1. Telecollaboration: the development of intercultural competence and learner autonomy in an e-tandem project Ruby Vurdien, White Rose Language School, Spain Pasi Puranen, Language Centre, Aalto University, Finland EUROCALL 2015, Padova, Italy

2. Advantages of telecollaboration Telecollaborative exchanges contribute to culture learning by providing learners with a type of knowledge that is different from textbooks (O’Dowd, 2006) Telecollaboration contributes to the development of ‘critical cultural awareness’ (Byram, 1997) through online engagement in negotiation of meaning in which they can discuss cultural ‘rich points’ (Agar, 1994) Telecollaborative exchanges make students aware of cultural differences in communicative practices (Belz & Kinginger, 2002, 2003) due to their exposure to a wide range of L2 discourse options

3. Intercultural competence and its benefits “ … a complex of abilities needed to perform effectively and appropriately when interacting with others who are linguistically and culturally different from oneself” (Fantini, 2006, p. 12) Byram’s (1997) model of intercultural communicative competence – the five ‘savoirs’: knowledge, skills of interpreting and relating, skills of discovery and interaction, attitudes and cultural awareness

4. Learner autonomy Managing their own learning Being able to take initiative, monitor progress and assess their own learning (Benson, 2001; Little, 2003) Little (1994) describes autonomy as ‘the product of interdependence rather than independence’ (p. 435)

5. E-Tandem Project Modes of communication: English & Spanish Nineteen Spanish EFL students from a private language school. Seventeen Finnish university students studying Spanish. Two tutors First three tasks in English - following three in Spanish  Both groups benefited equally Length of the study: six weeks. Platform: a closed group on Facebook (Movenote) No language difficulties throughout the project (Spaniards’ & Finns’ levels of English C1-C2 (CEFR); Finns’ level of Spanish B1) E-Tandem helps students to take charge of their own learning (Brammerts, 2001)

6. Online Tasks  Introducing themselves  Talking about university education  Uploading newspaper articles about current issues and commenting on them  Describing traditions, festivals and gastronomy  Interviewing each other on an issue (e.g. religion, environment, politics, etc.)  Describing their favourite film, book, poem, place of interest, etc.

7. An example: Task 1

8. Introduction via Movenote

9. Introduction on Facebook

10. Data collection and analysis Qualitative approach data collection allowed a wider range of viewpoints and a deeper understanding Data from: - Students´ posts on Facebook - Questionnaires (at the beginning and end of project) - Individual interviews - Survey questionnaire (five-point Likert scale (1= I strongly disagree and 5= I strongly agree)

11. Research Questions What are the students’ perceptions of their cultural exchange through online social interaction? To what extent can collaborating through online social networking assist students in becoming more autonomous learners?

12. Results 1/4 Students´ perception of their cultural exchange through social online interaction The majority of the participants´ (n=36) overview of the learning experience was positive Statement 2 (questionnaire): I enhanced my knowledge of my counterparts´ lifestyle, customs and habits: Mean 3.90Median 4 SD 0.85

13. Results 2/4 Statement 3: I found more similarities than differences in my peers´ habits Mean 3.53Median 3.5SD 0.91 Students´ perception of their discovering similarities and differences between their cultural habits was favorable Similarities: going to university, listening to the same music, watching the same films, having similar hobbies… Differences: the field of education

14. Results 3/4 The students endeavored to build a community through negotiation of meaning in their correspondence (c.f. Lomicka & Lord, 2009: Chartrand, 2012) Example of how the Spanish and Finnish students were engaged in a discussion on a newspaper article entitled “Government imposes further restrictions on alcohol advertising” Interaction reflects a keen interest in the subject

15. Results 4/4 Some tasks were only briefly and superficially discussed The Spanish students reported that the large number of participants impeded a deep exploration of their peers´ viewpoints The Finnish participants concurred that they did not examine their partners´ thoughts satisfactorily because of not having devoted sufficient time and effort to the tasks

17. Collaborating through social networking and autonomous learning 1/4 The participants felt quite motivated throughout their online social interaction, because they found some of the tasks purposeful Mean 3.37Median 3SD 0.87  They were encouraged to discover relevant information to help them understand each other’s culture. Students managed their learning independently to a certain extent (c.f. Ushioda, 2006; Vurdien 2014)

18. Collaborating through social networking and autonomous learning 2/4 The participants were also requested in one task to interview each other to discover more information about issues of interest The students had the ability to play an active role in their own learning and they could elicit appropriate information Examples of students’ interview questions 1. Does the Finnish government offer financial help to set up small businesses? 2. What are the working conditions in Spain? 3. What is the rate of unemployment among young people in Finland? 4. Do people still have a nap after lunch in Spain? How does that affect businesses?

20. Collaborating through social networking and autonomous learning 3/4 Some students also acknowledged that some support from tutors would have been appreciated in order to provide them with the necessary guidance to approach their tasks Statement 2: I developed collaborative skills Mean 3.03Median 3SD 0.86 As a result, the degree of autonomy was affected by the fact that students lacked the skills to manage their learning goals

21. Collaborating through social networking and autonomous learning 4/4 In general, the range of information exchanged throughout their online interaction was sufficient for students to critically reflect on each other´s views Lack of time was reported by some as being the reason for task incompletion  Some students were capable of taking the initiative and managing their learning more effectively than others

22. Suggestions Length of project is of utmost importance Tasks should be of a thought-provoking nature Clear information and feedback should be provided by the teacher A high degree of motivation is crucial for intercultural development and learner autonomy

23. Conclusion Increase in motivation due to the dynamic nature of the online interaction Enhancing their understanding of each other’s cultural traits through online collaboration Greater engagement among students through social online interaction, helping them to manage their learning tasks in an autonomous way

24. Thank You! Gracias! Ruby Vurdien, whiterose_va@yahoo.es whiterose_va@yahoo.es Pasi Puranen, pasi.puranen@aalto.fi pasi.puranen@aalto.fi