Heritage Language Long-Distance Acquisition in Remote Areas—Implementing Telecollaboration in Social Media to Increase Exposure to Polish Language and Culture

Jaroslaw Krajka; Monika Gabryś-Sławińska

doi:10.18290/rh227010.7

Jaroslaw Krajka Maria Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin, Poland https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4172-9960
Monika Gabryś-Sławińska Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, Poland https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8611-3978

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18290/rh227010.7

Abstract

This paper reports on a study conducted during the implementation of the Polish language and culture promotion project, run by Maria Curie-Skłodowska University and financed by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange. In this project, Polish students were involved in telecollaboration with Brazilians from the Ijui region. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibilities of arranging heritage language acquisition through telecollaboration via social media. Due to the isolation of many communities, telecollaboration can be a useful method facilitating heritage language and culture acquisition across the world. This article used the case study method, in which the “Language Clinic” component of the project was taken under detailed scrutiny.

The project showed language shift and translanguaging as it happened—initially, the students from Brazil used English as a lingua franca and as a classroom language; however, once they grew more confident, they replaced English with Polish as the target language. For Polish student assistants, participation in the project brought about many benefits: increased orthophonic awareness, gaining an understanding of how careless articulation and inappropriate intonation of the utterance may lead to communication breakdown.

Author Biographies

Jaroslaw Krajka, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin, Poland

Jarosław Krajka has a Ph.D. in Computer-Assisted Language Learning (Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland) and D. Litt. degree in applied linguistics (Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Lublin, Poznań). He is Associate Professor and Head of Department of Applied Linguistics, author of numerous books and articles on CALL, foreign language methodology and intercultural communication and founding editor-in-chief of major Poland-based CALL journal Teaching English with Technology (Q1 in Scopus).

Monika Gabryś-Sławińska, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, Poland

Monika Gabryś-Sławińska is Associate Professor at the Department of Polish Philology
(Maria Curie-Skłodowska University) and Head of the Museum of Literature in Nałęczów. For 10
years she was the manager of a language course for Poles and Polish diaspora in the East,
organised by the “Wspólnota Polska” Association. She is author, co-author and editor of
numerous books and articles on Polish literature and culture of the 19th and 20th
centuries, press history, and editing. She serves as Scientific Editor of Annales UMCS. Sec. FF.

References

Avgousti, Maria Iosifina. “Intercultural Communicative Competence and Online Exchanges: A Systematic Review.” Computer Assisted Language Learning, vol. 31, no. 8, 2018, pp. 819-53.

Belz, Julie A. “Social Dimensions of Telecollaborative Foreign Language Study.” Language Learning & Technology, vol. 6, no. 1, 2002, pp. 60-81.

Bhabha, Homi K. The Location of Culture. Routledge, 1994.

Blattner, Geraldine, and Lara Lomicka. “Facebook-ing and the Social Generation: A New Era of Language Learning.” ALSIC, vol. 15, no. 1, 2012, journals.openedition.org/alsic/2413. Accessed 1 July 2021.

Blyth, Andrew. “Social Media Ethics in English Language Teaching.” The JALTCALL Journal, vol. 11, no. 2, 2015, pp. 165-76.

Budakowska, Elżbieta. Etnicidade polonesa no Brasil à luz de pesquisas sociológicas = (Etniczność polska w Brazylii w świetle badań socjologicznych). Muzeum Historii Polskiego Ruchu Ludowego/Instytut Studiów Iberyjskich i Iberoamerykańskich UW, 2014.

Bustamante, Carolina, and Aleidine J. Moeller. “The Convergence of Content, Pedagogy, and Technology in Online Professional Development for |Teachers of German: An Intrinsic Case Study.” CALICO Journal, vol. 30, no. 1, 2013, pp. 82-104.

Campbell, Aaron Patrick. “Weblogs for Use with ESL Classes.” The Internet TESL Journal, vol. 9, no. 2, 2003, iteslj.org/Techniques/Campbell-Weblogs.html. Accessed 1 July 2021.

Carney, Nathaniel. “Language Study Through Blog Exchanges.” The Proceedings of the Wireless Ready Conference, Nagoya, Japan March 24, 2007, pp. 109-20, wirelessready.nucba. ac.jp/Carney.pdf. Accessed 1 July 2021.

Carpenter, Jeffrey P., and Daniel G. Krutka. “Engagement Through Microblogging: Educator Professional Development Via Twitter.” Professional Development in Education, vol. 41, no. 4, 2015, pp. 707-28.

Çiftçi, Emrullah Yasin, and Perihan Savaş. “The Role of Telecollaboration in Language and Intercultural Learning: A Synthesis of Studies Published between 2010 and 2015.” ReCALL, vol. 30, no. 3, 2018, pp. 278-98.

Dede, Christopher, et al. “A Research Agenda for Online Teacher Professional Development.” Journal of Teacher Education, vol. 60, no. 1, 2009, pp. 8-19.

Dooly, Melinda, and Randall Sadler. “Filling in the Gaps: Linking theory and practice through telecollaboration in teacher education.” ReCALL, vol. 25, no. 1, 2013, pp. 4-29.

Elia, Antonella. “Can a Collaborative WiKi Weblish Dictionary Project Help Academic Writing of ICT Language Learners?” Teaching Academic and Professional English Online, eds. Isabel González-Pueyo, Carmen Foz Gil, Mercedes Jaime Siso and Maria José Luzón Marco, Peter Lang, 2009, pp. 153-80.

