Teletandem mediation on Facebook: discussing a case study II IMFLIT: International Meeting on Foreign Language Learning in Tandem Transcultural  Language Learning: Toward Global Citizenship in (e)Tandem Teletandem mediation on Facebook: discussing a case study Maisa de Alcântara Zakir Daniela Nogueira de Moraes Garcia Micheli Gomes de Souza Coral Gables, March 22-24, 2018

Overview of the presentation: Focus on teletandem mediation sessions through Facebook; Map the mediator’s actions towards the demands of the students who are being mediated; Describe the interaction and the mediation sessions, as well as the role of the mediator; Analyze data in an interpretive perspective; Share the findings as contributions to a better understanding of teletandem mediation practices that are carried out by foreign language teachers after students’ teletandem sessions.

Institutional Teletandem Practice Interaction Sessions Mediation Sessions 25 minutes in each language 10 minutes for evaluating and planning provide teletandem participants a context for sharing experience and reflecting on their language learning process

Introduction Web-based technologies: proficuous contexts for pedagogical instruction in foreign languages; transcultural communication by highlighting possibilities and promoting educational partnerships. Broader perspectives can be reinforced by the association of image, voice and written resources. Learners may now have direct access to daily communication, in different languages and with people from all around the world, by using the internet and synchronous communication technologies (VASSALLO & TELLES, 2009).

Globalization requires diversified competencies and an education system that focuses on teaching the students the necessary abilities for the new needs and changes (SCHENKER, 2012). Borders are shifting and disappearing as cultures and international relations emerge (WELSCH, 1999). Telecollaboration involves global computer networks to foreign (and second) language learning and teaching in institutionalized settings for internationally- dispersed learners that use it in parallel to language classes in order to support social interaction, and intercultural exchange (BELZ, 2003). Telecollaboration can enrich the process of teaching/learning foreign languages in linguistic and cultural terms. It also promotes student development of autonomous and reflexive attitudes  MEDIATION SESSIONS – Counseling (BRAMMERTS, CALVERT AND KLEPPIN,2001)

Context: semi-integrated institutional partnership; Asymmetries (volunteer students X language students enrolled in a class); Adaptation to changes in the time zone; Teletandem activities (writing, reporting the sessions) may not be part of students’ grades. According to the specificities of each institutional partnerships, such as time restriction, pedagogical purposes, availability of mediator, for example, mediation sessions can also be conducted by the teachers asynchronously, through different social media, e-mail or learning environments (FUNO, 2015);

In the face-to-face mediation session, Brazilian students finish their interaction and have a seat around the table at the Lab to talk, think and have a shared group reflection on the session they had. When they share them, there may be a discussion about that, which may call important issues, such as reflection on their practice, reflect on the partner’s practice.

Mediation sessions [...] intriguing contexts in which there is a greater openness to the unusual and, thus, they are contexts for which (c) the planning of teaching and pedagogical activity is also displaced. After all, teachers do not prepare themselves for a conventional class in the same way as they do for a mediation session; there is no rigid pedagogical plan, but there is a policy of language learning under construction that guides the pedagogical action of the mediator. (FUNO, 2015, p. 37).

The mediator The professor or researcher who is responsible for conducting the mediation sessions with the learners after interactions. His/her importance is highlighted not only when s/he has to manage conflicts, but also as part of a teletandem partnership. The role of teletandem mediators has become more and more important as the project has been institutionalized and most of the interactions are held in groups of students (ZAKIR, FUNO & ELSTERMANN, 2015) “[...] the mediator has the chance to perform the role of the observer along the interactions and, from his/her observations, he/she may provide relevant issues to maximize the interactants’ learning process” (FUNO, 2015, p. 40).

THE RESEARCH STUDY CONTEXT Interactions scheduled for lunchtime in Brazil; Cultural aspect: lunch break is traditionally respected in schools and companies in Brazil; university restaurant working hours. Closed Facebook group  quick access; possibility to register who has seen the messages that are posted.

