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Spanish Language Acquisition

Action Research Project CI 515Belen Pardo BallesterMay 3, 2013

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IntroductionAs a foreign language learner I have found myself on many occasions looking fordifferent tools to enhance my learning. During the last two years when I was in France, Itried to immerse myself in their culture by learning to speak French. Going to classes,writing essays, memorizing grammar, and studying for exams was not enough to help mecommunicate in real life. Most of the time I was seeking a technological edge or digitalmedia to increase my learning. It was at that point that I started using audio lessons,podcasts, games, French grammar websites, and many other applications. At the time, Iwished that the French class I was taking would have included some kind of technology toincrease my confidence and motivation without having to do it on my own. In his article,Zhao (2003) states that learning a second language can be influenced by many factors, andtechnology can be used as an individualized tool to help with grammar, vocabulary,reading, writing and speaking.Now I am given the opportunity to observe how technology is used in a third year university Spanish class. I examined a technology tool, Intercultura, and its effects on learning and complementing a Spanish third year level course. It should be noted that there have been studies which indicate that computer technology has many advantages in the study of a second language. Technology can provide learners with motivation, independence from the traditional classroom and can emphasize an individual’s personal needs (Salaberry, 2001; Warschauer & Healey, 1998).This action research will give the teacher an important resource to use in the on-going development and evaluation of Intercultura; it will also demonstrate possiblesolutions to technological issues. I have followed the guidelines of Lewin’s action research

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model (See Figure 1). This approach takes a sequential form describing an action research spiral which includes: fact finding, planning, taking action, evaluating, and amending the plan before moving into the next spiral. I have completed the first spiral of an initial cycle.

Figure 1. Lewin's Action Research ModelThis action research project has several parts following this introduction. Thefollowing sections of this project are: area of focus statement; the research questions; areview of related literature; a description of the intervention or innovation; themembership of the action research group; the negotiations involved to complete thisproject; the timeline to complete the project; data collection and analysis; an interpretation

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and discussion of the findings; an action plan including the steps to implement; a list ofreferences and an appendix. I will start by presenting the area of focus.Area of Focus StatementThe purpose of this study was to describe the effectiveness of using “Intercultura”, a media system tool used in Spanish 303B , a third year Spanish conversation class for professionals (see Appendix A for class syllabus). Intercultura is a collection of videos embedded with quizzes that were developed to be used in Spanish 201 and 202 (second year Spanish courses). Data were collected from students in Spanish 201 and 202 to learn about students’ intercultural competence. However, Intercultura has not been in third year Spanish courses. This semester, spring 2013, Intercultura has been used with the expectations that the students will gain intercultural communicative competence by reaching out to the culture of Spanish native speakers from different Hispanic countries (e.g., Argentina, Colombia, Spain and Chile). The motivation underlying this study begins with the desire of knowing the students’ perceptions about using Intercultura. By exploring users’ satisfaction, instructional strategies, and evaluating how much the students have learned, I hope to determine whether it is worth to adopt a program such as this more widely in higher Spanish level courses. Based on this, in the next section I present the research questions I have developed.

Research Questions1. What are students’ perceptions about Intercultura when used as learning and testingprogram in a third year Spanish conversation course?2. How do the online discussions in the class forum (i.e., chat) impact student's learning of Spanish culture and language?

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3. How do the students understand the differences and similarities between American andHispanic cultures?Review of the Related LiteratureThis literature review is based on the analysis of twenty articles found in variousresearch journals and focuses on language acquisition and technology. Second languagelearning with the use of technology means the use of computer-enhanced programs toboost the learner’s probability to succeed. Many factors can influence the success inlearning a new language. In this review of the literature the following areas will beaddressed: the history of language acquisition, the methodologies used in second language(L2) learning, vocabulary retention and comprehension, and the use of technology whenlearning a foreign language. First, a brief summary of the history of language acquisitionwill be presented.

History of language acquisitionTechnology and information technology has great potential to improve secondlanguage learning (Salaberry 2001). Salaberry (2001) clarifies that it was with theintroduction of the phonograph when L2 had some advantages educationally; and it waslater with the start of radio that distance learning really began. The implementation of theuse of television, films and video within the classroom were also useful tools for L2(Salaberry, 2001). However, information and communication technology (ICT) is the latestmedium introduced in teaching and learning (Salehi & Salehi, 2012). In addition, theInternet and the introduction of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) started a newmethodology to learn languages with repetitive language practices, grammaticalclarifications, translations, and testing at various levels of the language learning

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(Warschauer & Healey, 1998). I will now review some of the literature about some of themethodologies used in language acquisition.Theoretical Frameworks for Language Acquisition and TechnologyLee (2004) uses the sociocultural theory (SCT) as a framework for examiningnetworked collaborative interaction (NCI) among native speakers (NSs) and non-nativespeakers (NNSs) of Spanish in the United States. From a sociocultural point of view,language is a tool that the individual uses to mediate his cognitive functioning and socialinteraction as a means by which individuals can produce more complex thought processes.The degree and quality of this interaction is affected, therefore, by such elements aslearners’ values, language proficiency, and electronic literacy, which partially determinedifferent individuals’ language learning success. Ideally, scaffolding opportunities occurbetween speakers, in which more proficient language users assist the less proficient usersin producing more complex language forms. Many times this allows the learners to noticethe gap between their current inter-language system and more complex target language(TL) discourse.Synchronous NCI, which heavily depends on learners’ reading and writing skills,allows more process time, and therefore may also affect such interactions. The NCIopportunities in Lee’s study included synchronous online chat activities using theblackboard course management system. NSs and NNSs interacted using open-ended two-way information exchange tasks that required negotiation of meaning, clarificationrequests, and comprehension and confirmation checks. In addition, NSs and NNs discussedopen-ended questions that were meaningful and broad enough for them to relate the issuesto their own lives.

