Telecollaboration environments provide language learners with rich opportunities for natural and authenticated communication. Web 2.0 tools from blogs to videoconferencing to 3D virtual worlds are used to form new social environments for collaborative creation, sharing and exchange. Real-life communication has thus expanded into virtual space with unprecedented possibilities for natural and incidental language learning outside and beyond the traditional classroom. In my talk, I will demonstrate and discuss the pedagogical potential of telecollaboration for monolingual and multilingual communication practice with reference to the European projects TILA and IVY/EVIVA. The TILA project ("Telecollaboration for Intercultural Language Acquisition") focuses on foreign language learning in secondary and tertiary education. The aim is to use the 3D virtual world environment OpenSim and the web 2 videoconferencing environment BigBlueButton to facilitate and foster intercultural communicative interaction and competence development in tandem and lingua franca constellations. In the IVY/EVIVA project ("Interpreter Training in Virtual Reality") virtual scenarios in SecondLife are used to provide interpreter students with opportunities for independent and authentic interpreting practice.

1. Language
Learning Media
Melikşah University, School of Foreign Languages & ELL Club
6 May 2014, Talas/Kayseri (Turkey)
Telecollaboration
for monolingual & multilingual
communication practice
Insights from the European projects TILA and EVIVA
Kurt Kohn
University of Tübingen and
Steinbeis Transfer Center Language Learning Media
www.sprachlernmedien.de
kurt.kohn@uni‐tuebingen.de

2. Language
Learning Media
Overview
Kurt Kohn ‐ Telecollaboration for monolingual & multilingual communication practice
Language learning and communication
Intercultural communication 2.0
EU project TILA: “Telecollaboration for Intercultural Language Acquisition”
EU project EVIVA: “Evaluating the Education of Interpreters and their Clients
through Virtual Learning Activities”
Disclaimer
The EU projects TILA and EVIVA have been funded with support
from the European Commission. This presentation reflects the
views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held
responsible for any use which may be made of the information
contained therein.

3. Language
Learning Media
Language learning and communication
Interdependence of communication and language learning
Communication is the goal of language learning
Language learning is mediated through communication
Backwash of communication on language learning
Learning a language is all about using it in communication
Classroom communication ⇒ Intercultural communication 2.0
Kurt Kohn ‐ Telecollaboration for monolingual & multilingual communication practice

4. Language
Learning Media
Intercultural communication 2.0
Telecollaboration: online (intercultutural) communication & interaction
Tools and environments:
asynchronous: forum, wiki, blog
Synchronous: sound/video conferencing (e.g. Skype, BigBlueButton),
3D virtual worlds (SecondLife, OpenSim)
REAL‐LIFE contact and intercultural (lingua franca) communication
Collaborative interaction:
networking, sharing, community building
Opportunities & challenges:
learning – teaching – teacher education
Kurt Kohn ‐ Telecollaboration for monolingual & multilingual communication practice

5. Language
Learning Media
EU project TILA
“Telecollaboration for Intercultural Language Acquisition”
Telecollaboration – Intercultural communication & learning – Teacher education
Telecollaboration among secondary school pupils (13‐16; A2‐B2) to facilitate/enhance IC communication &
language learning in English, French, German, Spanish
Environments & tools
synchronous: > VC (BigBlueButton, Skype ), virtual worlds (OpenSim)
asynchronous: > forum, blog, and wiki
Activity types
in‐class: > “tandem” and “lingua franca”
outside‐class: > “home work collaboration”, “project groups”
extra‐curricular: > “ELF conversations 2.0”
Research focus: impact of TC on task design, pedagogic organization, IC communicative interaction
& competence, attitudes & motivation, anxiety, learner/teacher roles
Implications for learner preparation and teacher education
12 partners, 6 European countries: Czech Republic, France, Germany,
Netherlands, Spain, UK (01/13 – 06/15)
Coordinator: Kristi Jauregi, Utrecht University (Netherlands)
Kurt Kohn ‐ Telecollaboration for monolingual & multilingual communication practice

6. Language
Learning Media
TILA meetings and conversations in OpenSim
Kurt Kohn ‐ Telecollaboration for monolingual & multilingual communication practice

