Using reflective sociocultural e-portfolios in a non-immersion language learning context

在这个新的全球世界里，语言认同和驾驭复杂文化环境的能力变得越来越重要。对一门语言的全面了解不仅包括语言能力，还包括在不同环境中恰当地、文化地和情景地进行互动的能力，即社会文化能力。在非沉浸式环境中学习外语(如在英国学习西班牙语或在阿根廷学习英语)的缺点早已被教师和学习者认识到，最近的实证研究也证实了这一点(如Krashen，1981)。显然，在动画环境中学习的好处(例如，在西班牙学习西班牙语或在英国学习英语)无法在非沉浸式环境中复制。新技术可以帮助克服其中的一些缺点，但语言学习的某些方面，如社会文化能力，不适合在课堂上教授。在这篇博士论文中，我的目标是调查在外语教学中使用反思性电子档案袋是否可以帮助学生培养他们的社会文化能力和新的语言认同(理解为我们与所说的语言相关的概念)，特别是研究和撰写电子档案袋是否可以提高学生的沟通技能，培养他们的学习和批判性思维，以及增强他们的自主学习能力。为了探索现代技术在非沉浸式环境下实现既定的语言教学目标的潜力。如果反思性电子档案袋能够在非西语环境下提高学生的社会文化能力，那么可以说，它们也可以用于任何非沉浸式环境下的任何外语的教和学。因此，这项拟议的研究将对所有教授外语的机构产生影响。

Language identity and the ability to navigate complex cultural environments are increasingly important inthe new global world. Full knowledge of a language involves not only linguistic competence but also theability to interact appropriately, culturally and situationally in diverse environments, i.e. socioculturalcompetence.The disadvantages of learning a foreign language in a non-immersion context (like learning Spanish in UK orEnglish in Argentina) have long been acknowledged by teachers and learners, and more recentlyestablished by empirical research (e.g., Krashen, 1981). It seems clear that the benefits of learning in animmersion context (learning Spanish in Spain or English in UK, for example) cannot be replicated in a nonimmersionenvironment.New technologies can help to overcome some of these disadvantages, but some aspects of languagelearning, such as sociocultural competence, are not amenable to being taught in a classroom. They can belearned only through experience of natural interactions.In this PhD, I aim to investigate whether that the use of reflective e-portfolios in foreign language teachingcan help students develop their sociocultural competence and a new language identity (understood as theway we conceive ourselves related to the language we speak), specifically whether researching for andwriting of the e-portfolios can improve students' communication skills, develop their learning and criticalthinking, and enhance their capacity for autonomous learning.The proposed project takes an Action Research approach, to explore the potential of modern technologiesto achieve well-established objectives of language teaching and learning in a non-immersion context.If reflective e-portfolios can be shown to improve students' sociocultural competence in a non-Hispaniccontext, it is arguable they could also be used in the teaching and learning of any foreign language in anynon-immersion context. The proposed research will therefore have implications for all institutions teachingforeign languages.