Articles in Refereed Journals by Ana Oskoz
In light of the increasingly blurred line between mediated and nonmediated contexts for social, p... more In light of the increasingly blurred line between mediated and nonmediated contexts for social, professional, and educational purposes, attention to the presence and use of innovative digital media is critical to the consideration of the future of computer-assisted language learning (CALL). This article reviews current trends in the use of mediated communication and offers a vision for near-future second and foreign language (L2) learning that utilizes emerging media as (a) meaningful contexts for L2 language development and (b) a means for adding real world relevance to in-class uses of internet-mediated communication tools. In this article, we first explore a sampling of Web 2.0 technologies (e.g., blogs, wikis, and social bookmarking) related to collaborative content building and dissemination of information. We then consider three types of 3-dimensional virtual environments, including open social virtualities (such as Second Life and There), massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) (e.g., World of Warcraft, Everquest, and Eve Online), and synthetic immersive environments (SIEs, i.e., visually rendered spaces which combine aspects of open social virtualities with goal-directed gaming models to address specific learning objectives). In particular, we report on SIEs as they might be used to foster interlanguage pragmatic development and briefly report on an existing project in this area. The ultimate goal is to spark future research and pedagogical innovation in these areas of emerging digital media in order to arrive at a greater understanding of the complexities involved in their integration with language learning in ways that will be most relevant to the communicative contexts of the 21st century.
Papers by Ana Oskoz
This chapter reports on the work conducted in a foreign language (FL) program at the University o... more This chapter reports on the work conducted in a foreign language (FL) program at the University of Maryland Baltimore County that integrates both in-class and online discussions to reflect on students in and interpret various documents and experiences. In particular, this study focuses on students in one class of Intermediate Spanish I who used asynchronous online interactions to explore, analyze, and reflect on cultural topics. Five groups of students’ online discussions were collected and analyzed through the framework of the 5 goals of the Standards. Subsequent quantitative analysis of the data showed that the online forums can become springboards for students to share, debate, and interpret information; to gain knowledge and understanding of other cultures; to reflect and make connections to additional bodies of knowledge; to compare and contrast the target culture with their own; and to participate in multilingual and multicultural communities. Pedagogical suggestions to enhanc...
Drawing on a decade of extensive digital storytelling at University of Maryland, Baltimore County... more Drawing on a decade of extensive digital storytelling at University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), experienced faculty practitioners have expanded story work beyond traditional personal narratives into community engagement and public scholarship projects. While social and civic aspirations have been present in the work of Joe Lambert and the Center for Digital Storytelling (now the Story Center) since its early days, there is increasing interest in digital stories, conceived broadly, and their intersection with renewed campus commitments in US higher education’s democratic purposes and the continued development of civically engaged, public scholarship. UMBC’s faculty reflections on recent projects at the intersection of digital storytelling and civic engagement provoke our discussion of collaborative, inclusive knowledge production, disseminating stories and nurturing public scholarship, and the contributions of this engaged story work to changing campus cultures. We conclude...
Rilce-revista De Filologia Hispanica, 2009
CALICO journal, May 20, 2021
Virtual exchange has experienced a significant development over the last twenty years. Given its ... more Virtual exchange has experienced a significant development over the last twenty years. Given its multiple benefits, this innovative pedagogy has attracted instructors and researchers from all over the world who are interested in integrating this practice into their classrooms. However, implementing virtual exchange is not without its challenges, and attaining sustained collaborative interaction remains one of those challenges. To support such interaction, interpersonal factors such as identity, rapport, and trust are essential. The development of these factors relies heavily on the participants’ attitudes and how they choose to reflect them in their intercultural dialogue. Given the scarcity of studies that investigate the impact of students’ attitudes and emotions in telecollaborative encounters, this volume aims to analyze the use of attitudinal resources in virtual interaction. By examining a range of educational settings, applying different theoretical approaches, presenting a v...
