|
Not only is Tandem concerned with language comprehension and learning, but equally with cultural understanding and knowledge. Accordingly, a critical analysis of its competence must also examine this second ‘leg’. In fact, it turns out that Tandem aids a change of perspective, with comparison of one’s own and foreign points of view. This is also very helpful during translator training. Moreover, native speakers report an increase of awareness about their own language in the course of the Tandem. Therefore, it seems to be suitable as a ‘confidence booster’ in learning contexts.
== From tandem language learning to telecollaboration ==
In order to compete in our digitally advanced world, the acquisition of 21st Century skills,<ref>{{cite web|author=Liberty Concepts |url=http://edglossary.org/21st-century-skills/ |title=21st Century Skills Definition - The Glossary of Education Reform |website=Edglossary.org |date=2014-06-20 |accessdate=2016-01-20}}</ref> or Global skills has taken priority in the classroom. And as can be seen from its history, Tandem Language Learning has metamorphosed over time, reflecting these changes in our attitudes to learning. Today, with a focus on [[intercultural competence]], a key global skill, Tandem Language Learning has been also called Online Intercultural Exchange (OIE) (O'Dowd, 2007),<ref>{{Cite book|title = Online intercultural exchange: An introduction for foreign language teachers.|last = O'Dowd|first = R.|publisher = Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.|year = 2007|isbn = |___location = |pages = }}</ref> Internet-mediated Intercultural Foreign Language Education (ICFLE) and Telecollaboration. Such exchanges, despite being held at distance, give participants access to different cultures and beliefs with an authentic audience, boosting student engagement.
'''Benefits of virtual language exchanges'''
Indeed, benefits of virtual exchanges<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fltmag.com/virtual-exchanges-in-the-foreign-language-classroom/ |title=Virtual Exchanges in the Foreign Language Classroom |publisher=The Fltmag |date=2013-06-20 |accessdate=2016-01-20}}</ref> are seen to include
* development of intercultural competence
* improvement of foreign language skills to communicate with native speakers
* increase in student motivation
* student-centred learning
'''Drawbacks of Virtual Language Exchanges'''
* possible lack of accessibility due to time difference
* communication gaps due to social and cultural differences and expectations between groups.
* this, in turn, may have a negative effect on motivation.
'''Key Pedagogical Implications for Successful Telecollaborative Activities (O'Dowd, 2013)'''<ref name="O'Dowd2013">{{cite book|title = Telecollaboration and CALL. In Thomas, M., Reinders, H., & Warshauer, M. (Eds.) Contemporary computer-assisted language learning.|last = O'Dowd|first = R.|publisher = London: Bloomsbury Academic.|year = 2013|isbn = |url=http://site.ebrary.com/lib/uon/detail.action?docID=10632566|pages= 123–140}}</ref>
i. time for students to reflect on the experience (during and after the activity)
ii. adequate resources
iii teacher (pedagogical) leadership
iv. pedagogical integration of the activity into the class and the learning process
'''Digital Tools to Facilitate Telecollaborative Exchanges (Guth and Thomas, 2010)'''<ref name=GuthThomas2010>{{cite book|title = Telecollaboration 2.0: Language literacies and intercultural learning in the 21st Century.|last = Guth, S. & Helm, F. (Eds.).|first = |publisher = Peter Lang.|year = 2010|isbn = |___location = Bern, Switzerland|pages = }}</ref>
# Media Sharing (Flickr, YouTube)
# Social Bookmarking (Delicious, Connotea, CiteULike)
# Feed Aggregators (Bloglines, GoogleReader)
# Social Networks (Facebook, My Space, Ning, Twitter)
# Wikis
# Blogs to create collaborative working space and writing exchanges.
'''Getting Started with Telecollaboration'''
These virtual platforms allow easily observable and assessable student activity, and may provide access to virtual partnerships. One example is that of the Skype in the Classroom,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.skypeintheclassroom.org/ |title=Microsoft in Education |publisher=Skype in the Classroom |date= |accessdate=2016-01-20 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307161907/http://skypeintheclassroom.org/ |archivedate=2016-03-07 |df= }}</ref> part of [[Skype]], an online telephony platform. It hosts a ready-made activity called Mystery Skype, where classes have to guess where in the world their exchange-class is based. This is a simple, easily adaptable task that could be easily integrated into normal classroom activity.
Video reviews of Tandem Language Learning<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mMYc77Pm3g |title=Informative speech: Tandem language learning |publisher=YouTube |date=2014-05-19 |accessdate=2016-01-20}}</ref> exchanges are available on YouTube.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://preply.com/en/blog/2018/02/05/top-5-youtubers-to-help-you-learn-spanish-fast/|title=Top 5 YouTubers to Help You Learn Spanish Fast|publisher=Preply blog|date=2018-02-05}}</ref>
Tandem Language Exchange<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.tandem.net|title=Tandem Language Exchange|last=|first=|date=|work=|access-date=2018-04-09|language=en}}</ref> is an app, licensed by the TANDEM Fundazioa, which allows learners to connect and practice the Tandem method together via video chat and [[instant messaging]]. Other available solutions include Idyoma<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.idyoma.com/|title=Idyoma|website=Idyoma|language=en-GB|access-date=2018-07-20}}</ref>, HelloTalk, Bilingua, and Speaky<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.slant.co/topics/5930/~language-exchange-apps-for-android|title=Slant - 7 Best language exchange apps for Android as of 2018|website=Slant|language=en|access-date=2018-07-20}}</ref>.