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Chung, Graves, Wesche, and Barfurth (2005) use the SCT to explain how the Korean-Canadian tandem partnership resulted in online collaboration allowing students to buildrelationships with each other and at the same time to develop their understanding forlanguage and culture. Chung et al. (2005) stressed the importance of the social interactionmade possible by tandem interactions, which come from the principle of reciprocity tomaintain learners’ evolving individuality as Korean-Canadian bilinguals and thedevelopment of the language. These authors support the sociocultural theory by sayingthat language learning does not happen only in the mind of each person, instead it is asocial created action facilitated by diverse utensils such as the computers, tasks, andlanguage.Examining another theory, but along the same line, Basharina (2007) uses activitytheory (Engeström, 1987, 1999; Leont’ev, 1978, 1981) as a theoretical framework toexplore international telecollaboration among English as second language (ESL) learners.Basharina (2007) explores the contradictions or tensions that occurred among students inonline discussion forums using WebCT message boards. According to activity theorists,contradictions are a rich source of cognitive development, driving students to transform anobject/goal into a new outcome. Basharina (2007) focused on identifying thecontradictions that emerged during a 12-week telecollaboration project in order to explainthe underlying reasons for these contradictions using activity theory. The participantsincluded 135 students between the ages of 18 and 22 in their third year of university study;52 were Japanese on a year-long study abroad program in Canada, 37 were Mexican from auniversity in Northwestern Mexico, and 46 were Russian from a university in NortheasternRussia. Findings included the identification of three different types of contradictions: (a)

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intra-cultural, (b) inter-cultural, and (3) technology-related. Intra-cultural contradictionswere those happening across cultures in the initial project phase, including the dilemma ofwhether or not to post given students’ anxiety and lack of knowledge about theircommunication partners. A second contradiction was whether to sound formal or informal,which was fostered by the conflict between participants’ academic role as students andtheir non-academic online identities. Once the project began, both of these contradictionswere resolved as the students became more comfortable with their online collaboratorsand their conversational roles as participants. The inter-cultural contradictions, however,including the unequal initiation of discussion threads, the genre clash regarding studentperceptions of plagiarism, and the discord in terms of topic choice, only grew larger as theproject went on. These contradictions led the author to theorize that this type of tensionhad deeper origins in the participants’ varied socioeconomic and geopolitical background,which caused a genuine misunderstanding and a failure to comprehend certain aspects ofthe others’ cultures. For example, Russian students tended to post lengthy academicdiscourses, whereas Mexican and Japanese students posted shorter informal messagestrands. The author reasoned that these differences developed because of the differentsocieties’ learning paradigms, which were inseparably linked to their dissimilar socio-economic orders. Whereas the Russian instructor was a proponent of a curricular

paradigm, encouraging students to engage in academic essay writing, the Mexican andJapanese students’ instructors, came from a Post-Fordist, interactive learning paradigm,which values students’ free interaction with their online partners. The author alsoconcluded that the Russians’ relative lack of Internet access forced them to compose mostof their messages offline, only briefly using a dial-up connection to post messages to the

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forum. The Mexican and Japanese students, however, had unlimited Internet access,allowing them to use the electronic discussion board in a more synchronous manner.Teaching implications included the emphasis on instructor involvement for facilitatingstudent understanding of cultural differences. Because of cultural differences, instructorsplay a critical role in enhancing a student’s knowledge of the ethnic differences in culturaland educational practices.In my next section I will present some of the experts’ studies as to the best ways tolearn and retain vocabulary when learning a new language.Vocabulary learning and retentionFor many years, foreign language learning has been focused first on grammar and sentence construction, and secondly, on learning new vocabulary (Nation, 2006). But now this is changing. Foreign language learning has now expanded to include critical thinking skills, so it appears is less structured and more flexible (Campbell, Adams, & Davis, 2007). More recently, technology has been used to help with the learning of vocabulary, grammar, reading, and writing as an individualized tool (Zhao, 2003). As Schmitt (2008) noted in his article, “the best means of achieving good vocabulary learning is still unclear, partly because it depends on a wide variety of factors” (p. 329). According to Nation (2006), for a student to learn a language a reasonable vocabulary size should be acquired. There is no definite answer for the amount of the lexical words necessary to understand a target language, but learners who know less than 80% of the lexical words have poor comprehension (Nation, 2006).It is inevitable that to learn a second language, vocabulary must be mastered. Intoday’s society, there are many options on how to learn vocabulary using computer

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assisted technology. Even though vocabulary can be learned incidentally, the intentionallearning of vocabulary results in greater and faster vocabulary retention (Schmitt, 2008).Schmitt and Schmitt (1995) explained that to retain vocabulary the learner should be usingas many methods as possible. These authors created a list of principles to help withvocabulary retention. These principles are: learning vocabulary in an organized way, for example as antonyms or as partof the speech; similar words should not be taught together, for example effect and affect; there is more to learn from a word than just its meaning, for example,knowing its roots, its grammatical position, spelling and pronunciation.Now I will examine some of the studies that have been done that demonstrate whytechnology is an advantage in the study of second languages.

