Examining the Bi-Directional Benefits of Langauge Exchange Mariko Henstock Dept. of Modern Languages & Comparative Literature Boston University Instructional Innovation Conference March 8, 2013 Boston University

Japanese Program and CELOP Japanese Language Program –~234 Japanese Language Students (2013 S) –8 full & part time Japanese teachers Over 60 CELOP Students –56 CELOP Japanese students (from Waseda, Hosei, and other universities) for 2012 Fall Semester

Successful Events 1) Lunch Hour Language Exchange CELOP students Japanese language students total students attended each time 2) Language Exchange Classes CELOP students visit Japanese language class on a voluntary basis 3) Porter Sq. Exchange field trip (63 attended)

Benefits for Japanese Language Students Opportunity to converse naturally with native speakers Does it work? –Conducted survey with 63 students –Questions included: interest in Japan increased motivation confidence to speak Japanese improved conversation ability

The exchange motivated me to study more Japanese Strongly agreeStrongly disagree

It helped my Japanese conversation ability Strongly agreeStrongly disagree

This is good part of BU Japanese language program Strongly agreeStrongly disagree

Beneficial for CELOP Students? Expect language exchange lunch to be beneficial Why would visiting a Japanese language class benefit the CELOP students? Why do they voluntarily attend?

CELOP students are even happier than language students! CELOP students than language students feels significantly more Made friends (p-value=0.03) Helped my confidence speaking English(p-value=0.04) Helped my conversation ability in English (p-value=0.04)

The exchange motivated me to study more Japanese/English CELOP BU J students Strongly agreeStrongly disagree

It helped my Japanese/English conversation ability CELOP BU J students Strongly agreeStrongly disagree

Now I want to come back to BU even more because of this [exchanges with BU language students] Strongly agreeStrongly disagree

2013 Follow-up Study of CELOP Lunch vs. Visiting Class 49 Ritsumeikan college students from Kyoto visiting for about 4 weeks Exchange Lunch 3 times Required visits to Japanese classes –12-18 Japanese Language students –12-15 CELOP students/class Voluntary visits to Japanese classes (2 nd - 3 rd year)

Results for CELOP Students Lunch Exchange vs. Class Visits No Significant differences for -Japanese language use 45~46% -Made BU friends 4.32 vs (1-5 scale) -Helped my English 4.32 vs (1-5 scale) If had 10 hours to spend on lunch or class, how would you spend it? –Lunch 3.5 hours vs. Class visits 6.07 hours –Test p-value = 0.03 significant

CELOP Students’ Comments A lot easier to talk during class visits. What is surprising is that my (Japanese) common sense isn’t common sense in the US. Opportunity to learn about culture of “apology” in Japan. I learned a lot. Not just learning Japanese and English language, but also learning partners’ thinking and character, etc. will help me in my life.

Short History of Language Education Approaches Grammar Translation Natural Method (Berlitz Method) Direct Method Audiolingual Method Total Physical Response Communicative Language Teaching Intercultural Communication (ICC)  21st century approach focused on interaction  Draws on Garfinkel’s Ethnomethodology

Intercultural Communication –Shift from student-focused & mind-based –Teachers facilitate student’s process in constructing own understanding of world through communication (Stenlev 2003) 21 st century standards for Foreign Language learning: 1) Communication 2) Culture 3) Community Facilitated exchanges enable authentic communication and sociocultural challenges

Theory into Practice Ideal ICC requires reciprocal benefits & respect Teacher: facilitates intercultural communication An example class: Class focusing on apology 1)Brainstorming 2)Role-play in a defined situation 3) Discussion regarding the differences 4) Using media to expose additional intercultural differences for discussion

Acknowledgements Felix Poon: Boston University CELOP Academic Programs Coordinator Carol Pineiro: CELOP Senior Lecturer Jennifer Watson: Japanese House RA CELOP faculty: –Michael Feldman, Suzanne Pirlo, Mark Stepner Boston University Dept. of MLCL: –Anna Elliott, Hiromi Miyagi-Lusthaus, Emi Yamanaka