Business French Through Macrosimulation

Teaching Business French with macrosimulation : 

1 Teaching Business French with macrosimulation Professor Dr. Catherine MooreProfessor Dr. Andrew Lian Western Illinois University USA CR-Moore1@wiu.edu - AP-Lian@wiu.edu Professor Dr. Catherine MooreProfessor Dr. Andrew Lian Western Illinois University USA CR-Moore1@wiu.edu - AP-Lian@wiu.edu

Structure of this presentation : 

2 Structure of this presentation Some theoretical and practical reflections Some proof-of-concept demonstrations

Traditionally… : 

3 Traditionally… business language courses have been anchored around a textbook centering on the study of technical terms and a series of hands-on activities.

This method has disadvantages : 

4 This method has disadvantages as business practices and interactions are changing rapidly, the teacher must constantly update the material presented in the textbook.

Also : 

5 Also Grammatical accuracy and other linguistic elements, such as pronunciation, intonation or body language are seldom a part of the business course.

So… : 

6 So… The challenge will be to develop these elements and to put the student at the heart of the learning process.

Because : 

7 Because in the traditional business course, the teacher more than in any other course, is perceived as the holder of a technical somewhat esoteric knowledge, and occupies center stage, thus leaving little room for the learner’s individual expression,

Our goal : 

8 Our goal is to completely remodel the Business French course in order to make it learner-centered.

We suggest : 

9 We suggest a learning structure already used for conversation courses: an ongoing self managed macrosimulation.

A macrosimulation : 

10 A macrosimulation is essentially a long-term simulation where participants are required literally to create a specific lifelike environment. e.g. they are required to build houses and other buildings, to generate local institutions and develop ways of life.

They are required : 

11 They are required to select personae, to determine their characters and to act out their roles for a whole semester. After a while, they develop a sense of their own history in the simulation and their personal stakes change: they are no longer just doing an exercise as their “self” is at risk.

and : 

12 and Their activities are video-recorded and time is set aside for observations and analysis of their performances by teachers and other students (adapted from Lian, A-P., 2004, Mestre & Lian, 1985).

The use of this structure : 

13 The use of this structure should enlarge the range of communicative activities, imitate real life as much as possible, be flexible, and empower the students with the freedom to model their learning.

We chose : 

14 We chose as a simulation a situation which offers boundless possibilities, resembles closely real life and is particularly relevant to college students: a job search. In France, there is a so-called “Pôle Emploi”, a place which centralizes all of the tools available to a job seeker in order to secure employment.

We will assist : 

15 We will assist the students to re-create a Pôle Emploi environment, and creatively practice the four language skills as defined by the ACTFL guidelines: speaking, listening, writing and reading.

The first step : 

16 The first step will be for the students to decide on the roles they want to play out, whether it is key parts such as the recruiter(s), the job seeker(s), the counselor(s), or other smaller roles, receptionists, family members, friends, etc.

Each role : 

17 Each role calls for a series of activities, the number of which is wide open, for instance: the initial interview with the counselor, the creation of a dossier for the job-seeker, the drafting of job offers, the search for job opportunities.

The students will have to : 

18 The students will have to organize the search by defining the tasks, do research by consulting authentic documents widely available on the Web and in a specialized IT infrastructure, prepare the different stages of the simulation, act them out, etc.

As we can see : 

19 As we can see the macrosimulation spreads out in new unpredicted and unpredictable directions, each activity creating a new hub of activities. The process is open-ended, quasi-infinite in its possibilities and lends itself to all kinds of teaching structures.

In order for this system to function effectively : 

20 In order for this system to function effectively it will require an IT infrastructure able to assist with the solution of the specific problems encountered by the students. Our infrastructure is based on work by Lian, A. B., González, J. A. & Lian, A-P., Lian, A-P. & Mestre, Moore, C. R. & Federico, S.

Characteristics of the IT infrastructure : 

21 Characteristics of the IT infrastructure The IT infrastructure is constructed on the premise that it will be used in a rhizomatic fashion. The notion of rhizome, derived from botany and from critical theory (Deleuze and Guattari), provides an interesting metaphor for processes associated with teaching and learning.