TechnologyThe use of computer technologies to learn a second language is increasing (Yamada,2009). Evidence suggests that students at the university level benefit more in classeswhere computer technology was used (Jones & Plass, 2002). When learning L2, listeningand comprehension improved when a computer generated images were combined with theoral text. Later testing results indicated that when computer image-word was used, itincreased vocabulary retention. In comparing reading and comprehension exercises withthe effect of interactive multimedia (that included the listening and comprehensionexercises), it was found that both of them have improved in a positive way (Jones & Plass,2002).

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The study of a second language has many advantages when it is done online(Pasfield-Neofitou, 2011). Japanese and Australian students participated in a study whereit was possible for them to understand each other in their actual communication dependingon the social medium used (Pasfield-Neofitou, 2011). In this study, two social networkswere used - Mixi and Facebook. The site Mixi was considered more ‘Japanese’ andFacebook was used more for English communication. When using the two sites thestudents communicated in both languages (Pasfield-Neofitou, 2011). During this study, theconcept of virtual community was observed by the researcher, confirming that a realenvironment existed for language exchanges, especially when comparing it to “a surrogatefor face-to-face interaction” (Pasfield-Neofitou, p. 99). Many participants were furthermotivated by special online technological tools to interact more frequently with theirnative language speaker friends. Hence, this promoted reading and writing in their L2(Pasfield-Neofitou, 2011). Speaking and listening skills also improved with the use ofSkype and at the same time students learned more about the culture from theirconversation partners (Tian & Wang, 2010).Connolly, Stansfield, and Hainey (2011) examined the potential advantages of playing online video games in the study of a L2. Results indicated that most of the teenagers continued to play the video game (Alternate Reality Games (ARG)) because they felt that ARG motivated them to keep playing, and at the same time they could continue to study their L2 (Connolly, Stansfield, & Hainey, 2011).According to Yun, Miller, Baek, Jung and Ko (2008), an interaction is created byusing technology between students and different features of L2 study. Yun et al. (2008)observe that web technologies are essential tools that can be used to support learners

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because they received feedback from the technology. When given different types ofassignments with some explicit programs or websites, it helps to develop proficiency incertain skills, such as grammar or sentence construction (Yilmaz, 2011). At the same timethe kind of online responses required are linked to vocabulary and meaning transfer; openended questions are considered more effective than multiple choice (Yun et al., 2008).Yoon (2008) found that applying skills acquired through sensitive language awareness, forexample, using Corpus Technologies (technologies for language research, teaching andlearning), and aided ESL students to become more accountable in the study of the Englishlanguage.The findings from the video game ARG study were very similar because it imitatedan interactive social relationship between the real world and the online imagination(Connolly, Stansfield & Hainey, 2011). Yilmaz (2011) observed that many tools used fordeveloping L2 were available for social interaction making it easier for the students andteachers involved.A way to encourage language learning is by having students interacting online,which can be useful because it boosts language construction along with the use of onlinecommunication (Yilmaz, 2011). Yilmaz (2011) found that Turkish EFL students receivedmore benefits from group comprehension activities than from those activities that focusedon the language form. Murphy (2009) reported that online synchronous communicationhelped L2 students by benefiting individually through personal enrichment and stimulus tolearn. In this study, elementary students worked individually because they had anunderstanding of the technology, and even the unmotivated students were also able towork independently while using technology (Murphy, 2009).

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In general, video-conferencing improves the speaking abilities of students becauseof the face-to-face communication and because it is easier to understand the studentsthrough the visual use of their gestures and body language (Yamada, 2009). However,when studying the grammatical structure of the language, the researchers found that theuniversity students in this study preferred to use the texting system because they couldcorrect their messages before sending them (Yamada, 2009).ConclusionsLearning a foreign language through the use of technology can be a very powerfuland helpful tool. Foreign language vocabulary and sentences construction arestrengthened through images, movies, descriptions, and game playing. A large vocabularyis an important factor in order to master a foreign language. The brain has to be stimulatedthrough the use of different technological methods to be able to retain the vocabulary.Computer-enhanced learning motivates individuals to learn a foreign language. Languagelearning has multiple benefits when using computer-enhanced technologies. Thepossibilities are endless and very encouraging.The following paragraph will explain how I intend to evaluate Intercultura.

Intervention or InnovationPrior to my research, this third year Spanish class had just implemented Interculturalast year. Intercultura is a media system tool made up of videos with embedded quizzes. Iwill determine the student’s level of satisfaction using this technology and review theirprogress throughout this spring semester.The following section details the participation study group and the location of theresearch.

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Membership of the Action Research GroupThis study takes place in a third year Spanish university classroom. The location is alarge Midwest university with an enrollment of 31,000 students, including 11%international students. In 2012, the enrollment was 44% female, and 56% male. Morethan one in five students was a minority or an international student.The participants of this study were all enrolled in Spanish 303B during the spring semester of 2013. This Spanish class was composed of ten male and nine female students. Seventeen of these students were descendants of American families, one was Brazilian, and one was from Mexican heritage (American born). They have all taken two years of Spanish or a placement test. Their ages ranged from 18 to 21 years old. The majors of these students were: Advertisement (1), Aerospace Engineering (1), Agronomy (1), Biology (2), Business (1), Chemistry (1), Chemical Engineering (1), Civil Engineering C E (2), Computer Engineering (2), Construction Engineering (1), Global Resource Systems (1), Materials Engineering (1), Mechanical Engineer M E (1), Pre-vet (1), Psychology (1), and Naval Science (1). All these students have participated voluntarily in this research.The following was the process involved in order to conduct the research study.Negotiations to be UndertakenTo execute this study, I first had to complete the Human Subjects Research Trainingrequired by Iowa State University when conducting a research involving human subjects.Secondly, I had to talk to and get permission from the professor who was teaching the classI was evaluating. And lastly, I had to collect voluntary surveys from the students. All thestudents in the class participated in the research, and I completed the research within thetimeline described in the next area.

