:: Chile-France e-penpals::

Authors : Ida Sessarego and Phil Wade

Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María http://www.utfsm.cl/

Universidad de Enseirb http://www.enseirb-matmeca.fr/

2011

Cultural Exchange to help students learn another culture firsthand and make

interesting friends.

Objectives

Learning actvity : E- penpal using ICT´s as an extension of the class for voluntary students.

Duration : March to May 2011

Participación : 20 Chilean and 20 French students organized in teams of 4 students as a way to have always someone to chat . Tecnology : Grouply.com a free NING version. It is a friendly – user platform similar to Moodle or Blackboard.

Description

Interaction page: ChileFrancexchange and ChileanFrenchstudents where the students signed in and set up their profile with pictures to be recognized by their e-penpals.

Access: Restricted only for our students.

Interface: Messages, pictures videos and chat room.

Communication : Every week the system sends a mail with a summary with all the posts and messages sent by the site members.

Interaction: The students agreed on a time to chat.

French Students : Third and Fourth graders majoring in Computing and Telecommunication Engineering. Most of them males of French origin and from the North of Africa mainly Marrocco and Tunisia

Chilean students : Third and Fourth graders majoring in Industrial , Electrical and Commercial Engineering from Valparaíso y Santiago Campus. 

Students´ profile

Every week the students had a new topic with questions for discussion.

Topics :  

• Personal Presentation• My favorite music.• Pets• My city • Technology• Internet.• Farewell .

. 

Interaction Frequency

I. Pre-discussion : Warming –up activity to introduce the topic.

II. Practice : Discussion activity with questions.

III. Production : Concluding with the ideas to finish the

activity..

The students agree on a time to chat.

Methodology

I.- Watch this ad http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRRjg9yzijY and this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A19Te3kCmVE

II.- Discussion questions : Speak to your partners on skype.

1) What do you think of the ipad?2) How popular are they? Why?3) Do you want one? Why/Why not?4) Are they worth the money?5) What can you do with them?6) Should students use them? Why/Why not?7) What do you think of the AUMENTED REALITY feature?8) What can it be used for?9) Will tablets kill off laptops?

III.- Summarizing Click on DISCUSSION at the top of the page and add a final comment.

Example

• Time difference between Chile and France prevented them from a more frequent communication.

 • Missing synchronous sessions. • Chilean students are used to getting a grade for every single activity they do. • Technical problems to log into the page.

• A restricted e mail who delayed the initial contact. • Testing period.

Difficulties

• Interaction between students from different cultures and with a different language.

• Share their experience speaking a common language.

• They would participate again, because they enjoyed it.

•  Share with a partner and understand that it is a real language that can be used with others-

• Be more confident to speak.

Students´Achievements

Sites

www.grouply.com weekly activities .

www.voxopop.com voice recording

www.tumblr.com interaction and pictures

www.winkball.com videos.

Sitio de Grouply para conocerse.