Frequency of participation of the mediators and interactants was measured in terms of number of postings on Facebook Mediator (M) Nº of posts Interactant (Int.) Daiane 69 Michel 03 Vivian 09 Adriana 07 Carla Fernando 06 Tatiana 01 Kátia Helen Aline 04 Laura Julia Jenifer 05 João TOTAL: 75 Leda Lucas 72

Organizing the collected material (a) reading the Facebook private group posts; (b) separating the general messages (organizational messages, such as general posting requests, management of absences and time changes); (c) separating the mediator’s and interactants’ messages about each interaction session; (d) identifying the main themes of each post; (e) using a shared Google sheet.

Data that emerged from the material (a) the most important characteristics of the mediation context; (b) the role played by the mediators (with focus on Daiane) on the context of Facebook; (c) Topics that students shared. Goals: map (a) the characteristics of this mediation context; (b) the role of the mediator; (c) how the mediation was conducted

List of general and specific topics of Facebook posts Author General topics Specific topics   Mediator (Daiane) Encouragement - Welcoming; - Compliment; - Motivation. Teletandem theory - Autonomy, reciprocity, separated use of languages and collaboration; - Setting and sharing clear goals; - Negotiating correction; - Focusing on form and content; - Learning strategies; - Drawing attention to (trans)cultural issues and to comparisons. Explicit orientations - Use of the imperative mode. Organizational issues - Post requests; - Time changes due to different time zones; - Management of absences; - Acknowledgement of make-up sessions.

  Interactants Descriptions Reflection Assessment - Partner; - Session; - Difficulties; - Expectations - Topics approached. - Interpersonal relations; - Strategies; - Learning process; - Adjustments; - Emotions; - Cultural differences;

Analysis: the role of the mediator The main characteristics identified on the mediator’s posts were: Clarifying organizational procedures; Writing encouragement messages; Providing guidelines and revisiting teletandem theories. 

Organizational procedures Telecollaborative teachers have organizational, pedagogical and digital competences (O’DOWD, 2013). The organizational competences refer to the abilities of the telecollaborative teacher to contact partners and establish criteria for online exchanges in an institutional level. In the current phase of teletandem project (ARANHA & CAVALARI, 2014), there is a network of researchers who establish partnerships among the universities involved in the project.  Daiane had previously contacted the partner university. Pedagogical competence: the telecollaborative teacher can integrate appropriate assessment procedures and rubrics which accurately reflect the activities which students carried out during their exchange [and] can explain clearly to students what is expected from them during an exchange – deadlines, performance objectives, learning outcomes etc. (O’DOWD, 2013, P. 10).

Oganizational Procedures - examples Excerpt 1: DAIANE (OCT 3) OPENING MSG 2 Hi, everybody!!! I want to remind you, as we talked before, to comment on your teletandem experience here. We are very interested in listening to you and help you on whatever you need. You can write in Portuguese or English, it is up to you! The important thing is that this is the time for sharing experience. Many times we grow and start to think about our own practice by listening to the others´. Hope to hear from you soon! Have a wonderful rainy weekend!

Excerpt 2: DAIANE (OCT 14) Dear students, We had absences last week and this makes us really sad because your partners from (University) waited for you. Unfortunately, we can not tolerate absences as our partners are available during their Portuguese classes. Laura, Natália, there were extra students to replace you last week. Some want to continue, let me know whether you intend to continue or not. I´m waiting for your reply.

Organizational procedures - findings The mediator’s active attention to the whole partnership process; Managing student participation in the teletandem sessions (volunteer participation of the Brazilian students and the context of non-integrated teletandem partnerships in the Brazilian university) Her concern about the necessity of guaranteeing that the students would keep their partnerships until the end of the semester; The personal approach used by Daiane to call students’ attention to the impact and consequences of their absences; Her attention to develop students’ awareness of the collaboration that is inherent to the Teletandem context.

Encouragement messages The encouragement messages have maybe played the most important role in terms of recurrence; Even when the topics of the posts were related to different issues, the mediator would always motivate students to keep their participation and face the possible difficulties reported during the teletandem interaction.