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TimelineThe timeline for this project was during the fourteen weeks of the spring semester.During this time, I researched the issue, identified the area of focus, developed researchquestions, read related literature, collected and analyzed the data, and wrote the results.Table 1 identifies the different phases and the time spent on each one.Phase 1 January –March 2013 Identify area of focus, review related literature, developresearch questions, write draft of literature reviewPhase 2 March 9 –April 6, 2013 Collect and analyze data, work on other parts of AR plan:introduction, intervention/innovation, membership,negotiationsPhase 3 April 6 –April 20, 2013 Continue analyzing data, revising literature review,writing up findings (interpreting the findings)Phase 4 April 21-April 27, 2013 Action planning, complete AR project and presentation,share results with stakeholders.Table 1. Action Research timelineThis timeline was executed under the direction of my professor. The next step in this project was to collect and analyze data.

Data Collection and Data Analysis

Data collectionThe data were collected over the course of one week. The collection of data was obtained through a single source which was in the form of a twenty question survey(See Appendix B) created by the researcher in collaboration with the Spanish class professor. All nineteen students received an electronic invitation to respond to the survey which was sent to each one in the class. This survey was voluntary and anonymous, and it did not affect their grade in any way. With this survey I was trying to find out the students’ perceptions

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and opinions about Intercultura, as well as analyzing their level of learning of Spanish. This is represented in the following triangulation matrix (See Table 2).Research Questions Data Source 1

1. What are students’ perceptionsabout Intercultura when used aslearning and testing program in athird year Spanish conversationcourse?Survey

2. How do the online discussions in thisforum (i.e., Intercultura) impactstudents learning of Spanish cultureand language? Survey3. How do the students understand thedifferences and similarities betweenAmerican and Hispanic cultures? Survey

Table 2. Triangulation Matrix

Data analysisTo analyze the data in relation to question one and two, I have used mixed(qualitative and quantitative) data from the survey. Some graphs are presented showing the results (percentages) to illustrate the answers for the quantitative questions. To answer research question number three data were collected in a qualitative form. The qualitative data were codified by different topics such as learning from a different culture, improving listening skills, real-life conversations, professions, etc. The findings of the data are shown in the next section.

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Findings

Research question #1 – What are students’ perceptions about Intercultura when usedas learning and testing program in a third year Spanish conversation course?The answer to this question was obtained from the data of six quantitative surveyquestions and a qualitative one. A question about student motivation was asked andreceived 21 answers (two students gave an additional answer as to their motivation fortaking the course). Figure 2 demonstrates that 86% of the students were taking the class because of their desire to speak Spanish. The students were very motivated to take this course.What is your primary reason for taking this course?

Chart 1 – Motivation and reason for taking this course

Another question was asked about what the students liked most about the class (See Figure 3). Twenty-six percent of the students were very interested in the course material; 24% of the students enjoyed the chat; a similar percentage (24%) enjoyed the teacher. Only 12% of the class liked to watch the videos. The assignments (5%), technology (2%) and other (7%) were not enjoyed very much.

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What have you enjoyed the most about this class, so far?

The third question was asked to address what was the most challenging portion of the course. Figure 4 illustrates that technology (23%) and quizzes (23%) were found to be equally the most challenging part of the class. Seventeen percent of the class thought that the chat was the most challenging. The course material (3%), the teacher (3%) and the videos (7%) posed little challenge in this class.What have you found the most challenging, so far?

Figure 3 - Preferences about the content of the class

Figure 4 General challenges

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To find out about the students’ thoughts about Intercultura a closed question was asked “Do you like Intercultura?”(See Figure 5). With the exception of one student, everyone (95%) liked Intercultura. This signifies that Intercultura was beneficial for a Spanish course of this level of study.Do you like Intercultura?

Yes 18 95%No 1 5%A question was posed to rate the technology used in this class (See Figure 6). The scale used was 1 (“not good”) to 5 (“excellent”). An equal number of students gave it a 3 (37%) and a 4 (37%) rating when it came to the use of technology. This signifies that 74% of the class believed that the technology used in this class was above average.

How would you rate the technology in this class?

1 0 0%

2 3 16%

3 7 37%

4 7 37%

5 2 11%

Figure 5 - Do you like Intercultura?

Figure 6 - Technology

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Another question about technology was posed to find out if the technology used in this

class motivated students to learn the Spanish language. The questions was rated from 1 (low

motivation) to a 5 (high motivation). A high number of students (42%) were motivated about the

subject through the use of technology in this class.To get a perception of what the students thought about Intercultura, an open question was asked “What do you think about Intercultura?” The majority of the class thought that

Intercultura was a good way to improve their Spanish listening skills, as well as being a good way to expose them to the different Hispanic cultures. Only a single student thought that the videos were hard to follow. Another one expressed “I have no real feelings for it”. A third student also stated that he/she wished to have Intercultura in the second part of the semester.