A rhizome : 

22 A rhizome is akin to a ginger root where all of the nodes of the root are potentially interconnected.

A rhizome : 

23 A rhizome provides a model of sequencing which is no longer based on traversing a pre-determined network of nodes of knowledge, but on the creation of a dynamic sequencing of events where connections and flows to and from nodes of knowledge are determined solely by students' needs.

A system such as this is : 

24 A system such as this is currently under development (González, J. A. & Lian, A-P.) and requires cultural and linguistic taxonomies which, in turn, form the underlying framework for a multimedia database of cultural and linguistic events which will underpin the rhizomatic enviroment.

It could look like this : 

25 It could look like this

The macrosimulation : 

26 The macrosimulation is a rhizomatic environment and will develop in four stages

Stage 1 : 

27 Stage 1 Role assignment and role play: oral skills, listening and speaking, cultural awareness.

Stage 2 : 

28 Stage 2 Job advertisement: reading and writing

Example activities : 

29 Example activities After reading and selecting the ads that fit their skills, students will have to draft their own ads learning, in the process, how to advertise themselves and their knowhow. Job offers1 Job offers 2

Stage 3 : 

30 Stage 3 The candidate’s file: all skills are involved, as well as cultural awareness.

Example activities : 

31 Example activities Preparation of A cover letter Curriculum vitae – Amazing Pérot CV CVs on Other documents

Stage 4 : 

32 Stage 4 The Job Interview: oral comprehension, listening, speaking, pronunciation, intonation, phonetic accuracy, correct register and writing skills as required.

Example activities : 

33 Example activities Formal/Informal speechTelephone communicationInterview proper Link to Lesson on interview

Example activities : 

34 Example activities Interview advice Link to Lesson on interview

Students will then : 

35 Students will then compare the entire hiring process in the United States (or wherever) and Francophone countries and outline the cultural misunderstandings that may arise when one crosses from one culture to the other.

They will also : 

36 They will also read real life case studies dealing with hiring practices on each side of the Atlantic and see how they reflect what has been learned in the course.

As you can see : 

37 As you can see the macrosimulation can go on forever and, in a university context, could take up to two semesters to complete. In so doing, the students will gradually be exposed to the main aspects of the French Business world and learn almost “first-hand” how to cope with real life.

References : 

38 References González, J. A. (2009). “Technology and Culture in the Language Class: Adding another Ingredient to the Old Dilemma… and a taxonomy and a database structure. AsiaCALL Online Journal, (forthcoming). González, J.A. and Lian, A-P. (2008). “Taxonomies and Cultural Events for Language/Culture Learning”, AsiaCALL 2008 International Conference two-part presentation, Suranaree University of Technology, Thailand. Lian, A. B. (1996). “The management and distribution of language-learning resources in the digital era”, paper presented to the National Conference of the Australian Federation of Modern Language Teachers' Association, Perth, October 1994, published in Scarino, A. (ed.): Equity in Languages Other Than English, Perth, pp. 177-182. Lian, A-P., (2004). “Technology-Enhanced Language-Learning Environments: a rhizomatic approach”, book chapter in Son, J-B. (ed.): Computer-Assisted Language Learning: Concepts, Contexts and Practices, New York, iUniverse, December 2004, pp. 1 - 20. Lian, A-P. and Mestre, M-C. (1985). “Goal-Directed Communicative Interaction and Macrosimulation”, in Revue de Phonétique Appliquée, Paris, Didier, 1985, 73-75, pp. 185-21.  Moore, C. R., and Federico, S. (1997a). “L’Utilisation des cas pratiques dans la classe de français des affaires." In Steven Loughrin-Sacco , Jayne Abrate eds. Making Business French Work: Models, Materials, Methodologies, vol 2, SDSU, Ciber Press, pp. 127-141. Moore, C. R. and Federico, S. (1997b). Cas Pratiques pour le Français des Affaires. McGraw Hill, Second Edition.

Thank you : 

39 Thank you

Thank you : 

40 Thank you