The initial objective (beginning of the project)
The initial objective of this project was to assist with communication (the “4 skills of language learning” = written, spoken, listening, and reading) in my intermediate French-language classes. The focus was for the intermediate French levels (FREN 203 in fall and FREN 204 in spring). This year, due to many students’ schedule conflicts, I piloted an asynchronous online FREN 203 and 204 class in conjunction with the in-person FREN 203 and 204 class. Each course has a V-text (virtual text) and significant capabilities with an embedded online platform within the V-text. The textbook publisher only works in world languages and there are many functions that I had yet to explore in a traditional class setting. I envisioned that this project would help me take the leap into trying new technology within the textbooks and online platform and allow students to speak French online and communicate with others in various, authentic ways in the target language. This can be a nice real-world application and fun with communication with classmates, professor, and possibly French speakers abroad (or here on campus as we usually have a French teaching assistant or exchange student). Keeping the online French students fully engaged in the course was a particular challenge leading into this academic year. I believed this project would assist in communication and engagement with that group, in particular.
initial and immediate challenges
We had an immediate complication in this project as part of the goal of the project was to work with our FLTA (Foreign Language Teaching Assistant) from our exchange program at l’Université Catholique de Lille, France, and develop some correspondence online with his/her cohort in France and our French-language students. However, due to budget constraints, the funding for this year’s FLTA was eliminated and we did not have an FLTA from France. This came to my knowledge after this digital fellows project was developed; therefore, I switched modes to work more closely on using more effectively the resources available through our V-text, online platform (Supersite) with the V-text, videos and audio embedded in the materials, and additional resources with additional audio and tools on Canvas and so forth. Therefore, I have included the photo of “C’est la vie” (That’s life)!
Making time for communication : Building “Language lab” days into the course calendar
Part of the challenge of trying something “new” or implementing new teaching tools is building enough time in and outside of the classroom to allow for appropriate training for students, time to practice and feel comfortable, and sufficient time to use and master the “new” skills (with both the technology and the French language). Therefore, I took a concept from my “old school playbook” – the “language lab.” Ah oui!, gone are the days of having to trek to the computer lab on campus and check out headphones and cassette tapes (or CDs); however, to be preserved in this project is the concept of carving out time inside and outside the classroom for “language lab”-type activities (speaking, pronunciation practice, listening activities, etc.). Therefore, I built in “language lab days” into our course calendar. This showed students how important these activities are. Some language-lab days were during class time and some were on students’ own time (alternative class). Results: Students took quickly to the concept and seemed to look forward to “language lab” and it became “a thing” (not shocking or “new,” but part of our class) in all classes.
Language lab-type activities (in and outside of class)
Student Recordings on the "Supersite"(Online platform with the v-text)
Since I had carved out more time for “language lab,” we were able to use more of the tools that are embedded in our course materials (V-text, Supersite, etc.). These included, but were not limited to: Pronunciation tutorials and textbook readings in which the textbook is read to students in authentic French (and outside of France) speaking voices; voice recognition software built-into the materials; interactive tutorial that stops and asks students questions and allows them to record their own voices; new functionality to give a green for close pronunciation or a red for “try again”; hyperlinked to the textbook page so the V-text is linked to any part of the Supersite, providing more notes and help. The speakers from the course materials were varied in sex, region, and accent, so the students could hear and respond to someone other than their instructor.
One immediate issue was something on the (online) course materials (“Supersite”) that worked much differently than I had anticipated. Initially, I was excited to use the “chatting” function for communication, particularly in the asynchronous online FREN 203 course. I had planned to use these activities to keep the online students engaged by assigning a communication partner for each chapter or activity. The activities are listed as a “Q & A” chat for students to ask and talk about course-related material (i.e., what they enjoy doing in their spare time to practice hobbies and past-time vocabulary and language structures). However, this did not work AT ALL because the “chatting” or instant messaging was to be synchronous, not asynchronous, like it had appeared. It was thought that students could message each other (leave a message), but rather, it had to be live – both students had to be online at the very same time, which does not work for an asynchronous class. Students indicated if this would have been an option, they would have enjoyed it, as it’s like “anticipating a text from a friend.” I do believe it would build more rapport with online courses, in particular. I have been in contact with the textbook publisher to verify if the new textbook edition (coming out for this fall) will have this capability.
A link to more information – Screenshots of the activities and the supersite and the v-text:
Due to the large size of the screenshots and the explanations, I have created this Google Doc to assist in ease of viewing experience: https://docs.google.com/document/d/13kUaWvC1Zqv93bbK6aVGSiXgPaEAlpBxp3HTDZqV0Fk/edit?tab=t.0
other audio communication from professor and students – communicating through recordings
A link to more information – Screenshots of audio recordings on student presentations (Ppts, slides, etc.)
As this project evolved through the semester, I began to incorporate the new (to me) tools on Canvas, audio recording (student and instructor) on PowerPoints, Google Slides, Google Docs, and much more. Due to the large size of the screenshots and the explanations, I have created this Google Doc to assist in ease of viewing experience: : https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fzQ2IfdO-3N4LM7SAo6T2h5w6UHsB-Z9zD_-fHWYj5Q/edit?usp=sharing