Research question #2 - How do the online discussions in this forum (i.e., Intercultura)

impact students learning of Spanish culture and language?

To find out what impact Intercultura had on the students, questions about the chat were

asked. First of all there was a need to find out if the students like the chat (See Figure 7), which

was evaluated on a scale from 1 (not like it) to 5 (like it). Forty-two percent of the class liked the chat, while 21% of the students gave it an average grade of 3. Twenty-seven percent (5 participants) of the students gave the chat a below average rating.How do you like the chat?

1 3 16%

2 2 11%

3 4 21%

4 8 42%

5 2 11%

Figure 7 - The chat - YES or NO?

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Another question was posed about the educational value of the chat (See Figure 8). Most

of the students thought that the chat was a valuable tool to learn vocabulary (29%), grammar

(26%), speaking (24%). On the other hand, 16% of the students thought the chat didn’t teach

them much.

What do you learn with the chat?

Figure 8 - Learning with the chatTo analyze if the chat was a good tool to use during class time, an open question was posed. Eleven students (58%) were satisfied with the chat as a tool because it broke up the routine during class time. Five students (26%) thought it was a waste of time because they felt it was not necessary to go all the way to class just to chat. Only a minority (3 students) thought that the chat was good during class time if it was just used once in a while. Many students (65%) saw the chat as a good way to socialize during class time because it was easier than speaking in front of the class. Due to technological issues, 35% of the class did

not like the chat because it was a waste of time.Research question #3 - How do the students understand the differences and

similarities between American and Hispanic cultures?

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The majority of the students (80%) answered that they were learning about the differences between the Hispanic cultures, accents, people’s lives, and different pronunciations. A participant said: “Aprendo en culturas nuevas” (I learn about new cultures). This research has looked at the learning of Spanish as a second language using a specific tool (Intercultura), but it is important to explain that the cultural frameworks in developing a second language has a huge impact on learning that new language. As Warschauer (1996) has explained, “ . . . those who expect to get magnificent results simply from the purchase of expensive and elaborate software systems will likely be disappointed. But those who put computer software to use in the service of good pedagogy will undoubtedly find ways to enrich their educational program and the learning opportunities of their students". The differences between cultures were also expressed by the impact that Intercultura had on each student. Some of the students wanted to travel abroad to directly experience the Hispanic cultures. A good example of the impact that Intercultura had on the students was answered by a student who stated: “It made me rethink my life here in the US, and how it could be different. I also thought about what values that our culture has that I respect, and the values that I dislike”.On the final question of the survey, students were asked “what impact didIntercultura have on you?” This question was key to the investigation about theeffectiveness of using this technology to learn Spanish. The participants realized thatIntercultura taught them about the differences between cultures while learning a newlanguage.

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Action PlanningThe last step in the Lewin's Action Research Spiral Model is to take action. Even though much remains to be learned about the implementation of technology in a higher level language acquisition course, I do not expect to achieve a cut-and-dry solution to these questions. However I want to share my results, and I do expect that professors using Intercultura will find the results of this study useful.After the data collection and analysis, and based on what I have learned from thisinvestigation, I found out that there were major issues with the technology that was used inthis class. First of all, I think that all technical requirements should be stated in thesyllabus. For example, everyone should have the same browser (FireFox) to avoid issues.Secondly, I believe there is a need to find a chat system without technological problems toallow the students to practice their instant writing without getting frustrated. Thirdly,even though Intercultura is a tool that the majority of students like, in certain instancessome students take longer than others to understand the content of a video. Therefore myaction plan is to allow students to watch and listen the video as many times as needed.Lastly, I believe that Intercultura should be used for the entire duration of the course, notonly in the last part of the semester.After finalizing this action research project, the results of this report will be handedto the professor of the class for her implementation.

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Yamada, M. (2009). The role of social presence in learner-centered communicativelanguage learning using synchronous computer-mediated communication: Experimentalstudy. Computers & Education, 52(4), 820-833.Yilmaz, Y. (2011). Task effects on focus on form in synchronous computer-mediatedcommunication. The Modern Language Journal, 95(1), 115-132.Yoon, H. (2008). More than a linguistic reference: The influence of corpus technology on L2academic writing. Language Learning & Technology, 12(2), 31-48.Yun, S., Miller, P. C., Baek, Y., & Ko, M. (2008). Improving recall and transfer skills throughvocabulary building in web-based second language learning: An examination by item andfeedback type. Educational Technology & Society, 11(4), 158-172.Zhao, Y. (2003). Recent developments in technology and language learning: A literaturereview and meta-analysis. CALICO Journal, 21(1), 7-27.

