Native Students in Foreign Language Teaching A Special

Native Students in Foreign Language Teaching - A Special Resource on My Course Anna Bokedal, University of Aberdeen School of Language, Literature, Music and Visual Culture WHAT: Erasmus and local students from Sweden were invited to conversation classes in Year 2 Beginners Swedish (level B 1), SN 2003 and SN 2503; five classes per year. Small group discussions with the option of using a prepared discussion sheet with simple as well as cognitively challenging questions based on topics, vocabulary and grammar encountered in the course book. WHY: EVALUATION: • Survey to course students (11 respondents, 14 invitees). • Survey to native students (8 respondents, 12 invitees). • Interviews (3 course students, 1 native student). (Evaluation place after teaching had finished. ) RESULTS (native took students): • Students requested more small-group oral practice. • Opportunity for learners to interact with Swedish same-age peers. • Opportunity for native students to be ”Swedish”. RESULTS (course students): • Increased confidence and oral skills (11/11). • Added to the experience of studying abroad (7/8). • Increased awareness of Swedish culture, • Increased appreciation of Sweden and of language learning. dialects and mannerisms (11/11). • Opportunity for Erasmus students to meet local students and • It was helpful to have a discussion sheet, for local Swedish students to speak Swedish. which was still mainly used to start the conversations. ALL respondents enjoyed the classes. 7/8 native and 8/11 course students would have wanted more activities. It was an important aspect for course students that the native students also enjoyed taking part. May be a daunting experience. Initially ”just It listening” is also a positive achievement. is fun to chat in Swedish Some people were SOME VOICES: with students keen to learn a s a w it t h g u o th I s easier to talk to and s la c n io s s u c is d the language. The level of The ep my e k to y a w d o o g u made me feel o y g in h t y r e v e t u language skill reached is p uage g n la h is d e w S e confident, others h t g in r u d d e n r a very impressive, meaning le ave h 't n o d I , g in o g e h t not so much. o t s e s s la c r la u that genuine discussions g re ny Swedish a m test. o ften followed on from set n a c I t a th s n r d n a ie le fr I Not only did There was a large to to h p is ic s d. e w S d k a n e a p s s e new phras variety of people with. e r e h I t u g n b ti s , re s te n in s a io w s It s expre different accents, w o n k o t t since I study to o g o ls a including some people It gave me more S o m e w e re a lit tl e ial u q o ll o become a c e r o m who spoke Swedish with appreciation of b it s h y w it h tr y in g. g in k a r. e e h c a p te s f o s y a w a Finnish accent. the country and to use their w o h m e everything in it th k s a Swedish, but ld u o w e the W e for be d I was very scare I learned a in rd o w that I didn’t know in a overall it was quite rt e c a y a s to be to s wa t first tutorial tha n lot about a th r e I had lost during th o t u b , h is easy. d e w t S bu y, wa s thi conducted in Swedish y ta s to d ie tr e w t, a th r sie ea t go I thought it was a very my years away. g kin with time spea culture, clear of English. interesting experience, I as I got more confident with geography I found it su I had a made a few very good the help of the native p e r and some interesting really great friends and enjoyed Swedish students. to talk amazing to Swedish time sharing my culture to You feel very It was people recipes. that are our participating others who showed comfortable extremely age and have s in these speaking to other genuine interest. useful. imilar interests. classes. students. FEATURES: Timetabled classes, attended by all - also by less adventurous students. Semi-directed content, teacher support available for both learners and natives, but no interference. Relaxed atmosphere without assessment pressure. Thus a novel concept and different from alternative approaches such as language cafés, tandem learning, older learner buddies, employed native language assistants, immersion learning in target country etc.