Growing Engagement
University of Valencia
Second-language Learners from Collectivistic Societies: Self-efficacy Effects on Performance and Self Perception of Career Success View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Carlos Parra, Nanci Geriguis Mina
In reference to cultural patterns in collectivistic societies, teaching and learning are greatly influenced by the teachers’ collectivistic or individualistic cultural orientation (Kaur & Noman, 2015). However, in dealing with both audiences and their teaching platforms, a chasm appears between methodologies and their applications since collectivistic societies are reluctant to accept methodologies perceived as mere Western innovations. In other words, a seemingly pedagogical incongruence arises where direct individualistic Western influence is perceived as unsuitable to a collectivistic mindset. One must keep in mind that family members in collectivist societies, who view themselves as part of a group rather than independent individuals, seem to feel more interdependent and mutually responsible for each other. Also, self-efficacy is perceived to accelerate the process of adapting to a new environment while learners adopt new cultural practices and consent to norms and expectations. In our exploration, second-language learners (SLLs) from collectivistic societies advance academically—English as a second language included—within the frame of sociocultural theory, since they seem to be motivated by their culturally-induced sense of obligation to honor their parents and other group members. Our research indicates that this outcome is significantly affected by the self-efficacy and self-reliance produced by prior successes in challenging tasks that may have been mandated by the SLL’s elders. In addition, SLLs also seem to succeed in accomplishing more challenging goals as they observe their families’ values and traditions even when they are in a society that enforces individualistic values.
Critical Thinking and Interculturality: A Discourse Analysis of Artistic Representations View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Luís Fernando Pacheco Pérez
Language and culture are naturally bound. As language is the mean of exhibiting the culture, and culture is the origin of language, they must always be set together for a meaningful communication process in which interculturality is an all-time present trait. To achieve a successful language development, L2 learners require awareness in the different cultural patterns within the target language, as this permits to further comprehend the pragmatic phenomena of communication happening. Globally, artistic representations display a vast horizon of opportunities to get understanding of the world closer to our cognitive goals; music, films, theater, literature, among other art forms bring discourse with genuine and visceral cultural features both implicit and explicit. Departing from Van Dijk’s Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), the opportunity to employ a critical view of artistic representations containing cultural context creates a perfect scenario to exhibit the real world into the pedagogical encounter. Thus, language development finds a vivid chance of becoming cognitive thriving in diverse dimensions of human thinking inside the academy.
Digital Storytelling, Identity, and EFL Learning in Secondary Education
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session María Dolores García Pastor, Jorge Piqueres Clatayud
Humanist perspectives in language education have highlighted the relevance of the learner and their identities in the L2 learning (Harmer, 2016). Digital storytelling (DST) has been an adequate tool in this regard by expanding learners’ identities (e.g., Darvin & Norton, 2014; García-Pastor, 2018, 2020), and developing their language skills therein (see Oskoz & Elola, 2016; Reyes-Torres et al., 2012; Yoon, 2013). However, the potential of DST to promote the learning of specific linguistic elements which allow for the construction of certain identities in L2 has been under-researched (cf. Norton & De Costa, 2018). This study addresses these issues by exploring how secondary education students from a public school centre in the south-east of Spain express themselves and construct their identities in personal digital stories (DS) produced in L2 English. More specifically, it examines students’ use of evaluative language and the identities they crafted by means of these elements in their digital texts. To this end, a 4-month DST project was implemented, in which students wrote an initial unguided autobiographical text, different guided drafts, and a final piece, which was the script of their digital products. The analysis of students’ writings and DS followed Martin and White’s (2005) categories of evaluative language, Kress and van Leeuwen’s (2006) framework, and identity research in language education. Results indicate a gradual increase and greater diversity of evaluative language in the data, and students’ emphasis in the self-as-author aspect of their identities through such language and other semiotic elements in their digital products.
Assessing Student Engagement through an Integrated Engineering Design and Algebraic Program for Students in Honduras
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Araceli Martinez Ortiz
A hybrid pre-engineering student enrichment program was designed to integrate algebra and engineering activities in Spanish for a group of middle school students in Honduras. The intervention curriculum was assembled, and professional development was provided to the support team in Honduras who ran this pilot program with twenty students. A research case study presented in this paper explores the following questions: A) What elements of a hybrid program are most valued by the local organization of teachers and facilitators? B) To what extent do students employ algebraic concepts when working on their engineering design activities? And C) What was the impact of peer mentors and career video vignettes developed exclusively for this community-based pre-engineering program?