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Appendices

Appendix A: Class Syllabus

Spanish 303B section 2 Spanish Conversation for Professionals Spring 2013MWF 12:10-1:00 3157 PearsonInstructor informationProfessor: Dr. Cristina Pardo BallesterOffice: 3238 Pearson Hall, Phone (515) 294-2134E-mail: cpardo@iastate.eduOffice hours: Monday & Wednesday 10:00-11:00 or by appointmentPrerequisite for the course descriptionYou qualify to take Span 303B if you have taken Span 202 or four years of high school Spanish.Other kinds of academic preparation may qualify you with the Instructor’s approval. You mustattend the first two classes of the semester to keep your seat in the class.Native Spanish speakers should consult with the professor to determine their eligibility for thiscourse.Course descriptionPractice in both formal and informal discourse for communication in professional settings suchas Business. This course focuses on refining fluency through discussions and practicalexperiences that reflect real-world settings in the Spanish-speaking world and among theSpanish-speaking population of the United States. The principal goal of this course is preparationof intermediate/advanced students for successful communication in the Spanish-speakingprofessional world. It is designed to develop skills in listening and speaking and to foster culturalliteracy. Pertinent assignments in reading and writing will support these skill and cultureobjectives. Course readings, discussions, instruction, and work are entirely in Spanish. Classactivities will focus on building professional vocabulary and providing exercise in constructingeffective and meaningful statements in the target language. Assignments are completed inBlackboard. Some of the assignments and access to content for this course include onlinediscussion forums, and online quizzes.Course objectivesStudents will increase their oral and listening abilities in Spanish to at least the Intermediate midto high level in order to:1. Handle every day and routine work situations with confidence.2. Recognize and incorporate into speech specialized vocabulary related to professional fields.3. Communicate facts and talk casually about topics of current public and personal interest.4. Strengthen professional rhetorical writing abilities and awareness of cultural values, beliefs,and ideologies of the Hispanic world.5. Recognize, define and incorporate into speech grammatical structures pertinent to oralcommunication.6. Demonstrate speaking and listening proficiency equivalent to the ACTFL intermediatemid/high level.

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AttendanceAttendance is a key issue in foreign language learning, and failure to come to class deprives thestudent of necessary exposure to the target language. Attendance will be taken each day. Regularclass attendance is essential for successful completion of the course.-You may miss three (3) classes for any reason (personal, medical, motivational, etc.) withoutdirectly affecting your grade. The fourth absence and every subsequent absence will result in theloss of three percentage points (3%) from the final overall course grade. For example, Josh hasan overall grade of 88%, but he has 5 absences so his final grade is 82%. Upon the seventh (7th)unexcused absence, you will fail the course regardless of your performance in other areas.-Absences may be excused on a case-by-case basis and only with extenuating circumstances atthe discretion of the instructor. Documentation may be required by the instructor.-Two (2) late arrivals and/or (2) early departures will constitute one (1) absence. Late arrivalsdisrupt other students and the lesson, besides being rude behavior. Repeated late arrivals andearly departures will also directly and adversely affect your final course grade. It is the student’sresponsibility to notify the professor of their late arrival or early departure.Make up workIf students know they will miss class (i.e. for an ISU sponsored event, field trip, conference,sports activity, etc.) they must make up the work in advance. Late and unexcused work will notbe accepted. There will generally be no make-ups on tests, quizzes, and oral presentations. It is astudent’s responsibility to plan to be present for those scheduled days.If a student is ill, s/he should make every effort to submit work on time, either electronically orvia a classmate or friend. In the case in which the instructor accepts late work from a student orallows a make-up exam the instructor cannot guarantee that any such work will be graded in atimely manner.Grade DistributionCourse grades will be calculated based on the following distribution.

13% Engagement/Participation17% Homework: Intercultura online quizzes (4x2=8%) & Forum(3x3=9%)10% Online Quizzes: Blackboard Audio/Vocabulary (5 x 2=10%)10% Oral Presentation (1)50% Exams: Mid-Term/Exit (2) Interviews (15% Mid-Term, 10% final interview) & TimedWritten Exam (2) (15% Exam 1, 10% Exam 2)Departmental Grading ScaleNOTE: Grades are not rounded to the next letter grade. For example, an accumulated score of 79.9remains a C+.

Course Engagement & ParticipationRegular attendance and participation in class discussion and activities are essential for success inthis course. Therefore, you must prepare carefully for class by completing all assignments andreadings in advance. You will be asked to volunteer often and participate actively. Discussion isrequired! As a reminder, absences, tardiness, or leaving class early will result in a lower courseengagement grade. The following scale will be used to assess your course engagement.A Volunteers frequently and is well prepared for class. Contributes ideas and opinions to class.Participates well in small group work. Attends class regularly, is always on time, and neverleaves early.

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B Volunteers occasionally, is not always prepared, sometimes contributes ideas to class, mostlyparticipates in small group work. Sometimes late for class or leaves early.C Speaks only when spoken to, listens passively. Contributes little to group discussions/work.Does not attend class regularly. Often late to class or leaves early.D Does not participate efficiently either because of class performance; un-preparedness; orrepeated absences, tardiness, or leaving class early.F Unacceptable. Complete or near-total absences.Attention! Keep in mind that participation does not just mean “talking in class” or “contributingpersonal experiences or opinions” to class discussion. Students will, in part, be assessed on thequality of their contributions to class. You want to demonstrate that you have been payingattention in class, have been doing the homework assignments and readings, and (mostimportantly!) can make connections between course content and your personal reflections,interpretations, and so on. To earn an “A” for participation in this course, you must be able to useconfidently course vocabulary and speak with authority about the information we are coveringtogether in this course.A 93-100% A- 90-92% B+ 87-89%B 83-86% B- 80-82% C+ 77-79%C 73-76% C- 70-72% D+ 67-69%D 63-66% D- 60-62% F 0-59%

