Although language learning in 3D Virtual Worlds (VWs) has become a focus of recent research, litt... more Although language learning in 3D Virtual Worlds (VWs) has become a focus of recent research, little is known about the knowledge and skills teachers need to acquire to provide effective task-based instruction in 3D VWs and the type of teacher training that best prepares instructors for such an endeavor. This study employs a situated learning approach to teacher training and explores what online teaching skills emerge in the process of collaborative situated learning, how these skills develop, and whether collaborative situated learning is an effective method of training instructors to teach in 3D VWs. Six English as a second language (ESL) teacher trainees enrolled in the Teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language (TES/FL) program participated in the study. During the pre-teaching stage, teacher trainees developed language tasks to implement during the teaching stage with eight EFL students in 3D VWs. Blackboard wikis used for designing tasks allowed for observing the acquisition...
Research on international teaching assistants (ITAs) often highlights that ITAs have at least two... more Research on international teaching assistants (ITAs) often highlights that ITAs have at least two identities, an identity of a teacher and a student (e.g., Jenkins, 2000). Since American classrooms foster a variety of behaviors that are negotiated by instructors and students, ITAs may identify themselves with students during behavior negotiation when building rapport, especially by exchanging jokes (Unger-Gallagher, 1991). Making their student identity relevant may distort the teacher-student relationship, which ITAs might need to renegotiate. Little research has been done to show whether ITA student identity actually emerges and if does, then how. This study addresses the questions of what attributes of ITAs ’ identities emerge during humorous exchanges with their students, how these attributes shape the teacher-student relationship, and what role humor plays in the identity negotiation process between the ITAs and their students in the university classroom. Four ITAs, all non-nati...
Assessing the Effectiveness of Virtual Technologies in Foreign and Second Language Instruction, 2019
This chapter explores factors affecting learner collaboration by observing the performance of eig... more This chapter explores factors affecting learner collaboration by observing the performance of eight English as a foreign language (EFL) learners collaborating on tasks in a 3D virtual world (3D VW) over a period of six weeks. Students used an audio channel to interact with their peers and a text-based channel to make notes on a collaboration board. Their performance was recorded using Camtasia Relay, a screen-capture software, and then transcribed. Data analysis revealed that students' collaboration skills improved over time. The factors that facilitated collaboration included (1) learners and instructors' familiarity with 3D VWs, (2) learners' familiarity with the format of the learning activity, (3) learners' experience with the spontaneous use of the second language (L2), and (4) instructors' use of pedagogical techniques that facilitated collaboration. These results suggest that for students to benefit from collaborative learning, both learners and instructor...
This paper investigates the structure and cultural styles of indirect complaints in Russian and A... more This paper investigates the structure and cultural styles of indirect complaints in Russian and American English, and politeness strategies used by native speakers of these languages when complaining. It has been found that although indirect complaints in these languages are structured similarly, in some instances Russian complaints lack the problem solution component and optimistic attitude towards the resolution of the problem in the centre of the complaints. Humorous complaints in American English and laments in Russian reflect different styles of expressing indirect complaints in these cultures. The politeness strategies used by native speakers of Russian and American English demonstrate that Russians prefer positive politeness, whereas Americans favour negative politeness in the realisation of indirect complaints. Fourteen Russian native speakers and 21 native speakers of American English participated in this study. The data were collected by tape-recording natural conversation...
Research on international teaching assistants (ITAs) often highlights that ITAs have at least two... more Research on international teaching assistants (ITAs) often highlights that ITAs have at least two identities, an identity of a teacher and a student (e.g., Jenkins, 2000). Since American classrooms foster a variety of behaviors that are negotiated by instructors and students, ITAs may identify themselves with students during behavior negotiation when building rapport, especially by exchanging jokes (Unger-Gallagher, 1991). Making their student identity relevant may distort the teacher-student relationship, which ITAs might need to renegotiate. Little research has been done to show whether ITA student identity actually emerges and if does, then how. This study addresses the questions of what attributes of ITAs’ identities emerge during humorous exchanges with their students, how these attributes shape the teacher-student relationship, and what role humor plays in the identity negotiation process between the ITAs and their students in the university classroom. Four ITAs, all non-nativ...
