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Virtual Exchange

Explore students' attitudes towards virtual Skype exchanges between University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and Euromed Ecole de Management, Marseille. Understand how the structured activities impact language skills, cultural awareness, and global business knowledge.

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Virtual Exchange

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  1. * Virtual Exchange University of Michigan Ann Arbor * Euromed Ecole de Management Marseille * *

  2. Can you hear me now?Est-ce que vous m’entendez? Student perception of learning from virtual Skype exchange

  3. Background Information Euromed Ecole de Management, Marseille University of Michigan, Ann Arbor • One hour/week Skype voice chat • Structured tasks • 30 min English - 30 min French • Pairs or small groups

  4. voice/video chat list contacts send file text chat conference call

  5. Student Profiles • International Management Bachelor, CESEMED • Planning study in USA • Enrolled Civilization and Culture - Business English class • Volunteers • 2nd year • Undergraduates Ross School of Business BBA • Liberal Arts Bachelor • Half studied abroad • Some planning international internship • Enrolled Business French • Mix 2nd 3rd 4th year

  6. Exposure Native Speakers • MICHIGAN: classes in French, weekly conversation group, work/study abroad, tourism. • EUROMED: Classes in English, work/study abroad, tourism. International school with strong English language component. Frequent contact with anglophones.

  7. Project Goals • Enhance target language skills • Increase cultural awareness target culture • Familiarity with business practices • EUROMED: Increased familiarity American campus life, university system

  8. Structured Activities • Ice breaker • Comparison education systems, college life • CV and cover letter peer critiques • Current event discussions (elections) • Daily life and customs • Cross-cultural advertising

  9. Survey: What did we want to learn? • Culture and language: What do the students think they learned? • What are student attitudes? • Feelings on collaborative learning? • Impact of group dynamics? • Motivation for contact outside class?

  10. Online Survey • Students from 3 semesters • Responses 18/28 Michigan (64%) 17/35 Euromed (48%) • Majority open-ended questions • Also: focus group and personal communication

  11. Attitudes: 5 adjectives Positive Negative comprehensive marrant ennuyeux tardif apprentissage innovant partage contraignant sympatique amicale tolerant dubitative curieuse motivation ouvert d’esprit ludique inutile reticente dissipé fatigué convivialité genial

  12. Attitudes: 5 adjectives Positive Negative enriching interactive enjoyable frustrating confusing exciting interesting riveting awkward informative realistic educational boring curious engaged modern entertaining disappointed nervous cautious fun enticing mellow positive

  13. Attitudes: 5 adjectives 68 (83%) 14 (17%) Positive 53 (76%) Negative 16 (23%)

  14. Recurrent Themes Postive: enjoyment (25), meaningful (17), engagement (15), relaxing environment (5), newness (5) Negative: discomfort-risk (6), disengagement/dissatisfaction (4) Positive: relationship (13), engagement (12) , enjoyment (7), newness (3) Negative: logistics (5), dissatisfaction (5)

  15. Commitment / Engagement • Envie de partager • Intéressé • Motivation • Ouvert d’esprit • Tolérante • Enthousiasmée • Découverte • Interested • Interactive • Riveting • Engaged • Curious • Enticing • Exploratory

  16. Enjoyment - Pleasure • Agréable • Cool • Divertissant • Genial • Ludique • Marrant • Fun • Excited, exciting • Cool • Enjoyable • Entertaining

  17. Relationship Meaningful • Amical • Convivialité • Gentille • Sympathique • Patiente • Content de pratiquer la langue de manière plus utile qu'avec un francophone • Educational • Informative • Cultural • Enriching • Beneficial • Helpful • Superb • Useful • Worthwhile

  18. Logistics DiscomfortRisk • Contraignant • Dissipé • Tardif • Fatigué • Cautious • Awkward • Frustrating • Nervous • Nerve-wracking • Confusing

  19. Q: What did you learn? • Business content; educational system, “tidbits”, very general “topic” • Language expressions, language skill • Cultural value observation, perspective • Don’t remember, rien • Communication skills, intercultural communication (elsewhere) • Découverte d’une personne (elsewhere) 5 12 0 10 2 5 1 2 0 0 (3) 2 0

  20. Q: Target language improve? Yes Yes/No No 12 3 1 2 2 4 • Actual French people • Comfortable speaking, conversation, improvisation • Constructive criticism encouraging partners (overt) • Listen, compare accent, identify gaps (noticing) • Technical problems, frequent contact anglophones

  21. Best aspects • Speaking (conversation) native student • Making connections, friends • Intercultural communication (2) • What international employers want (1) • Vie de campus, système univérsitaire • Casser des stéréotypes • Apprentissage de la langue • Echange de culture • Interactivité

  22. Least useful aspect • Fewer French than American students (pairs) • Not same person every week • Worksheets (structured activities) • Staying on task • Questions obligatoires, planning de discussion (everyone)

  23. Learning from peers Positive 7 5 Pos/Neg 4 2 • POSITIVE: general language, more professional, sound more French, better position myself in market, on apprend sans s’en rendre compte, charmante-brillante, bénéfique dans les deux sens • DUBIOUS: too general, accuracy?

  24. Learning from peers “ Ils ont une manière de nous parler qui fait que nous comprenons mieux, car ils ont notre âge, on sait ce qu’ils vivent comme nous.” “ You learn an actual French opinion and reaction through interacting with them which is impossible to learn through a lecture…”

  25. Group Dynamics • build relationship • des affinités se sont créés • more speaking time, • focus on task, • typical internet chat PAIRS Time getting to know new partner takes time awayfrom task. Large group videoconferencemight make first meeting less akward New partner Large group

  26. Q: Videoconferencing? Video body language, gesturesnice to see them, plus aisé ça nous force àêtre concentré distraction 2 3 3 6 4 Yes Maybe No • Audio • hone comprehensionless anxiety, nervousless worried appearance He’s cute!

  27. Teacher’s perception • Trust (teacher vs peer) • Authentic hands on, almost like being there • We’re not so different • Timid student can participate • Keen to come, disappointed to finish • Organization (come prepared)

  28. Teacher’s perception • Ease, confidence of communication w native speaker • Vocab and cultural info • Bureaucratic side French business (vs ‘Nike Cowboy’) • ‘Just like us’ - age, similar experiences • Authentic transfer, corroboration knowledge (practice vs theory)

  29. Contact outside class Once or twice (16), regularly (3) via email and Skype with the same person for classwork and general conversation

  30. Contact outside class Once or twice (16), regularly (3) via email and Skype with the same person for classwork and general conversation TIDBITS: • One pair holiday gifts • Two meet up in France • Romance • Continue contact • Summer in Marseille And beyond …

  31. What are students telling us? • Worksheet/guides too constraining, not conducive to communication • Communicate and focus better in pairs - relationship is important, same age • Enjoyable overall experience • Positive cultural exchange information • Videoconferencing not important

  32. Contact Info Terri Jordan Terri.Jordan@euromed-marseille.com Rachael Criso rcriso@umich.edu Philomena Meechan phili@umich.edu

  33. Novelty - Newness • Curieuse • Découverte • Innovant • Intéressant • Curious • Cool • Enticing • Exploratory • Modern • Surprised

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