IMPORTANT NOTE ON PARTICIPATION: Examples of disrespectful behavior in class: notbringing required materials to class, reading materials not related to the class, doing homework –of any class- during the class period, talking to others about subjects not related to classactivities, speaking in English, passing little notes, taking naps, being late to class, among others.NOTE: Use of laptops, smart phones or any texting device is not permitted during class time,unless requested by the instructor for class activities. Students that engage in these activities willreceive an F for participation for each day they use such devices. If you most communicate withsomeone through phone or texting, please leave the classroom before you do that withoutdisrupting the class.Homework: Intercultura quizzes and forum posts.As part of your class assignments, you will work on cultural materials to help you betterunderstand the Hispanic culture. The materials are integrated in the section Intercultura withinour Blackboard page. This space will provide you with online video materials related to theprofessional contents covered in class. As part of your assignment, you will watch short videointerviews with native Spanish speakers. For two topics [“El mundo hispano” and “La empresamultinacional y nacional”], you need to watch a video from two different countries. You need tobe familiar with different voices. As you watch the videos, you will need to complete acomprehension quiz integrated within the video.Note on grading: The Intercultura assignments count as your homework grade for the course.There are a total of eight quizzes, but you are required to take only four quizzes, two fromdifferent topics and different countries. Upon completing of each quiz, a window will displayyour quiz results. This window shows your grade for the quiz and the grade that appears in thiswindow is automatically recorded in Blackboard. This grade is the one considered to calculateyour homework grade. If you are not satisfied with your grade, you may take a second or thirdquiz for the same topic. The highest grades you obtain in the quizzes will be considered tocalculate your grade. Students are responsible for monitoring grades on quizzes. Remember thatduring the semester you can see your grade after finishing the quiz; you can also review it in

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order to study the questions you got correct or wrong. If you see that there is something wrongwith your grade you should reported to your instructor immediately in order to clarify anyquestions about your quiz results. Always make sure that you view the Quiz Results screen at theend of each quiz. You could also take a screen shot of your quiz results as evidence you took thequiz.In addition to the quiz, as part of the assignment you will need to post a comment to a discussionforum to accompany each topic (“un día típico”, “la empresa multinacional y nacional” & “losempleos”). See guidelines posted on Blackboard. The purpose of the forum is to promoteinteractions for the sharing of impressions on the contents of the materials. Specific guidelinesfor posts are also available in Blackboard. You must do both activities (quiz and postings toforum) in order to receive full credit for this assignment. The activities in Intercultura count asyour homework grade for the course. You must do all assignments before the due date andbefore our class meetings. You are responsible for doing your own homework. Please be advisedthat computer crashes are not considered excuses for incompletion of work. Sometimes I mightgive you an extra sheet to work at home.Online QuizzesQuizzes are an important part of traditional education and are useful in preparing students for the“real world” by helping students hone their abilities in expressing brief and precise yet stilldeveloped and enriching statements. In the academic context, quizzes test students’comprehension and mastery of important terms, concepts, notions, and so forth; but theseabilities are not limited to the classroom, as professionals often find themselves “being quizzed”by colleagues or superiors in their careers and professions. Thereby, we will engage in listeningand vocabulary quizzes in this course.Glossary and reading sheets and are posted on Blackboard. Students are responsible for knowingthe schedule of these readings and are required to read all of the assigned pages BEFOREcoming to class and are required to be prepared to discuss the information together. Students willhave either a listening quiz or vocabulary quiz to take OUTSIDE OF CLASS in the course BbLearn site. Students are responsible for remembering to take these quizzes BEFORE theirexpiration in Bb Learn. There will be no make-up Bb Learn Audio/ Vocabulary Quizzes. Practiceonline quizzes are posted on Blackboard and you are encouraged to take them prior to the onlinequiz, as many times as you wish. No grade will be kept of the practice tests.Oral PresentationEach student will be required to give one oral presentation during the semester on his or herchosen profession. This might include an overview of the profession, a specific aspect of theprofession, a comparison between different positions within the profession, how to land aposition in the chosen profession, etc. The topic must be approved in consultation with theinstructor. The time limit for this presentation is 5 minutes. Students should perform theirpresentations with the aid of visual materials such as posters, flip charts, video, music orinnumerable possibilities (i.e. PowerPoint, Web Pages, etc.) For presentations that will make useof special technical equipment (VCR, DVD, computer. Projector, etc.), students should reserveequipment through the instructor at least two days prior to the presentation. All presentationsshould include a handout that outlines the presentation, includes key presentation points andoffers any other detailed information that is helpful. Remember, in your presentation you shoulddemonstrate and teach a particular aspect and this requires interaction with the class.

