Interc_LOTE_2010-1

“Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change” (Max Planck) - Intercultural Learning & Technology : 

1 “Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change” (Max Planck) - Intercultural Learning & Technology Dr. Ania Lian https://sites.google.com/site/lotechinese/ https://sites.google.com/site/nihaohigh/

Why intercultural focus? : 

2 Why intercultural focus? Click to view online

Why intercultural focus? : 

3 Why intercultural focus? Direct link

Slide 4: 

4 Direct Link Why intercultural focus?

Why intercultural focus? : 

5 Why intercultural focus? Direct link

Slide 6: 

6 Direct Link Why intercultural focus?

Why intercultural focus? : 

7 Why intercultural focus? Inter-cultural language learning contributes to the overall education of learners, developing in them the capabilities to: communicate, interact and negotiate within and across languages and cultures understand their own and others’ languages, thus extending their range of literacy skills, including skills in English literacy understand themselves and others, and to understand and use diverse ways of knowing, being and doing further develop their cognitive skills through thinking critically and analytically, solving problems, and making connections in their learning. Such capabilities assist learners to live and work successfully as linguistically and culturally aware citizens of the world. THE MCEETYA NATIONAL STATEMENT AND PLAN FOR LANGUAGES EDUCATION IN AUSTRALIAN SCHOOLS 2005–2008, p. 3

In other words .. : 

8 In other words .. Language-learning is not a study of LANGUAGE. It is a study of a different world of symbols, values and expectations. Communication is about harmonising with those systems.

Statement #1 : 

9 Statement #1 Operating in a language is essentially about meaning and interaction. It is about: how we make sense of the signals of others (not always linguistic signals) and how others make sense of the signals we produce.

Paradoxically : 

10 Paradoxically Our culture both: Enables us to make sense of the world and act (e.g. so we can communicate) And Can also Limit our understandings of that world i.e. potentially disable us from knowing beyond what we know.

This means that : 

11 This means that We need to be in some kind of harmony with the group within which we wish to operate. Foreign-language students are often not in appropriate harmony with the target group. A task of language teaching should be help students develop strategies for operating in harmony with the people of another language Click

Slide 12: 

12 Synchrony Direct Link

What we have witnessed here : 

13 What we have witnessed here is a wonderful example of a self-adjusting environment

where : 

14 where each element acts on every other element AND all learn to operate together in harmony and synchrony (i.e. they communicate effectively – or the language learners have adapted to the EXPECTATIONS target community)

Statement #2 : 

15 Statement #2 Language usage occurs essentially within social groups Linguistic groups are also social groups Social groups necessarily share some values and expectations: let’s call it a culture The group writes itself on us – almost literally

Quote #1 : 

16 Quote #1 When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change (attributed to Max Planck).

Quote #2 : 

17 Quote #2 We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are This is because it is the “I” behind the “eye” that does the seeing) (Anaïs Nin)

Quote #3 : 

18 Quote #3 The universe is made up of stories, not atoms (Muriel Rukeyser)

Quote #4 : 

19 Quote #4 In order to really understand anything you must understand it in different ways (adapted from Minsky, 1981).

An intercultural class : 

20 An intercultural class In an intercultural class, we aim to: Create in students an awareness of relativity of our beliefs, values and expectations (Arbitrary vs. Relative) Create in students a sense of appreciation of the diversity that culture creates Enable students to negotiate differences

So… : 

21 So… Everything leads us to the conclusion that it is important: to collaborate to cross boundaries and to lower barriers.

To summarize… : 

22 To summarize… Culture is ever-present, contextualizing, and hard to pin down. Intercultural classes help to make visible the things that matter.

This is where… : 

23 This is where… technology can help

This is where… : 

24 This is where… Computers: Store information Allow for Random Access Can be connected (communication) Allow for creativity

It can provide support including : 

25 It can provide support including Simple structure / grammar drills Spelling and grammar checkers Pronunciation and listening tutors Collaborative writing and learning tools Access to information Multimedia database-driven systems High quality communication systems e.g. videoconference – e.g. skype

Dialog Generator : 

Dialog Generator

Listening Comprehension : 

Listening Comprehension

Lesson-Generator : 

Lesson-Generator

Multimodal Corpora : 

Multimodal Corpora

Slide 30: 

30 NihaoHigh Online

Slide 31: 

31 NihaoHigh Online Stores information Allows for its Random Access Links with other sites (communication) Facilitates teachers’ and students’ creativity

And.. : 

And.. Thank you very much!!