1. China 2007 International Conference on Online FLE
Promoting Internet-mediated intercultural foreign language education in China: models & implications
Presented by Liang Wang
The Open University, UK
Weihai, China
Aug 17-18, 2007

2. China 2007 International Conference on Online FLE
Weihai Aug, 2007
Outline
Introduction to ICFLE
FLE in China & online development
Theoretical & pedagogical development
Cases of online FLE development
Implications
Page 1/14

3. Introduction to ICFLE – 1
China 2007 International Conference on Online FLE
Weihai Aug, 2007
Introduction to ICFLE – 1
Internet-mediated intercultural foreign language education (Belz & Thorne, 2006)
4 types
Telecollaboration (Int’l class-to-class exchanges)
Tandem learning (language exchanges)
Local learner-informant partnership (via Internet connection)
Internet community
Recently, Belz & Thorne (2006) created the acronym Internet-mediated ICFLE (intercultural foreign language education) to refer to various prevailing models and methods for intercultural activities that make use of Internet technologies.
Page 2/14

4. Introduction to ICFLE – 2
China 2007 International Conference on Online FLE
Weihai Aug, 2007
Introduction to ICFLE – 2
Gap in China
National syllabi emphasize ICC & use of Internet resources
More discussion, less action
Purpose
Highlight the potentials and challenges that Internet technologies bring to ICFLE in China
A progressive approach to a pedagogical framework
In China ICFLE is still in its infancy but a growth area. Although the educational context is diverse, the national syllabi for college students (MoE, 2000, 2004) request that establishing ICC in language programmes be a main goal and the Internet should be incorporated into classroom instructions wherever possible. However, due to the complex nature of ICFLE, there has been much more discussion about establishing intercultural education in China’s FLE reform agenda (Hu, 2003; Wang & Zhou, 2006). Considerably less effort has been paid to exploring and designing pedagogical frameworks for practice with technology mediation.
The purpose of this paper is to highlight the potentials and challenges that Internet technologies bring to ICFLE in China.
In our paper we argue that a framework should be able to meet the needs of different practitioners for ICFLE and help to position task designs in line with diversified Internet-mediated ICFLE models.
Page 3/14

5. China 2007 International Conference on Online FLE
Weihai Aug, 2007
FLE in China – 1
Huge population vs. limited educational resources (Jin & Cortazzi, 1998)
Teaching-to-exam mode vs. needs of competent language professionals (ibid.)
‘Teacher-led, classroom-dependent, and textbook-based’ (Gu, 2002)
Online programs no better than e-textbooks (Gu, 2006; Zhong & Shen, 2002)
Page 4/14

6. China 2007 International Conference on Online FLE
Weihai Aug, 2007
FLE in China – 2
Trend:
Classroom plays the key role & textbooks the central part
Shift from teacher dominance to learner autonomy
Real-life tasks with Internet use
Blended instruction involving Internet technology mediation?
Therefore, it is argued that blended instruction involving the reasonable use of Internet technologies seems to offer a solution. However, the area of blended instruction is under-researched (Belz & Thorne, 2006).
Page 5/14

7. Towards a framework of ICC – 1
China 2007 International Conference on Online FLE
Weihai Aug, 2007
Towards a framework of ICC – 1
The intercultural communicative competence model (Byram, 1997)
Communicative competence
Intercultural competence
Knowledge
Attitude
Skills
Critical cultural awareness
Skills (discover, interact)
knowledge
Byram has contributed a fully worked-out specification of intercultural competence (IC) in addition to the communicative competence dimensions in FLE. From a pedagogical perspective, Byram (1997: 50-53) defines five ‘savoirs’, i.e. knowledge, attitudes, two sets of skills and critical cultural awareness within cognitive, affective and behavioural domains. He argues that learners need knowledge both of their own and their interlocutor’s country, and of the general process of societal and individual interactions. Moreover, he believes that an attitude of ‘curiosity and openness, readiness to suspend disbelief about other cultures and belief about one’s own’ is also essential in communication. In addition, he proposes that learners need the skills of interpreting and relating, and the skills of discovery and interaction to handle various cognitive and affective tasks to acquire intercultural competence. Ultimately, learners should be able to develop a critical mind towards perspectives, practices and products in their own and other cultures. Taken together, this list of abilities forms the elements of becoming an intercultural speaker, the goal of ICFLE (Belz & Thorne, 2006).
Critical awareness
Skills (interpret, relate)
Attitudes
Page 6/14

8. Towards a framework of ICC – 2
China 2007 International Conference on Online FLE
Weihai Aug, 2007
Towards a framework of ICC – 2
Input
Noticing
Reflection
Output
A progressive approach
A process model of intercultural teaching & learning (Liddicoat, 2004)
A technological dimension (information & communication tools)
A pedagogical framework for online ICC development
While Byram’s model is comprehensible, it does not specify how these objectives are achieved in operation, given the various settings such as classroom, fieldwork and independent learning situations. In this regard, Liddicoat (2004) presents a process model of Intercultural Learning and Teaching (ILT) in the form of awareness-raising, skills development, production and feedback (Figure 2). Such a process, though somewhat simplified, seems learner-centred and structured but lacking the specification of objectives for teaching and assessment. Therefore, it can be argued that the two models be merged to provide a progressive vision of ICC development.
Moreover, this progressive vision can be further developed by incorporating Internet technologies into teaching instructions. It is believed that a curriculum incorporating online elements can provide greatly enhanced instruction as well as more opportunities for autonomous exploration and communication (Barnett, 1993 in Milton, 2005) and can align language classes closely with real-world challenges and social needs (Xu & Warschauer, 2004).
Page 7/14

