A Tale of Two Communities: Group Dynamics and Community Building in a Spanish-English Telecollaboration

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  • Additional Information
    • Availability:
      Computer Assisted Language Instruction Consortium. 214 Centennial Hall, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX 78666. Tel: 512-245-1417; Fax: 512-245-9089; e-mail: [email protected]: Web site: http://calico.org
    • Peer Reviewed:
      Y
    • Source:
      29
    • Subject Terms:
      Computer Mediated Communication; Second Language Learning; Group Dynamics; English (Second Language); Spanish; Teleconferencing; Bilingual Education Programs; Social Behavior; Interpersonal Relationship; Discourse Analysis; Discourse Communities; Participant Characteristics; Discourse Modes
    • ISSN:
      0742-7778
    • Abstract:
      This study provides a theory-driven account of community building in a bilingual telecollaborative chat setting. A symmetrical arrangement of 70 L1 English learners of Spanish and L1 Spanish learners of English engaged in weekly Internet chat sessions in small groups. The learning metaphors of community and participation serve as the theoretical framework to describe linguistic and social behaviors and interpersonal relationships among participants in two ongoing chat groups, while, at the same time, discourse data are used to build upon theory of (virtual) community. Based on Brown's (2001) classification of levels of online community, the findings illustrate the discursive construction of one community that reached the third, cooperation/camaraderie, level and another that struggled to maintain the second, membership, level. (Contains 4 notes and 5 tables.)
    • Abstract:
      As Provided
    • Number of References:
      34
    • Publication Date:
      2008
    • Accession Number:
      EJ809403