'''Intercultural Communicative Competence in Telecollaboration and Tandem'''
Telecollaboration enables the augmentation of cultural awareness and [[second-language acquisition]] by geographically distant individuals using [[computer-mediated communication]] tools. A key objective of this exchange process is the development of [[Intercultural competence|Intercultural Communicative Competence]] (ICC) (O’Dowd, 2013<ref name="O'Dowd2013" />), given that previous research (see for example see Kern, 2000;<ref name="KernR2000">{{cite book|last1=Kern|first1=R.|title=Literacy and language teaching|date=2000|publisher=Oxford University Press|___location=Oxford}}</ref> Fischer, 1998<ref>{{cite book|last1=Fischer|first1=G.|title=E-mail) in foreign language teaching. Towards the creation of virtual classrooms.|date=1998|publisher=Stauffenberg medien|___location=Tubingen, Germany}}</ref>) has established that exposure to different cultures via online communication may have bolstered perceptions of difference by reinforcing [[stereotype]]s, as opposed to facilitating deeper cultural awareness and understanding between participants in the online exchange. Moreover, Helm and Guth (2010)<ref name=HelmGuth2010>{{cite book|author1=Helm, F.|author2=Guth, S.|editor1-last=Francesca Helm|editor1-first=Sarah Guth|title=Telecollaboration 2.0: Language, Literacies, and Intercultural Learning in the 21st Century|date=2010|publisher=Peter Lang|___location=Bern|chapter=The Multifarious Goals of Telecollaboration 2.0}}</ref> hold that Telecollaboration is based in a globalised milieu where the ideas of culture and language may not be consistent with those of [[national identity]]; identity may derive from historical and geographical processes within a multicultural context that extends beyond national boundaries (Risager, 2007 cited in Helm and Guth, 2010, p. 71<ref name=HelmGuth2010 />). This shift highlights the importance of facilitating an awareness of [[cultural diversity]], in terms of how learners perceive their own and other cultures. Based on this research, fostering ICC is essential given today’s cultural diversity in education (Helm and Guth, 2010;<ref name=HelmGuth2010 /> O’Dowd and Waire, 2009<ref name="O'DowdWaire2009">{{cite journal|last1=O'Dowd|first1=R.|last2=Waire|first2=P.|title=Critical issues in telecollaborative task design|journal=Computer Assisted Language Learning|date=2009|volume=22|issue=2|pages=173–188}}</ref>). Further, with the proliferation of [[Web 2.0]] (and indeed Telecollaboration 2.0) students are increasingly immersed in situations where an awareness about their own and other cultures is essential to developing communicative competence in a culturally-diverse setting. The key to the development of these competencies is collaboration within the wide array of communicative task-based activities used in Telecollaboration(O’Dowd, 2013<ref name="O'Dowd2013" />).
'''Telecollaboration Using [[Task-based learning|Task-based Learning]]: Challenges for Instructors'''
There are several challenges inherent in instructors’ choices of appropriate tasks in fostering ICC within Telecollaboration. Firstly, Samuda and [[Martin Bygate|Bygate]]'s research has indicated that while instructors may be able to implement tasks aimed at fostering ICC, they may not be able to clearly conceptualize the intended outcome of the chosen tasks (Samuda and Bygate, 2008, cited in O’Dowd & Waire, 2009, p. 174<ref name="O'DowdWaire2009" />). Secondly, collaboration between tandem instructors may create challenges in respect of differing views on task design, especially in relation to [[learner autonomy]], that is, how much autonomy students should be given in choosing and completing tasks (O’Dowd & Waire, 2009<ref name="O'DowdWaire2009" />). Thirdly, instructors’ differing views on their role in terms of intervention and management of the task may affect the task outcome (O’Dowd and Waire, 2009<ref name="O'DowdWaire2009" />) as well as result in lengthy, time-consuming online exchange.
'''Fostering ICC within Telecollaboration Using Task-based Learning: Task Types'''
Research conducted by O’Dowd and Waire (2009)<ref name="O'DowdWaire2009" /> highlighted 12 task types that could foster the development of such non-linguistic pedagogical objectives. These task types fall within 3 categories:
# Tasks designed to foster Information Exchange mainly used at the introduction stage, where students interact via the exchange of basic personal information. This may be conducted by providing cultural autobiographies, virtual interviews and informal conversation.
# Comparison and Analysis tasks are more demanding as they go beyond information exchange and require participants to compare and critically analyze [[Cultural artifact|cultural artefacts]] from their respective cultures, such as [[book]]s, [[newspaper article]]s, and [[film]]s. Furthermore, ICC may also be fostered through the use of [[questionnaire]]s designed to elicit discussion regarding different perceptions of [[Word Association|word associations]] and social situations (Furstenburg et al., 2001, cited in O’Dowd and Waire, 2009, p. 176<ref name="O'DowdWaire2009" />), creating a context for virtual discussion on these matters.
# Collaborative tasks are aimed at the co-production, i.e. the creation of a joint artefact, in the form of an [[essay]], [[presentation]], [[translation]] or cultural adaptation of a text. This type of activity is designed to engender a context in which participants actively negotiate meaning linguistically and culturally, and reach an agreement on their final co-production arising from their collaboration (O’Dowd and Waire, 2009<ref name="O'DowdWaire2009" />).
== Tandem learning using the Cormier Method ==
| 