, transcription and analysis Part 4: Approaches to transcription Challenges!

Part 1: What is the focus of your research?

Part 2: Researchable text and multimodal data

Part 3: Tools for recording, transcription and analysis

Part 4: Approaches to transcription

Challenges!

Part 1: What is the focus of your research?

Areas of research (e.g. using DA/CA, Lamy & Hampel 2007) Researching learner language Grammatical accuracy Pragmatic functions and syntactic complexity Analysis of discourse (among chat participants) Individual differences in working memory and oral proficiency Researching communication Communication strategies to fill comprehension gaps Patterns in native–non native chat Learner engagement with native speakers Researching intercultural issues Intercultural competence Politeness and style shifting in different cultures Researching affordances Techno-literacy, impact of the medium on ways that learners interact Researching pedagogy Teacher training and teachers’ cultures Critical pedagogy (power and equality in learning online)

Researching learner language

Grammatical accuracy

Pragmatic functions and syntactic complexity

Analysis of discourse (among chat participants)

Individual differences in working memory and oral proficiency

Researching communication

Communication strategies to fill comprehension gaps

Patterns in native–non native chat

Learner engagement with native speakers

Researching intercultural issues

Intercultural competence

Politeness and style shifting in different cultures

Researching affordances

Techno-literacy, impact of the medium on ways that learners interact

Researching pedagogy

Teacher training and teachers’ cultures

Critical pedagogy (power and equality in learning online)

Part 2: Researchable text and multimodal data

What is multimodal data (in the context of CMC)? it is complex and diverse requires tools for description and analysis that can accommodate this complexity

it is complex and diverse

requires tools for description and analysis that can accommodate this complexity

FlashMeeting

Elluminate

Our understanding of text “ We want to insist from the beginning that the semiotic instances in which we are interested – the texts – include the everyday practices of ‘ordinary’ humans as much as the articulations of discourses in more conventionally text-like objects such as magazines, TV programmes, and so on. We will refer to these [as] ‘practically lived texts’ ” (Kress and Van Leeuven’s (2001: 24)

“ We want to insist from the beginning that the semiotic instances in which we are interested – the texts – include the everyday practices of ‘ordinary’ humans as much as the articulations of discourses in more conventionally text-like objects such as magazines, TV programmes, and so on. We will refer to these [as] ‘practically lived texts’ ”

(Kress and Van Leeuven’s (2001: 24)

In digital media… text = writing + still/moving images + space + (often) sound

text = writing + still/moving images + space + (often) sound

Body and meaning the ways in which we direct our gaze use facial expressions, gesture, move, stand manipulate objects are part of how we communicate we experience events as ‘multimodal scenes’ (Gray 2004)

the ways in which we

direct our gaze

use facial expressions, gesture, move, stand

manipulate objects

are part of how we communicate

we experience events as ‘multimodal scenes’

(Gray 2004)

Part 3: Tools for recording, transcription and analysis

The role of technology now we are able to record audio and visual data (e.g. using Camtasia) to transcribe them (e.g. using Transana) and to store and analyse them (e.g. using CAQDAS)

now we are able

to record audio and visual data (e.g. using Camtasia)

to transcribe them (e.g. using Transana)

and to store and analyse them (e.g. using CAQDAS)

Camtasia

FlashMeeting data log

CAQDAS Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software (CAQDAS) packages (e.g. AtlasTi or NVivo) offer systematic frameworks for: organisation, coding, searching and retrieval of data creation of visual analytic networks building portfolios of linked multi-media data clips accessible in just one or two clicks -> managing multi-media data sets -> allowing for new forms of transcription but: they don’t interpret the data!

Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software (CAQDAS) packages (e.g. AtlasTi or NVivo) offer systematic frameworks for:

organisation, coding, searching and retrieval of data

creation of visual analytic networks

building portfolios of linked multi-media data clips accessible in just one or two clicks

-> managing multi-media data sets

-> allowing for new forms of transcription

but: they don’t interpret the data!

Part 4: Various approaches to transcription

What is multimodal transcription? “ multimodal transcriptions are ultimately based on the assumption that a transcription will help us understand the relationship between a specific instance of a genre […] and the genre’s typical features” (Baldry and Thibault 2006: 30) transcription = reduced version of observed reality “ transcription is theory: the mode of data presentation not only reflects subjectively established research aims, but also inevitably directs research findings ” (Ochs 1979)

“ multimodal transcriptions are ultimately based on the assumption that a transcription will help us understand the relationship between a specific instance of a genre […] and the genre’s typical features” (Baldry and Thibault 2006: 30)

transcription = reduced version of observed reality

“ transcription is theory: the mode of data presentation not only reflects subjectively established research aims, but also inevitably directs research findings ” (Ochs 1979)

Transcription example (Hampel and Hauck 2006)

The dilemma of traditional approaches to transcription traditional approach to spoken interaction: transcribing spoken verbal language timings pauses overlapping and contiguous utterances written and spoken language is still predominant in transcription how can the following be transcribed? objects (at the centre of/peripheral to the interaction spacial relationships temporal organisation

traditional approach to spoken interaction:

transcribing spoken verbal language

timings

pauses

overlapping and contiguous utterances

written and spoken language is still predominant in transcription

how can the following be transcribed?

objects (at the centre of/peripheral to the interaction

spacial relationships

temporal organisation

Transcription example (Satar in preparation)

Transcription example (Goodwin 2007)

Transcription example (Norris 2006)

What is transcribed? con text has gradually gained ground: posture gesture head movement gaze music print and layout “ multimodal texts are composite products of the combined effects of all the resources used to create and interpret them” (Baldry and Thibault 2006: 18)

con text has gradually gained ground:

posture

gesture

head movement

gaze

music

print and layout

“ multimodal texts are composite products of the combined effects of all the resources used to create and interpret them”

(Baldry and Thibault 2006: 18)

Challenges of new approaches how micro is useful? Is macro analysis more productive? Zooming ‘in’ versus ‘panning out’ representation of simultaneous events in a linear medium (e.g. in an article) paradox: difficulties of ‘reading’ multimodal transcription could outweigh advantages of descriptive ‘purity’ media chosen should not become the research method software and technological expertise needed

how micro is useful? Is macro analysis more productive? Zooming ‘in’ versus ‘panning out’

representation of simultaneous events in a linear medium (e.g. in an article)

paradox: difficulties of ‘reading’ multimodal transcription could outweigh advantages of descriptive ‘purity’

media chosen should not become the research method

software and technological expertise needed

THANK YOU! Flewitt, R., Hampel, R., Hauck, M. and Lancaster, L. What are multimodal data and transcription? In: Jewitt, C. (ed.) The Routledge Handbook of Multimodal Analysis (July 2009) [email_address] [email_address]

Flewitt, R., Hampel, R., Hauck, M. and Lancaster, L.

What are multimodal data and transcription?

In: Jewitt, C. (ed.) The Routledge Handbook of Multimodal Analysis (July 2009)

[email_address]

[email_address]