Encouragement messages Excerpt 3: DAIANE Keep in mind that you should help each other under the learning goals you have! Negotiate, adjust and take advantage of the context and the partnership. Nervousness and shyness are common but, from now on, you will become more confident for the interaction. Keep going and count on me. (Wink emoticon) Excerpt 4: That´s great, Vivian!!! I must tell you that I was worried about her nervousness last week. You will see, from now on, things will flow. Keep going. (Wink emoticon). Excerpt 5: Good job, Jéssica!!! I think she will get used to the Portuguese language too, as she listens to you. Let´s hope!!! You will be more familiar in the course of time. Go for it!! (Wink emoticon) Excerpt 6: Hi, Letícia, yes, keeping the same partner tends to be more comfortable and productive, don’t you think? I hope you keep the same partner from now on. I am glad things worked out well in spite of the inconvenient. Go for it!! Excerpt 7: Always provide feedback! This motivates and pushes you on, don’t you think? What about from the English language? Can you notice the same things? Very good!! Congratulations and go for it!! (Wink emoticon). Excerpt 8: Hi, Ana Paula! We don´t like absences, do we? But I am glad you talked to another partner and that it was interesting. Keep going! Excerpt 9: That´s great, Juliana!!! Time brings benefits to the partnerships, don’t you think? I am glad you are enjoying the experience, learning, helping each other, making friends and having fun. Great!!!! Good luck!

Encouragement messages It is possible to identify a certain pattern in the mediator’s messages, since there is a recurrence of the term “Go for it!!!”  such recurrence is possibly related not only to Daiane’s profile, but also to the context in which the mediation was held. Whereas in a face-to face mediation session, the whole group is involved in the discussions that emerge after the teletandem sessions, in a Facebook private group, we could observe that the interactions are more frequent between a student and the mediator. The encouragement messages might be understood as an effective way for the mediator to keep in touch with students and to motivate them to solve some of the difficulties reported in the subsequent teletandem interactions.

Encouragement messages Daiane focuses on the student’s development and on the good aspects of the teletandem interaction that they report; The use of the adversative conjunction “but” in excerpts 3 and 8 and the concessive conjunction “in spite of” in excerpt 6 provides evidence that Daiane considers the difficulties but acknowledges the success of each interaction; As an experient teletandem researcher and mediator, Daiane knows that the first interactions may cause students nervousness and anxiety (ROCHA & LIMA, 2009, p. 234). However, as the contact between the partners become more frequent, these feelings tend to fade.

Encouragement messages Excerpts 4, 5 and 6 provide examples of that when Daiane uses the adverbs “from now on” and “in the course of time” to highlight the fact that the next interactions will certainly be more successful.  This can also be evidenced in excerpt 9, when Daiane says that time can bring benefits to the partnerships. Through direct contact with each student, Daiane reinforces what she has been working on and she tries to counteract the difficulties that are typical of first contacts between telecollaborative partners.

Providing guidelines and revisiting teletandem theories The principles of autonomy, reciprocity and separated use of languages (VASSALLO & TELLES, 2006), which have grounded teletandem interactions, are based on tandem principles, as described by Brammerts (2002).; Mediation sessions via Facebook have shown to be a prolific context to either introduce or to revisit these principles through the mediator’s posts

Providing guidelines and revisiting teletandem theories Excerpt 10: DAIANE Let your goals evident to your partner so that she will be able to help you and the gains will be clearer. Remember the reciprocity, autonomy and separated use of languages teletandem principles. Best wishes!! (Wink emoticon). Excerpt 11: Remember the principle of reciprocity and think how you can help your partner to take greater advantage of the experience. Always negotiate, seek adjustments and enjoy the most. I wish you very productive interactions! Count on me to whatever you need! (Wink emoticon). Excerpt 12: Be attentive for the Spanish language and establish, with her, the correction criteria you will follow. It is important that both of you tells each other how you would want/like to be corrected. Then you will avoid problems. Remember that you must help each other and this has to be reciprocal. I wish you an amazing experience. (Wink emoticon). Excerpt 13: Hi, Juliana!! The themes you went through are very interesting! I emphasize what you said: “we help each other”! This is the key for any partnership, both need to be aware of helping each other towards learning. Very nice!! (Wink emoticon).

