Abstract
Second language learners are typically hampered by the lack of a natural environment to use the target language for authentic communication purpose (as a means for ‘learning by applying’). Thus, we propose MyCLOUD, a mobile-assisted seamless language learning approach that aims to nurture a second language social network that bridges formal classroom learning and informal use of the language. The research context that we have applied MyCLOUD to is Chinese as a second language learning. In this paper, we focus on a corpus-based analysis of 1043 social media items to determine the patterns of the students’ vocabulary usage. By participating in activities over a year, the students gradually developed their propensity to proactively and spontaneously make meaning through interacting with their living spaces. This resulted in the retrieval of a greater diversity of the learnt vocabulary and the application of the language, particularly the use of significantly more “less frequent words” in the informal physical contexts, as compared to those from the formal or online contexts. While such findings affirm the notions of situated learning, authentic learning and contextualised language learning, we stretch the theoretical explication by connecting it with the students’ intentionality in learning, with the “joint mediation” of the contextual affordances (the sources of inspiration for meaning making), social media network (providing students the sense of “communication with a purpose”) and their handhelds (the tool for artefact creation and a reminder of their involvements in MyCLOUD) to sustain their activity level and therefore the cumulative development of their linguistic competencies.
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Appendix
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See Table 5.
Student artefact | Score | Rationale of score given |
|---|---|---|
这是妈妈和爸爸的房间,我和妹妹也在这里睡觉。有一天,爸爸和妈妈买了新的床。他们买了新的床给我,妹妹和他们自己。我和妹妹的是双架床,我睡在上面,妹妹睡在下面。妈妈和爸爸的是高高的床,他们说不可以在上面跳,可是妹妹每次跳在上面。每天晚上,妹妹会去我的床睡觉。可是妈妈叫她下来,让我睡觉。 “This is mom and dad’s room. My sister and I are sleeping here as well. One day, dad and mom bought new beds for me, sister and themselves. Sister and I are sleeping on a double deck bed; I’m sleeping on the upper deck, and my sister is sleeping on the lower deck. Mom and dad’s bed is tall. They said we shouldn’t bounce on the bed; but we are still doing so. Every night, sister would sleep on my bed; but mom told her to get down so that I can sleep.” | 5 | • Task completion: completed the task; detailed and coherent description • Expression: appropriate expression and clear description of the situation • Language: use of vocabulary and sentence structure are apt and almost error free |
这是我的午餐,我吃不完了。妹妹说我的脸白白,想要吐的样子。 “This is my lunch. I can’t finish it. My sister says my face is pale, like I’m going to throw out” | 4 | • Task completion: completed the task, good organisation of thoughts • Expression: appropriate expression and clear description of the situation • Language: use of vocabulary and sentence structure largely apt; though the sentence does not read smoothly |
我的妹妹安静的读书,她读得津津有味。 “My sister is quietly reading a book with relish” | 3 | • Task completion: basically completed the task • Expression: appropriate expression but lacks details in describing the situation • Language: use of vocabulary and sentence structure largely apt |
我的杯。 “My cup” | 2 | • Task completion: basically completed the task albeit incomplete sentence • Expression: incomplete sentence that does not express a clear situation • Language: use of very simple and un-captivating vocabulary, albeit not resulting in difficulty in comprehension |
我在用iPad做我写 “I’m using iPad do I write” | 1 | • Task completion: incomplete task (no photo; apparently incomplete context described in the sentence); fragmentary and confusing senntence • Expression: containing grammatical error that render difficulty for readers to understand the situation • Language: errors present which lead to apparent ambiguities in expression |
(Example unavailable; all the artefacts contain Chinese text) | 0 | (Not using Chinese at all) |
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Wong, LH., King, R.B., Chai, C.S. et al. Seamlessly learning Chinese: contextual meaning making and vocabulary growth in a seamless Chinese as a second language learning environment. Instr Sci 44, 399–422 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-016-9383-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-016-9383-z