Iryna Kozlova, Carleton University Dmitri Priven, Algonquin College Although language learning in... more Iryna Kozlova, Carleton University Dmitri Priven, Algonquin College Although language learning in 3D Virtual Worlds (VWs) has become a focus of recent research, little is known about the knowledge and skills teachers need to acquire to provide effective task-based instruction in 3D VWs and the type of teacher training that best prepares instructors for such an endeavor. This study employs a situated learning approach to teacher training and explores what online teaching skills emerge in the process of collaborative situated learning, how these skills develop, and whether collaborative situated learning is an effective method of training instructors to teach in 3D VWs. Six English as a second language (ESL) teacher trainees enrolled in the Teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language (TES/FL) program participated in the study. During the preteaching stage, teacher trainees developed language tasks to implement during the teaching stage with eight EFL students in 3D VWs. Blackboard w...
This study on online language pedagogy takes a sociocultural approach to examine how tasks design... more This study on online language pedagogy takes a sociocultural approach to examine how tasks designed for synchronous multimodal web-conferencing environment (MWCE) encourage students’ development of communicative skills and how students initiate control over their own learning. The data from the archived synchronous class sessions of the second semester high-school Russian as a foreign language course taught completely online were analyzed using Conversation Analysis. The data shows that a problem-solving component built in the task design seems to be a powerful tool as it invites peer collaboration on solving linguistic problems, urges students to take control of their own learning and offers opportunities for participation in instructional conversations with the instructor. The study also shows that multimodal environment allows students at different developmental levels and with different learning styles to participate in the co-construction of the task via the communication chann...
Implementing Augmented Reality Into Immersive Virtual Learning Environments
This chapter introduces a framework for the 3D task design. The framework proposes that the proce... more This chapter introduces a framework for the 3D task design. The framework proposes that the process of designing language learning tasks for 3D immersive simulated environments also be immersive. The framework guides designers/teachers who are new to 3D worlds through 10 stages of the design process that incorporates designers/teachers' individual work and their collaboration with colleagues and learners. Following Breen's advice, collaboration with colleagues and learners allows for taking into account some possible interpretations of the tasks to help learners interpret the task as closely as possible to its original plan; it also improves task functionality. Developed for designing 3D language learning tasks, this framework also benefits other disciplines and informs the design of tasks implemented in other virtual environments.
Although language learning in 3D Virtual Worlds (VWs) has become a focus of recent research, litt... more Although language learning in 3D Virtual Worlds (VWs) has become a focus of recent research, little is known about the knowledge and skills teachers need to acquire to provide effective task-based instruction in 3D VWs and the type of teacher training that best prepares instructors for such an endeavor. This study employs a situated learning approach to teacher training and explores what online teaching skills emerge in the process of collaborative situated learning, how these skills develop, and whether collaborative situated learning is an effective method of training instructors to teach in 3D VWs. Six English as a second language (ESL) teacher trainees enrolled in the Teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language (TES/FL) program participated in the study. During the pre-teaching stage, teacher trainees developed language tasks to implement during the teaching stage with eight EFL students in 3D VWs. Blackboard wikis used for designing tasks allowed for observing the acquisition...
Research on international teaching assistants (ITAs) often highlights that ITAs have at least two... more Research on international teaching assistants (ITAs) often highlights that ITAs have at least two identities, an identity of a teacher and a student (e.g., Jenkins, 2000). Since American classrooms foster a variety of behaviors that are negotiated by instructors and students, ITAs may identify themselves with students during behavior negotiation when building rapport, especially by exchanging jokes (Unger-Gallagher, 1991). Making their student identity relevant may distort the teacher-student relationship, which ITAs might need to renegotiate. Little research has been done to show whether ITA student identity actually emerges and if does, then how. This study addresses the questions of what attributes of ITAs ’ identities emerge during humorous exchanges with their students, how these attributes shape the teacher-student relationship, and what role humor plays in the identity negotiation process between the ITAs and their students in the university classroom. Four ITAs, all non-nati...
Assessing the Effectiveness of Virtual Technologies in Foreign and Second Language Instruction, 2019
This chapter explores factors affecting learner collaboration by observing the performance of eig... more This chapter explores factors affecting learner collaboration by observing the performance of eight English as a foreign language (EFL) learners collaborating on tasks in a 3D virtual world (3D VW) over a period of six weeks. Students used an audio channel to interact with their peers and a text-based channel to make notes on a collaboration board. Their performance was recorded using Camtasia Relay, a screen-capture software, and then transcribed. Data analysis revealed that students' collaboration skills improved over time. The factors that facilitated collaboration included (1) learners and instructors' familiarity with 3D VWs, (2) learners' familiarity with the format of the learning activity, (3) learners' experience with the spontaneous use of the second language (L2), and (4) instructors' use of pedagogical techniques that facilitated collaboration. These results suggest that for students to benefit from collaborative learning, both learners and instructor...