Language Learning & Technology, 2020
Following the appraisal framework (Martin & White, 2005), in particular the two discourse-semanti... more Following the appraisal framework (Martin & White, 2005), in particular the two discourse-semantic systems of Engagement and Attitude, this study examines the extent to which second language learners in a US-Spain telecollaborative project (a) engaged with their own ideas and those of their partners and (b) expressed their attitude towards their own and the second language culture. The results of the analysis suggest that learners reacted differently when discussing their own culture and that of their foreign language. The data collected provides evidence that learners avoided using monoglossic (i.e. bare) statements regarding both their L1 and L2 cultures, and fewer contracting statements for the latter. Overall, learners also presented a preference for positive Affective, Judgment, and Appreciation markers, which suggests their interest in creating an environment of solidarity and closeness with their telecollaborative partners. The results also indicated the value of discussing t...
Advances in Linguistics and Communication Studies, 2018
Based on an intercultural telecollaboration project between two universities from either side of ... more Based on an intercultural telecollaboration project between two universities from either side of the Atlantic Ocean, this chapter analyzes written discourse produced by advanced learners of Spanish as a foreign language and higher intermediate learners of English as a foreign language in order to explore how second-language learners negotiate their ideological positions, create new knowledge, and build their arguments when discussing their first culture (C1) and second culture (C2) in telecollaborative written asynchronous interactions. Two research questions are addressed: a) the extent to which learners engage in a dialogic activity in online forums when discussing their C1 and C2, and b) the ways in which L2 learners use expanding and contracting discourse strategies to develop arguments about C1 and C2 in telecollaborative written asynchronous interactions. The model used in order to analyze the input is based on Engagement, a discourse-semantic subsystem of the appraisal framew...
CALICO Journal, 2018
The CALICO Journal editors attend a lot of conferences. At the XIXth International Computer Assis... more The CALICO Journal editors attend a lot of conferences. At the XIXth International Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) Research Conferencein Bruges, Belgium this year we reflected on what makes a "good" conference, whether CALL as a subdiscipline needs its own conferences, and why we should attend such conferences. Below are some thoughts (few of them our own) that emerged from our conversations with scholars who have had significant experience in both attending and organizing such conferences. Our focus here is on CALL and CALL-relevant conferences, but we think much of what we write is applicable to academic conferences in applied linguistics more widely.
CALICO Journal, 2013
In light of the increasingly blurred line between mediated and nonmediated contexts for social, p... more In light of the increasingly blurred line between mediated and nonmediated contexts for social, professional, and educational purposes, attention to the presence and use of innovative digital media is critical to the consideration of the future of computer-assisted language learning (CALL). This article reviews current trends in the use of mediated communication and offers a vision for near-future second and foreign language (L2) learning that utilizes emerging media as (a) meaningful contexts for L2 language development and (b) a means for adding real world relevance to in-class uses of internet-mediated communication tools. In this article, we first explore a sampling of Web 2.0 technologies (e.g., blogs, wikis, and social bookmarking) related to collaborative content building and dissemination of information. We then consider three types of 3-dimensional virtual environments, including open social virtualities (such as Second Life and There), massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) (e.g., World of Warcraft, Everquest, and Eve Online), and synthetic immersive environments (SIEs, i.e., visually rendered spaces which combine aspects of open social virtualities with goal-directed gaming models to address specific learning objectives). In particular, we report on SIEs as they might be used to foster interlanguage pragmatic development and briefly report on an existing project in this area. The ultimate goal is to spark future research and pedagogical innovation in these areas of emerging digital media in order to arrive at a greater understanding of the complexities involved in their integration with language learning in ways that will be most relevant to the communicative contexts of the 21st century.
Journal of Second Language Writing, 2017
Abstract This conceptual article argues that the second language (L2) curriculum must incorporate... more Abstract This conceptual article argues that the second language (L2) curriculum must incorporate broader notions of literacies, associated with the development of new digital genres. This article shows how the affordances of social tools can affect and enhance L2 learners’ writing practices and broaden their understanding of genre. As they become fully aware of the qualitative changes that social tools bring to the writing process, instructors will see the benefits of their integration in the L2 writing classroom. The article argues for the need to (1) question and redefine L2 writing pedagogy by reevaluating literacy, writing genres, and associated instructional practices in the L2 classroom; (2) acknowledge the acute transformation from traditional notions of literacies to notions of digital literacies; (3) recognize the affordances of social tools and argue how L2 learners can more efficiently acquire and practice digital literacies; and (4) provide pedagogical frameworks to foster L2 writing in an increasingly digital age. Finally, the article's conclusion highlights valuable avenues for future research.
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Articles in Refereed Journals by Ana Oskoz
Papers by Ana Oskoz