7. Language
Learning Media
TILA session in BigBlueButton
Chat box
Presentation screen
Kurt Kohn ‐ Telecollaboration for monolingual & multilingual communication practice

8. Language
Learning Media
Case study: ELF conversations 2.0
What it is about
Lingua franca communication in English among pupils from e.g. Bulgaria,
Cyprus, France, Germany, Spain, and Turkey
Small group conversation sessions in OpenSim and BigBlueButton
Familiar topics related to school, family, and their private interests
Triangulated methodological approach
User experience (> questionnaire) [cf. Laugwitz, Held & Schrepp 2008]
Communicative performance (> recording & transcript)
Speaker background (questionnaire)
Speaker requirement profiles (> questionnaire)
Retrospective commentaries (> cued interview)
Languaging and revision (> cued interview)
Research focus
User experience of TC environments
Requirement compliance
Speaker satisfaction
Languaging towards increased speaker satisfaction
Kurt Kohn ‐ Telecollaboration for monolingual & multilingual communication practice

9. Language
Learning Media
User experience: pupils
-2
-1
0
1
2
Pupils: OpenSimPupils: Skype
-2
-1
0
1
2
Pupils: Skype
and OpenSim
-2
-1
0
1
2
Kurt Kohn ‐ Telecollaboration for monolingual & multilingual communication practice

10. Language
Learning Media
User experience: teacher students
T-stud: BigBlueButton
-2
-1
0
1
2
T-stud: OpenSim
-2
-1
0
1
2
-2
-1
0
1
2
Time
A
Time
B
Kurt Kohn ‐ Telecollaboration for monolingual & multilingual communication practice

11. Language
Learning Media
Initial conclusions
Insufficient technological robustness
Tool access – Sound/video – Internet (bandwidth)
School – Home
(In)Tolerance for reduced technological quality
Pupils – Teachers – Teacher students
Challenges for pedagogical implementation
In‐class : e.g. small/large groups, matching time slots
Outside‐class : supervision of e.g. home work collaboration
Blended learning design
Communication and learning (OpenSim)
Access/handling: Increase with practice (4.5 > 5.7)
Attractiveness for IC communication & learning (4.5)
Comfortability: fairly high on average (5)
Satisfaction with own communication: high (6) for active participants
Once again: learning to communicate and learning to learn!
Urgent need: learner preparation and teacher education [O’Dowd 2013]
Trouble‐shooting
communication:
„Can you hear me?“
Kurt Kohn ‐ Telecollaboration for monolingual & multilingual communication practice

12. Language
Learning Media
EU project EVIVA
Evaluating the Education of Interpreters and their Clients
through Virtual Learning Activities
Business/community interpreter training & self‐study in 3 virtual environments
the 3D world of SecondLife
Google Hangout
Backbone online interview corpora
Languages: English, German, Greek, Polish, and Spanish
Evaluation of student and client activities
Role play – Practice with recorded dialogues – Practice & explorations with video‐
recorded and annotated interviews
A European LLP (KA 2) project with 5 partners from 4 European countries: Cyprus, Germany,
Poland, UK (Jan 2013 – Dec 2014)
Coordinator: University of Surrey (UK)
Forerunner project: “Interpreting in Virtual Reality” (IVY)
www.virtual‐interpreting.net
Kurt Kohn ‐ Telecollaboration for monolingual & multilingual communication practice

13. Language
Learning Media
EVIVA role play ‐ interpreting
SecondLife
Kurt Kohn ‐ Telecollaboration for monolingual & multilingual communication practice

14. Language
Learning Media
EVIVA role play ‐ interpreting
Google Hangout
Kurt Kohn ‐ Telecollaboration for monolingual & multilingual communication practice

15. Language
Learning Media
Issues for discussion and exploration
Comparative evaluation: EVIVA/IVY SecondLife and Google Hangout
Affordances for
role play, communication practice and testing
interpreter training and interpreting
Psychological attitude
feeling natural and comfortable
feeling present in the environment/group
Affordances for learning
Kurt Kohn ‐ Telecollaboration for monolingual & multilingual communication practice

16. Language
Learning Media
Issues for discussion and exploration
Affordances
role play, communication practice and testing
interpreter training and interpreting
Kurt Kohn ‐ Telecollaboration for monolingual & multilingual communication practice