This paper investigates the structure and cultural styles of indirect complaints in Russian and A... more This paper investigates the structure and cultural styles of indirect complaints in Russian and American English, and politeness strategies used by native speakers of these languages when complaining. It has been found that although indirect complaints in these languages are structured similarly, in some instances Russian complaints lack the problem solution component and optimistic attitude towards the resolution of the problem in the centre of the complaints. Humorous complaints in American English and laments in Russian reflect different styles of expressing indirect complaints in these cultures. The politeness strategies used by native speakers of Russian and American English demonstrate that Russians prefer positive politeness, whereas Americans favour negative politeness in the realisation of indirect complaints. Fourteen Russian native speakers and 21 native speakers of American English participated in this study. The data were collected by tape-recording natural conversation...
Research on international teaching assistants (ITAs) often highlights that ITAs have at least two... more Research on international teaching assistants (ITAs) often highlights that ITAs have at least two identities, an identity of a teacher and a student (e.g., Jenkins, 2000). Since American classrooms foster a variety of behaviors that are negotiated by instructors and students, ITAs may identify themselves with students during behavior negotiation when building rapport, especially by exchanging jokes (Unger-Gallagher, 1991). Making their student identity relevant may distort the teacher-student relationship, which ITAs might need to renegotiate. Little research has been done to show whether ITA student identity actually emerges and if does, then how. This study addresses the questions of what attributes of ITAs’ identities emerge during humorous exchanges with their students, how these attributes shape the teacher-student relationship, and what role humor plays in the identity negotiation process between the ITAs and their students in the university classroom. Four ITAs, all non-nativ...
Iryna Kozlova, Carleton University Dmitri Priven, Algonquin College Although language learning in... more Iryna Kozlova, Carleton University Dmitri Priven, Algonquin College Although language learning in 3D Virtual Worlds (VWs) has become a focus of recent research, little is known about the knowledge and skills teachers need to acquire to provide effective task-based instruction in 3D VWs and the type of teacher training that best prepares instructors for such an endeavor. This study employs a situated learning approach to teacher training and explores what online teaching skills emerge in the process of collaborative situated learning, how these skills develop, and whether collaborative situated learning is an effective method of training instructors to teach in 3D VWs. Six English as a second language (ESL) teacher trainees enrolled in the Teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language (TES/FL) program participated in the study. During the preteaching stage, teacher trainees developed language tasks to implement during the teaching stage with eight EFL students in 3D VWs. Blackboard w...
This study on online language pedagogy takes a sociocultural approach to examine how tasks design... more This study on online language pedagogy takes a sociocultural approach to examine how tasks designed for synchronous multimodal web-conferencing environment (MWCE) encourage students’ development of communicative skills and how students initiate control over their own learning. The data from the archived synchronous class sessions of the second semester high-school Russian as a foreign language course taught completely online were analyzed using Conversation Analysis. The data shows that a problem-solving component built in the task design seems to be a powerful tool as it invites peer collaboration on solving linguistic problems, urges students to take control of their own learning and offers opportunities for participation in instructional conversations with the instructor. The study also shows that multimodal environment allows students at different developmental levels and with different learning styles to participate in the co-construction of the task via the communication chann...
Implementing Augmented Reality Into Immersive Virtual Learning Environments
This chapter introduces a framework for the 3D task design. The framework proposes that the proce... more This chapter introduces a framework for the 3D task design. The framework proposes that the process of designing language learning tasks for 3D immersive simulated environments also be immersive. The framework guides designers/teachers who are new to 3D worlds through 10 stages of the design process that incorporates designers/teachers' individual work and their collaboration with colleagues and learners. Following Breen's advice, collaboration with colleagues and learners allows for taking into account some possible interpretations of the tasks to help learners interpret the task as closely as possible to its original plan; it also improves task functionality. Developed for designing 3D language learning tasks, this framework also benefits other disciplines and informs the design of tasks implemented in other virtual environments.
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