Excerpt 14: DAIANE Yes, I think it is important that you negotiate, between yourselves, what you consider more productive. I agree that the interaction should not become “a boring class” but I also think that pronunciation/particularities of languages can reinforce the learning goals you have for the partnership. It is good to remember that teletandem has the learning differential besides a talk to a foreigner. Paying attention to what the partner says and how he does it is essential to provide him feedback afterwards. Have this in mind! Big hug. Excerpt 15: See how interesting it is: he takes notes, is attentive and has efforts to communicate. Those things show that teletandem is not a mere chat but a context for learning! Good luck!! Remember that the partnership is about helping each other in learning. Negotiate with your partner, discuss the correction criteria and ways of correcting. In teletandem, we develop the ability to listen to what the partner says (but also to HOW he says something). Good luck!!

Providing guidelines and revisiting teletandem theories One of the most recurrent characteristic in Daiane’s approach to provide guidelines is the use of imperative mode. She also gives several general statements defining what teletandem practice is or is not by referring to the teletandem main theoretical points.  This form of approach can be observed in excerpts 10, 11, 12, in phrases such as “Let your goals evident”, “Remember the principle of reciprocity and think how [...], always negotiate, seek adjustments [...]”, “Be attentive [...] It is important that [...] Remember that you must help each other and this has to be reciprocal.”

Providing guidelines and revisiting teletandem theories Explicit orientations are present, to great extent, in Daiane’s replies to the interactants’ posts. We can observe that this pattern (use of imperative mode and general and conclusive statements about teletandem) and the focus on the basic teletandem principles (reciprocity, autonomy, separated use of languages, focus on form and content) tended to be present in Daiane’s replies, regardless of the content of the interactants’ messages. This recurrence may result from the limitations of the context to approach more specific issues in depth and from the nature of these principles, as well. These basic teletandem principles promote collaboration and learning. The emphasis on the main teletandem principles, presented mainly in the imperative mode, may indicate the need to distinguish the teletandem context from other practice and learning contexts.

Providing guidelines and revisiting teletandem theories Daiane’s posts also demonstrate her concern to remind students of how different teletandem interactions are from casual/daily conversations (excerpt 12, 14, 15). This difference is marked by the fact that there must be two perspectives during a teletandem interaction: focus on content and focus on form (DOUGHTY & WILLIAMS, 2004; LONG, 1988). Since the goal of the interactions is helping a partner learn a language, negotiation of strategies, discussion of topics and different ways of correction are central in the teletandem context.

Self-reflection: the mediator’s voice Contact with institutions; Positive environment; Intercultural competence and more reflexive and autonomous actions; Large group composed by students from different majors; Flexibility to the demands abroad and the interactions happened around lunchtime in Brazil; Expectation that the public posts could also benefit the other interactants; Expectation that reflection processes on the students’ own learning could be developed.

Final remarks The mediation sessions in the teletandem context demand a great participation of the mediators/ teachers; The findings suggest that Facebook was a suitable alternative for the mediation. Given the fact that this social network is of easy access and used by most of the Brazilian learners who participated in this study, the interaction and visualization of the shared messages were facilitated in this context. The participants could share their experiences during the best time for them, which has solved the problem of not having presential mediation sessions due to lunchtime in Brazil.

Final remarks The asynchronous nature of Facebook posts may have had some impact on the role of the mediator; We can highlight her efforts to keep learners’ motivation and participation in the group, either commenting on their messages or drawing their attention to the importance of posting in the group; Such a characteristic might have led the posts to be more related to foster motivation than to promote collective reflection through interaction (FUNO, 2015); The mediator seems to be aware of her limited access to solve or to “guide” interactants’ issues and revolves to teletandem principles to encourage them to continue discussing the topics they mention on the posts.

Final remarks The mediation session via Facebook shows the presence of the mediator, although the expectations of promoting deep reflection are not completely fulfilled, maybe, among other reasons, due to the fact that emphasis was given on keeping students’ motivation. This does not mean, however, that this type of context for mediation sessions is not important. It is part of the Teletandem institutionalized partnerships (ARANHA & CAVALARI) as long as it previews both the teletandem interactions and the mediation sessions. Limitations: the restriction of the analysis to the mediator’s messages. Further studies could approach the interaction between the mediator and the interactants. It would be also fruitful to pursue further research about the differences between mediation face to face and mediation in online contexts. This kind of research would contribute to the development of mediation practices and approaches.

Thank you! Obrigada!