Microblogging for Language Learning: Using Twitter to Train Communicative and Cultural Competence Kerstin Borau, Carsten Ullrich , Jinjin Feng, Ruimin Shen Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Comments/Questions? http:// twitter.com/ullrich

http:// twitter.com/ullrich

Online SJTU Cooperation between SJTU and Online SJTU Shanghai Jiao Tong University College of Continuing Education 26.000 students Blended learning

Cooperation between SJTU and Online SJTU

Shanghai Jiao Tong University College of Continuing Education

26.000 students

Blended learning

Ganghui E-Learning Center

Challenges Students have only limited time available for study adult learners with full time job & family Different levels of English from varying social and educational backgrounds Size of the classes from 80 to 120 students, up to 3000

Students have only limited time available for study

adult learners with full time job & family

Different levels of English

from varying social and educational backgrounds

Size of the classes

from 80 to 120 students, up to 3000

Motivation of Our Work Most language learners do not require even more passive input They need a chance to actively produce language Therefore, we investigate usage of Web 2.0 services for language learning

Most language learners do not require even more passive input

They need a chance to actively produce language

Therefore, we investigate usage of Web 2.0 services for language learning

Why Twitter Short turns No long threads to follow Open social network

Short turns

No long threads to follow

Open social network

How We Used Twitter Lecture “English Listening & Speaking” June 2007 Teacher created Twitter account Students created Twitter accounts and added teacher as friend and all friends of teacher

Lecture “English Listening & Speaking”

June 2007

Teacher created Twitter account

Students created Twitter accounts and added teacher as friend and all friends of teacher

How We Used Twitter Students had to post at least 7 messages a week any topic to read their friends’ messages Participation in Twitter contributed to the students’ final grade Score did only depend on the amount of messages

Students had

to post at least 7 messages a week

any topic

to read their friends’ messages

Participation in Twitter contributed to the students’ final grade

Score did only depend on the amount of messages

Demographics 75% were female, 25% male Half of the participants were aged 20-25 40% were aged 25-30 10% over 30 110 enrolled students, 86 used Twitter

75% were female, 25% male

Half of the participants were aged 20-25

40% were aged 25-30

10% over 30

110 enrolled students, 86 used Twitter

Tweet, Tweet, Tweet Period of 7 weeks and 2 days 5574 updates (on average 796 updates a week /113 per day) ≈ 1/3 : 1 to 19 updates, ≈ 1/3 : 20 to 99 updates ≈ 12%: ≥ 100 updates

Period of 7 weeks and 2 days

5574 updates (on average 796 updates a week /113 per day)

≈ 1/3 : 1 to 19 updates,

≈ 1/3 : 20 to 99 updates

≈ 12%: ≥ 100 updates

Quantitative Results Total of 5574 updates (on average of 796 updates a week or 113 per day) From 110 enrolled students 98 registered Of the 98 registered, about 10% (12 students) never used Twitter. One third (35 students) sent between 1 and 19 updates, One third (39 students) sent 20 to 99 updates About 10% (12 students) sent more than 100 updates (10 students sent between 100 and 162 updates, and 2 students send 449 and 236 updates) The dataset covers 7 weeks and 2 days

Total of 5574 updates (on average of 796 updates a week or 113 per day)

From 110 enrolled students 98 registered

Of the 98 registered, about 10% (12 students) never used Twitter.

One third (35 students) sent between 1 and 19 updates,

One third (39 students) sent 20 to 99 updates

About 10% (12 students) sent more than 100 updates (10 students sent between 100 and 162 updates, and 2 students send 449 and 236 updates)

The dataset covers 7 weeks and 2 days

Main Theme of Talk Analysis to find different linguistic indicators for communicative and cultural competence To our knowledge, this is the first analysis of microblogging usage for English as a Foreign Language.

Analysis to find different linguistic indicators for communicative and cultural competence

To our knowledge, this is the first analysis of microblogging usage for English as a Foreign Language.

