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Increased Cultural Interaction During the International Experience : Enhancing the Homestay ACTFL - 2004

Increased Cultural Interaction During the International Experience : Enhancing the Homestay ACTFL - 2004. Barbara Schmidt-Rinehart Ashland University & Susan Knight Central Michigan University. The Homestay. The Research Project I & II Three Perspectives Research Project III

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Increased Cultural Interaction During the International Experience : Enhancing the Homestay ACTFL - 2004

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  1. Increased Cultural Interaction Duringthe International Experience:Enhancing the HomestayACTFL - 2004 Barbara Schmidt-Rinehart Ashland University & Susan Knight Central Michigan University

  2. The Homestay • The Research Project I & II • Three Perspectives • Research Project III • Enhancing the Homestay

  3. RESEARCH PROJECT SITES • MEXICO • Cuernavaca • Guadalajara • SPAIN • Segovia • Sevilla

  4. *I & II: Three Perspectives: • The Host Family • The Students • The Housing Directors

  5. *Las familias • Selection process • Demographics • Placement

  6. *Selection of Families for Interviews

  7. The Interview • In the home • 90 minutes • Recorded • Interview Questions • “Question guide” • “semi-structured”

  8. Data Analysis:Interviews, Questionnaires, Evaluations QUALITATIVE QSR Nud*ist QUANTITATIVE Questionnaires

  9. Results • ADJUSTMENT • PROBLEMS • THE HOMESTAY ADVANTAGE

  10. *ADJUSTMENT • What Type of Student Adjusts Best? • Adjustment Period/Length of Stay • # of Students in Home • Facilitating Student Adjustment

  11. *TABLE I ADJUSTMENT( PERCENT/RESPONSE) Not at alla lot

  12. PROBLEMS: • Frequency • Most cited problems in literature

  13. TABLE 2 PERCENT OF STUDENT ANSWERS FOR QUESTION #15: DID YOU HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE FOLLOW Not at all -------------a lot

  14. PROBLEMS • Lack of communication • Lack of independence

  15. *THE HOMESTAY ADVANTAGE? • Benefits • Shortcomings

  16. *TABLE 3: HOMESTAY ADVANTAGE? PERCENT OF STUDENTS ANSWERING EACH QUESTION Not at all A lot

  17. Further study: • Composition of the family • # of students in home • Orientation process • Other housing options • Family/student interaction*

  18. *Research Project III: a Task-based Study to Increase Interaction • Project Design • Results • Recommendations

  19. *Project Design: • Procedures • Subjects • Tasks

  20. *Procedures • Pre-experience: on campus orientation • In-country: Family Interaction Journal • Post-experience: task-group questionnaire & returned packets

  21. *Subjects • Number • Country • Selection

  22. *SUBJECTS

  23. *Tasks: Family Interaction Journal: • Time log • Task-based activities • Conversation • Project

  24. Time log • Instructions to students: Document your interaction with the family each day. Jot down how much time you spent with them and the topics you discussed.

  25. Task-based activities • Selection of tasks • Procedures in-country • Complete tasks • Record in journal • Description • Evaluation of interaction

  26. Personal History Leisure Time Foods Holidays Driver’s License Dating Practices Educational System Television Government/ Current Events Conversation Tasks

  27. Ask for Directions Invite for Coffee Go to a Movie Go Grocery Shopping Learn Children’s Songs Play a Game Attend a Sporting Event Visit a School Go to Church Project Tasks

  28. Sample Conversation Task : Holidays Talk to your family about how your favorite holiday(s) is (are) celebrated in the U.S. As in all of your interactions, be sure to ask your host family similar questions – what is his/her favorite holiday? How is it celebrated? What are the differences/similarities in how we celebrate?

  29. Sample Project Task : Play a game Talk to a member of your family about games they play—card games and board games. Show them a game that you play and learn one of their games. Have them help you write down some of the steps for the description section below.

  30. *Results: • Time log • Comments from Family Interaction Journal • Questionnaires • Post-experience interviews

  31. *Time log • Time varied greatly • Range: 2.1 to 8.7 hours/week • Mean: 4.7 hours/week • Spain mean = 3.3 hours/week • Mexico mean = 5.39 hours/week • Both groups spent more time on Conversation tasks than on Project tasks.

  32. Journal comments: • Greater understanding of each other • Increased language learning • Increased interaction

  33. Journal comments suggesting greater understanding of each other • I felt this was a good way to get to know her daughter, who I haven’t really talked to yet • Marimar was excited to tell me all about her school and future plans • (learning children’s songs) I had fun with this because it was funny to see my host family singing and dancing in the kitchen. • This was an excellent task because the whole family was interacting . . . I think it brought us closer.

  34. Journal comments suggesting increased language learning • Went much better than last week. Communication beginning to flow better (personal history) • This task seemed to go a lot more smoothly because they could actually show us what to do (game) • I can’t even believe how smoothly conversations are going now. I rarely have to think in terms of translation anymore and it’s so much fun (holidays)

  35. Journal comments suggesting increased interaction • Now we watch soap operas together • We ended up going back a total of 3 times (grocery shopping) • I asked them if we could play some games later (personal history) • I think it brought us closer- now we have something in common….now we are invited to family Bible study every Friday

  36. *Questionnaire results • No significant difference between Task and No-Task groups on questions 19f-19k • No significant difference between Task and No-task Groups on questions 21 and 22

  37. *Questionnaire # 23-27 (task group only)

  38. *Post-experience interviews • Students who did tasks liked them would recommend it again • Suggestions: • Different tasks for different proficiency levels and for summer vs. semester students • Additional project and conversation tasks (e.g., tour around city, going to a family event)

  39. Problematic issues with project: • Self-removal from study • No … • Incentive • Accountability • Consequences • Technology availability

  40. Conclusions & Recommendations • Involvement of sites and families • Tasks: • Some students did not complete the tasks. Perhaps a time-log would be sufficient. • Having tasks may help certain personality types more than others • Different tasks for summer and semester groups / different levels of language proficiency

  41. Further reading • Questionnaire and Power Point on-line: www.chsbs.cmich.edu/Susan_Knight/actfl.htm "The homestay component of study abroad:  Three perspectives".  Foreign Language Annals, 2004. Schmidt-Rinehart, B.C. & Knight, S.M. “Enhancing the homestay: Study abroad from the host family perspective”. Foreign Language Annals, 2002. Knight, S.M. & Schmidt-Rinehart, B.C.

  42. Increased Cultural Interaction During the International Experience

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