17. Language
Learning Media
EVIVA role play ‐ interpreting
Affordances for role play, com practice and interpreter training
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
The environment is
attractive for
communicating with
others
The environment is
attractive for role
plays
The environment is
attractive for
interpreting practice
SecondLife
Hangout
Kurt Kohn ‐ Telecollaboration for monolingual & multilingual communication practice

18. Language
Learning Media
Issues for discussion and exploration
Psychological attitudes
feeling natural and comfortable
feeling present in the environment/group
Kurt Kohn ‐ Telecollaboration for monolingual & multilingual communication practice

19. Language
Learning Media
EVIVA role play ‐ interpreting
Psychological attitudes
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
My interpreting experience felt
natural (same as in the real
world)
I did feel comfortable
interpreting in this
environment
I felt a sense of presence
(feeling of ‘being there’) in the
environment
Second Life
Hangout
Kurt Kohn ‐ Telecollaboration for monolingual & multilingual communication practice

20. Language
Learning Media
Issues for discussion and exploration
Affordances for learning
Kurt Kohn ‐ Telecollaboration for monolingual & multilingual communication practice

21. Language
Learning Media
EVIVA role play ‐ interpreting
Affordances for learning
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
I felt the tool had a positive impact
on my interpreting performance
I feel that the tool has help me to
improve my interpreting skills
Second Life
Hangout
Kurt Kohn ‐ Telecollaboration for monolingual & multilingual communication practice

22. Language
Learning Media
Issues for discussion and exploration
Developmental perspective
need for familiarization
and learning to learn
Kurt Kohn ‐ Telecollaboration for monolingual & multilingual communication practice

23. Language
Learning Media
EVIVA role play ‐ interpreting
User Experience (SAP questionnaire)
-3
-2
-1
0
1
2
3
SecondLife
Hangout
Kurt Kohn ‐ Telecollaboration for monolingual & multilingual communication practice

24. Language
Learning Media
Interpreting
students
T-stud: OpenSim
-2
-1
0
1
2
-2
-1
0
1
2
Time
A
Time
B
-2
-1
0
1
2
EVIVA role play ‐ interpreting
Learning to learn
Kurt Kohn ‐ Telecollaboration for monolingual & multilingual communication practice

25. Language
Learning Media
Issues for discussion and exploration
Implications for “secondary” users
teachers and trainers
(language learning and interpreting)
interpreting clients
Kurt Kohn ‐ Telecollaboration for monolingual & multilingual communication practice

26. Language
Learning Media
References
Kurt Kohn ‐ Telecollaboration for monolingual & multilingual communication practice
Braun, S. & K. Kohn (2012). Towards a pedagogic corpus approach to business and community
interpreter training. In: Ahrens, B., Albl‐Mikasa, M., C. Sasse. Dolmetschqualität in Praxis,
Lehre und Forschung. Festschrift für Sylva Kalina. Tübingen: Narr, 185‐204.
[> http://bit.ly/1jcRGZu]
Kohn, K. (2011). English as a lingua franca and the Standard English misunderstanding. In De
Houwer & Wilton (eds.). English in Europe Today. Sociocultural and Educational
Perspectives. Benjamins, 72‐94. [>http://bit.ly/1jr2pgu]
Kohn, K. (2012). ‘My English’ ‐ Second language learning as individual and social construction.
TESOL Convention, Philadelphia, 28‐31 March 2012.
[> video recording: http://youtu.be/yCfpD49YhSg]
Kohn, K. (2014). A pedagogical space for ELF in the English classroom. In Bayyurt and Akcan
(eds.). Current Perspectives on Pedagogy for ELF. De Gruyter Mouton.
[> http://bit.ly/1lIk44j]
Laugwitz, B., Held,Th. and Schrepp, M. (2008). Construction and evaluation of a user
experience questionnaire. In Holzinger (ed.). HCI and Usability for Education andWork. Berlin,
Springer, 63-76.
O’Dowd, R. (2013).The competences of the telecollaborative teacher. The Language Learning
Journal. [DOI: 10.1080/09571736.2013.853374]

27. Language
Learning Media
Kurt Kohn ‐ Telecollaboration for monolingual & multilingual communication practice
Thank you