Training Communicative Competence Communicative Competence: today seen as m ain goal of language learning grammatical competence (words and rules) sociolinguistic competence (appropriateness) discourse competence (cohesion and coherence) strategic competence (appropriate use of communication strategies)

Communicative Competence: today seen as m ain goal of language learning

grammatical competence (words and rules)

sociolinguistic competence (appropriateness)

discourse competence (cohesion and coherence)

strategic competence (appropriate use of communication strategies)

Sociolinguistic Competence Ability to use and respond to language appropriately (setting, topic, relationships) We studied students’ updates with regard to their ability to express a specific attitude (courtesy, friendliness, annoyance) Most students have problems to choose the appropriate style and / or maintain one level of style

Ability to use and respond to language appropriately (setting, topic, relationships)

We studied students’ updates with regard to their ability to express a specific attitude (courtesy, friendliness, annoyance)

Most students have problems to choose the appropriate style and / or maintain one level of style

Mixture of Styles “ Richard suggested me chaning my life and pursuing the life I wanna .” Mixture of styles: rather formal expression, “ pursue ” and rather colloquial expression, “ wanna ”

“ Richard suggested me chaning my life and pursuing the life I wanna .”

Mixture of styles:

rather formal expression, “ pursue ”

and rather colloquial expression, “ wanna ”

Inappropriate Styles I “ Due to there will no classes on August, so I made a plan to visit Hongkong with my family.” “ So I take the responsiblity of buying vegetable.” Rather formal style inappropriate for the purpose of communicating in an online community & context

“ Due to there will no classes on August, so I made a plan to visit Hongkong with my family.”

“ So I take the responsiblity of buying vegetable.”

Rather formal style inappropriate for the purpose of communicating in an online community & context

Inappropriate Styles II “ Damn exams,I hate it, A LOT! However, I don't wanna scew up on it.” “ sleeping in the internet bar about 3 hours.Too damn uncomfortable.. take a bath about a.m 5:30...soon i will go to work...a day of unlucky” Slang -like style spiked with swear words also inappropriate for the community

“ Damn exams,I hate it, A LOT! However, I don't wanna scew up on it.”

“ sleeping in the internet bar about 3 hours.Too damn uncomfortable.. take a bath about a.m 5:30...soon i will go to work...a day of unlucky”

Slang -like style spiked with swear words also inappropriate for the community

Sociolinguistic Competence: Summary Large number of similar examples show that microblogging provides numerous opportunities to practice sociolinguistic competence Advice: teacher should discuss utterances in class to help the students understand their (in)appropriateness

Large number of similar examples show that microblogging provides numerous opportunities to practice sociolinguistic competence

Advice: teacher should discuss utterances in class to help the students understand their (in)appropriateness

Strategic Competence Here: ability to handle communication breakdowns How students react if they don’t know name of something or right verb form

Here: ability to handle communication breakdowns

How students react if they don’t know name of something or right verb form

Strategic Competence “’ 普洱茶’ is useful to lose weight. At least,it helps me a lot. Sorry, I don't know how to say it in English” “ 桂林米粉 how to say in English?” Used only in few cases Survey also yielded few evidences of tools usage, e.g., dictionary (15% often use dict.)

“’ 普洱茶’ is useful to lose weight. At least,it helps me a lot. Sorry, I don't know how to say it in English”

“ 桂林米粉 how to say in English?”

Used only in few cases

Survey also yielded few evidences of tools usage, e.g., dictionary (15% often use dict.)