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Time written ExamsThere will be two exams during the course of the semester. Each exam will cover listeningcomprehension, vocabulary, and content from the Intercultura videos, readings covered in classdiscussion and reading comprehension. The two will count for a total of 20% of your final grade(10% each examination). Tentative dates are indicated on the class calendar. Keeping up withhomework and full class participation are the best methods of studying for exams. No make-upsare allowed on exams! If you miss an exam, for any reason, your grade will reflect amissing score.Mid‐Term InterviewThe Mid-Term Interview will be an individual, 10-15 minute interview with your professor.Interviewing and the ability to express your thoughts clearly and precisely in spoken form areimportant professional and life skills that require a lot of practice over one’s lifetime and shouldbe practiced in a second language academic context as well. The oral interview will be recorded(so that I can evaluate students’ performance).Final InterviewAt the end of the semester, you will have an oral interview that will take the form of a ‘job’interview. Throughout the course of the semester we will complete different tasks that will helpyou prepare for the interview. The tasks consist of simple questions that will allow you to drawupon the vocabulary you learn related to the professional field. The questions will be open-endedand instructions to guide you on how to go about answering them will be provided. Theinterview will take at least 10-15 minutes for the interview. Please review the grading rubric usedto grade this assignment. The rubric is available in Blackboard. The oral interview will berecorded (so that I can evaluate students’ performance).Materials in World Languages CoursesDescription: As a student in the Department of World Languages and Cultures, you areencouraged to stop by the LSRC (3142 Pearson Hall), and take advantage of its resources andfacilities. The LSRC gives you access to reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, style manuals,encyclopedias, etc.); worldwide television and radio broadcasts in Chinese, French, German,Russian and Spanish; magazines; foreign-language films and English-language films on foreignculture (an online catalog with some of these resources is available on our website); computersfurnished with software that is particularly useful for your language studies (e.g., spellcheckers,sound editors, language-specific multimedia resources, Skype, etc.) as well as hardware (e.g.,headsets, microphones, videoconferencing equipment, etc.); and consumables used forinstruction (e.g., digital media used for content distribution or storage, such as publisherauthorized copies of CDs). Our website is frequently updated with new resources and events. Tokeep current about LSRC resources and events, please visit: www.language.iastate.edu/lsrc/.Stephanie Buechele Mark RectanusDirector, Language Studies Resource Center Chair, Department of WorldLanguages and CulturesStatement on disabilityPlease address any special needs or special accommodations with me at the beginning of thesemester or as soon as you become aware of your needs. Those seeking accommodations basedon disabilities should obtain a Student Academic Accommodation Request (SAAR) form fromthe Disability Resources (DR) office (515-294-7220). DR is located on the main floor of theStudents Services Building, Room 1076.http://www.language.iastate.edu/main/department/docs/DisStat.htm.

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Policy on Academic DishonestyPlease see the University's rules and procedures concerning academic dishonesty in the IowaState University official university homepage.Please see http://www.dso.iastate.edu/ja/academic/misconduct.html to know about the definitionof plagiarism)You SHOULD NOT do the following:-Hand in work that is not your own. All work must be original and must not be material used inanother course.-Cut and paste verbatim from the internet or other texts unless you are drawing a direct quote (tobe placed inside quotation marks) and giving the author(s) credit for their material in the form ofparenthetical citation and bibliographical reference.Paraphrase the words of the author(s) without giving credit – changing the author’s wordswithout crediting the source is still a form of plagiarism as the ideas behind the words are notbeing credited.It is also considered academic dishonesty if any part of your work is written or edited bysomeone else (beyond the context of peer editing in class), or if you use human or electronictranslation services. Translation programs are strictly prohibited. Given that these programsfunction on the basis of providing literal translations of individual words or short phrases at best,they are not reliable as a means of translating idioms, complex sentences and paragraphs. Theerrors that these programs make are easily recognizable to the trained eye.In the event that a student is found to have committed plagiarism or other forms of academicdishonesty, he/she will receive a ZERO on the assignment. Furthermore, under Universitypolicy, I am obligated to report the incident to the Office of the Judicial Affairs, whose officewill investigate the incident and decide what additional sanctions will be applied.

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Appendix B: Survey Questions

Spanish SurveyWe hope you are having a great experience in your Spanish course! We are inviting you to participate inan active research study (final project for CI-515) about this class and the use of technology. In thissurvey you can include your feelings of connectedness, integration and meeting of one's emotionalneeds. We would like to know how the activities in your course help you learning the language.Developing a better understanding of these and their impact will aid instructors to design better coursesand enhance the learning experience of students.I would like you to know that your participation in our study is voluntary, anonymous and would notimpact your grade. Please answer honestly. You may choose not to participate or you may leave ourstudy at any time, but your participation is much appreciated. Gracias!

What is your primary reason for taking this course?

Requirement for graduation

I like to learn the language

I need to speak Spanish

Different reason

What have you enjoyed the most about this class, so far?

The chat

The videos

The course material

The technology

The assignments

The teacher

The quizzes

Other

What have you found the most challenging, so far?

The chat

The videos

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The course material

The technology

The assignments

The teacher

The quizzes

Other

How do you like the chat?

1 2 3 4 5

Don´t like it!

Select a value from a range of 1,Don´t like it!, to 5,Love it,.Love it

What do you learn with the chat?

Grammar

Speaking

Culture

Vocabulary

I don´t learn much

I don´t learn anything

Did you learn from your classmate while you are chatting?

yes

no

Do you like the chat to work with your classmate during class time? and why?

Do you like Intercultura?

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Yes

No

What do you think about Intercultura?(besides technological issues)

How many times do you have to see a video to fully understand its meaning?

Once

Twice

Three Times

More

What do you like best about Intercultura?

What impact did Intercultura have on you?

What is it that you have learned more when you use Intercultura?

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Is your class participation helping you in the development of your Spanish?

yes

no

About class participation. Is it easy to participate?

yes

no

How would you rate the technology in this class?

1 2 3 4 5

Not good

Select a value from a range of 1,Not good, to 5,Excellent,.Excellent

How does the technology in this course motivate you to learn the language?

1 2 3 4 5

does not motivate you

Select a value from a range of 1,does not motivate you, to5,motivate you ,.

motivateyou

About your oral presentations and oral test, how do you feel? What did you learn?

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Do you think you need a textbook in this class?

yes

no

Please share any other comments about the course and your Spanish proficiency.

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