Godwin-Jones, Robert. “Telecollaboration as an Approach to Developing Intercultural Communication Competence.” Language Learning & Technology, vol. 23, no. 3, 2019, pp. 8-28.

Grau, Maike Korinna, and Anna Turula. “Experiential Learning of Telecollaborative Competences in Pre-service Teacher Education.” Language Learning & Technology, vol. 23, no. 3, 2019, pp. 98-115.

Guth, Sarah, et al. University Language Classes Collaborating Online. A Report on the Integration of Telecollaborative Networks in European Universities. INTENT Project Final Report, European Commission, 2012.

Guth, Sarah, and Helm, Francesca. (eds). Telecollaboration 2.0. Language Literacies and Intercultural Learning in the 21st Century, Peter Lang, 2010, p. 14.

Helm, Francesca, et al. “Promoting Dialogue or Hegemonic Practice? Power Issues in Telecollaboration.” Language Learning & Technology, vol. 16, no. 2, 2012, pp. 103-27.

Hilliker, Shannon. “Virtual Exchange as a Study Abroad Alternative to Foster Language and Culture Exchange in TESOL Teacher Education.” TESL-EJ, vol. 23, no. 4, 2020, pp. 1-13.

Kelley, James A. “Social Network Sites and the Ideal L2 self: Using Myspace in a Chinese EFL class.” The JALTCALL Journal, vol. 6, no. 1, 2010, pp. 17-33.

Kessler, Greg. “Student Initiated Attention to Form in Autonomous Wiki Based Collaborative Writing.” Language Learning & Technology, vol. 13, no. 1, 2009, pp. 79-95.

Kessler, Greg, et al. “Collaborative Writing Among Second Language Learners in Academic Web-based Projects.” Language Learning & Technology, vol. 16, no. 1, 2012, pp. 91-109.

Lamy, Marie-Noelle. “Telecollaboration: What Have We Learnt?” Plenary Lecture Delivered to Telecollaboration in University Language Education, Leon, University of Leon, 11-13 February 2014.

Leis, Adrian. “Encouraging Autonomy Through the Use of a Social Networking System”. The JALTCALL Journal, vol. 10, no. 1, 2014, pp. 69-80.

Maciołek, Marcin. Obrazki do kształtowania percepcji słuchowej oraz wymowy cudzoziemców uczących się języka polskiego. Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Śląskiego, 2018.

Malinowski, Mariusz. Ruch polonijny w Argentynie i Brazylii w latach 1989-2000. Centrum Studiów Latynoamerykańskich UW, 2005.

McDonald, Kurtis. “Fostering Departmental Communication and Collaboration with Online Discussion forums”. The JALTCALL Journal, vol. 4, no. 2, 2008, pp. 17-28.

Meskill, Carla. “CMC in Language Teacher Education: Learning with and through Instructional Conversations.” International Journal of Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, vol. 3, no. 1, 2009, pp. 51-63.

Miodunka, Władysław T. Bilingwizm polsko-portugalski w Brazylii. W stronę lingwistyki humanistycznej. Universitas, 2003.

O’Dowd, Robert. “Emerging Trends and New Directions in Telecollaborative Learning.” CALICO Journal, vol. 33, no. 3, 2016, pp. 291-310.

O’Dowd, Robert. “Learning from the Past and Looking to the Future of Online Intercultural Exchange.” Online Intercultural Exchange: Policy, Pedagogy, Practice, eds. Robert O’Dowd, Tim Lewis, Routledge, 2016, pp. 273-94.

Piekot, Tomasz, and Anna Żurek. “Nauczanie języka obcego w perspektywie międzykulturowej – model sytuacji komunikacyjnej.” Sytuacja komunikacyjna i jej parametry, ed. Grażyna Sawicka, Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Kazimierza Wielkiego, 2010, pp. 155-66.

Rabczuk, Anna, and Katarzyna Kuś. “Rozwijanie kompetencji semantycznej i leksykalnej za pomocą narzędzi dostępnych w Internecie.” Glottodydaktyka wobec wielokulturowości, eds. Elżbieta Kaczmarska, Andrzej Zieniewicz, Wydział Polonistyki Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego, 2014, pp. 39-50.

Seretny, Anna. “Metody nauczania języków obcych a nauczanie języka polskiego – zarys.” Z zagadnień dydaktyki języka polskiego jako obcego, eds. Ewa Lipińska and Anna Seretny, Universitas, 2006, pp. 131-54.

Stawiński, Frei Alberto. “Ogólny zarys dziejów imigracji polskiej w Rio Grande do Sul.” Obecność polska w Brazylii. Materiały z sympozjum Brazylia-Polska. Kurytyba 1988, Centrum Studiów Latynoamerykańskich UW, 1996, pp. 45-48.

Sung, Ko-Yin, and Wen-Yun Lin. “Intercultural Exchanges in the Blogosphere.” The JALTCALL Journal, vol. 6, no. 3, 2010, pp. 171-88.

Wu, Heping, et al. “Chinese EFL Teachers’ Social Interactionand Socio-cognitive Presence in Synchronous Computer-mediated Communication.” Language Learning & Technology, vol. 18, no. 3, 2014, pp. 228-54.

Yang, Se Jeong. “Affordances and Challenges of Telecollaboration for Pre-service Teachers.” Language Learning & Technology, vol. 24, no. 3, 2020, pp. 30-41.