9. Cases of online ICC development – 1
China 2007 International Conference on Online FLE
Weihai Aug, 2007
Cases of online ICC development – 1
Cultura project (Furstenberg et al., 2001)
Telecollaboration (constructivist approach)
Critical perceptions of both the home culture and the target culture
Active participation and progressive activities
Filling in web-based questionnaires in their own languages (input – lexical, semantic awareness)
Comparing results in parallel lists (noticing)
Hypothesizing possible reasons for differences and similarities with additional resources (exploring, interpreting, constructing…)
Interacting and negotiating with online partners to investigate the cultural values and beliefs (reflecting, re-constructing)
Huge effort in design and implementation
Page 8/14

10. Cases of online ICC development – 2
China 2007 International Conference on Online FLE
Weihai Aug, 2007
Cases of online ICC development – 2
CrossCall project (King, 2006)
Local learner-informant partnership
Linking pupils in school language classes with local undergraduates of the target languages
Meeting pupils’ needs of real one-to-one communication with competent speakers for linguistic and cultural exchanges
Face-to-face meeting at the start; Paired groups
VLE WebCT under teachers’ guidance
- socializing, input
- consulting, negotiating
- reflecting, constructing
High demand in stable and secure connection
Page 9/14

11. Cases of online ICC development – 3
China 2007 International Conference on Online FLE
Weihai Aug, 2007
Cases of online ICC development – 3
Blue Rain Café (Gao, 2007)
Developed from an English language club
Internet community without native speaker of English
Meeting in an online forum
Enhancing language learning & use with spontaneous use of Internet tools
Social networking via the medium of English
Strong sense of community ID building
unorganized input, exploring, discussing, reflecting
No designated pedagogic tasks, nor professional instruction
Page 10/14

12. Implications – Where to Go?
China 2007 International Conference on Online FLE
Weihai Aug, 2007
Implications – Where to Go?
Case 1 (Cultura): establishing collaborative institutional partnership (policy, pedagogy, technology)
Case 2 (CrossCall): utilizing local foreign residents who are qualified as language and cultural informants in VLE (overseas teachers, students, business and industrial personals)
Case 3 (Café): leading learners through purpose-built process of community of practice in line with intercultural learning
To sum up, while ICFLE is complex and challenging in nature, it is not impossible to undertake task designs and implementation within a progressive and planned framework, afforded by Internet technologies. By analysing these examples in line with the ICFLE framework, the paper has shown that tasks can be worked out in such a way that they adapt themselves to classroom instructions in China’s context, for the purpose of realizing the goal of effective ICC development.
Page 11/14

13. China 2007 International Conference on Online FLE
Weihai Aug, 2007
Painstaking Vs. Icebreaking Adapt rather than adopt! Qs & As Contact:
Page 12/14

14. China 2007 International Conference on Online FLE
Weihai Aug, 2007
Main references:
BELZ, J. A. & THORNE, S. L. (2006) Introduction: Internet-mediated Intercultural Foreign Language Education and the Intercultural Speaker. IN BELZ, J. A. & THORNE, S. L. (Eds.) AAUSC 2005: Internet-mediated Intercultural Foreign Language Education. Boston, Thomson Heinle.
BYRAM, M. (1997) Teaching and Assessing Intercultural Communicative Competence, Clevedon: Multilingual Matters Ltd.
FURSTENBERG, G., LEVET, S., ENGLISH, K. & MAILLET, K. (2001) Giving A Virtual Voice to the Silent Language of Culture: The CULTURA Project. Language Learning & Technology, 5, (Accessed on 14/03/2004)
GAO, X. (2007) A tale of Blue Rain Cafe: A study on the online narrative construction about a community of English learners on the Chinese mainland. System, 35,
LIDDICOAT, A. J. (2004) Internationalisation as education. Part 1 of Models of intercultural learning and development. (Accessed on 29/06/2005)
KING, T. (2006) Final Report to CfBT Education Trust. London, University College of London.
O’DOWD, R. (2006) Telecollaboration and the Development of Intercultural Communicative Competence, Munchen, Langenscheidt ELT GmbH.
THORNE, S. L. (2006) Pedagogical and Praxiological Lessons from Internet-mediated Intercultural Foreign Language Education Research. IN BELZ, J. A. & THORNE, S. L. (Eds.) AAUSC 2005: Internet-mediated Intercultural Foreign Language Education. Boston, Thomson Heinle.
Page 13/14

15. China 2007 International Conference on Online FLE
Weihai Aug, 2007
Note: English corner/club is a form of interaction between non-native speakers of English at fixed places beyond the classroom. This is a unique sociocultural phenomenon in China due to the short of proficient and native speakers and the lack of real-life opportunities for authentic communication.
An image of Blue Rain Café (source from Gao, 2007)
Back
Page 14/14