Cultural Competence Helps people from different parts of the world to effectively interact across cultures Four categories awareness of one's own cultural worldview attitude towards cultural differences knowledge of different cultural practices worldviews cross-cultural skills

Helps people from different parts of the world to effectively interact across cultures

Four categories

awareness of one's own cultural worldview

attitude towards cultural differences

knowledge of different cultural practices worldviews

cross-cultural skills

Cultural Competence Helps people from different parts of the world to effectively interact across cultures Hope: interaction with native speakers creates sense of cultural awareness and helps acquiring cultural competence Survey: almost half of students communicated with native speakers “ I also can learn some characteristic sentences by reading some native speaker’s messages ”

Helps people from different parts of the world to effectively interact across cultures

Hope: interaction with native speakers creates sense of cultural awareness and helps acquiring cultural competence

Survey: almost half of students communicated with native speakers

“ I also can learn some characteristic sentences by reading some native speaker’s messages ”

Cultural Competence Cultural competence in its full scope cannot be acquired by simply joining a SN But it can provide an insight into another culture and create an awareness of existing differences Students get in contact with people from different countries on a casual basis and thus it provides cultural background to the target language

Cultural competence in its full scope cannot be acquired by simply joining a SN

But it can provide an insight into another culture and create an awareness of existing differences

Students get in contact with people from different countries on a casual basis and thus it provides cultural background to the target language

Blended Learning Community Survey: 70% agreed that Twitter improved sense of community Greetings: “ Good morning everyone. ” “ Morning !” “ So tired today, and going to bed now. Hope everybody ave a sweet dream tonight. See u tomorrow. ” “ Time to sleep now, have a good night and sweet dream to everyone! ”

Survey: 70% agreed that Twitter improved sense of community

Greetings:

“ Good morning everyone. ”

“ Morning !”

“ So tired today, and going to bed now. Hope everybody ave a sweet dream tonight. See u tomorrow. ”

“ Time to sleep now, have a good night and sweet dream to everyone! ”

Comments on Community Common Interests: “ i just found something is funny, why everybody like pets in our class?for example:dog,cat and others.” “ This "TWITTER" same as schoolyard~~~”

Common Interests:

“ i just found something is funny, why everybody like pets in our class?for example:dog,cat and others.”

“ This "TWITTER" same as schoolyard~~~”

Humor “ @kerstinlaoshi I volunteer to proofread the exam paper for you! ”

“ @kerstinlaoshi I volunteer to proofread the exam paper for you! ”

Conversations in Twitter Response and Elaboration Survey: 85% responded to updates Data: 8% of the updates with @

Response and Elaboration

Survey: 85% responded to updates

Data: 8% of the updates with @

Conversations in Twitter II with @ [15:21] babyyao: @Nora_Tang:I would buy some cosmetics online these days. [15:55] Nora_Tang: @babyyao I bought 4 books online just now. The most important thing is that the goods(shopping online) are cheaper

with @

[15:21] babyyao: @Nora_Tang:I would buy some cosmetics online these days.

[15:55] Nora_Tang: @babyyao I bought 4 books online just now. The most important thing is that the goods(shopping online) are cheaper

Conversations in Twitter III Without @ [09:13] icyhe: Transformer is very nice. i like it. Funny! [09:36] misterjustin: i like the "bumble bee"best

Without @

[09:13] icyhe: Transformer is very nice. i like it. Funny!

[09:36] misterjustin: i like the "bumble bee"best

Social Support Implicitly, but also topic of updates “ maybe they are busy now. Don't worry! If you have some problems, you can contact with me ^0^.”

Implicitly, but also topic of updates

“ maybe they are busy now. Don't worry! If you have some problems, you can contact with me ^0^.”

Summary Microblogging useful for learning languages Training communicative and cultural competence Contact to persons outside classroom Students complained: no correction Rely on third-party service Censorship: Twitter no longer accessible in China

Microblogging useful for learning languages

Training communicative and cultural competence

Contact to persons outside classroom

Students complained: no correction

Rely on third-party service

Censorship: Twitter no longer accessible in China

Next Steps How to integrate PLE/PTEs into teaching/learning Next call FP7: Learning in the 21st Century: large-scale pilots for the design of the future classroom Contact: [email_address] [email_address] http://twitter.com/ullrich http:// www.slideshare.net/ullrich

How to integrate PLE/PTEs into teaching/learning

Next call FP7:

Learning in the 21st Century: large-scale pilots for the design of the future classroom

Contact:

[email_address]

[email_address]

http://twitter.com/ullrich

http:// www.slideshare.net/ullrich