MULTILITERACIES AND INTERCULTURAL EXPERIENCE OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS Gina Ioannitou Associate professor Université du Maine, France

Today’s presentation Theory Public and methodology Data analysis Conclusion

The research  The purpose of this research is to look into:  perceptions of multiliteracies and intercultural competences of International Students in the US (having several languages and cultures in their repertoire), and how they use languages and cultural patterns for communicating in daily life.  students’ social, cultural, and linguistic practices and report on understanding their awareness of intercultural competence. multicultural-stars.html

Theory Multiliteracies

Multiliteracies. (New London Group,1996)  Diverse forms of literacy  [i] multiplicity of new channels of communication and media  [ii] increasing cultural and linguistic diversity  [iii] “meaning is made in ways that are increasingly multimodal – in which written-linguistic modes of meaning are part and parcel of visual, audio, and spatial patterns of meaning” Cope and Kalantzis (2000, p.5).  Perceptions of their multiliteracies competences  Awareness of difference of cultures  Writing styles associated with texting and social networking  Formal academic literacies, and less formal multimodal literacies, often multilingual, online, synchronous and asynchronous 5 Multiliteracies International students’ multiliteracies

Public and methodology  Questionnaires  The characteristics of the subject populations are international students, preferably those who take English language courses and who arrived in the US since one/two years.  Target students as a sufficient number of subjects for this research.  Research in progress : analyzed data till today 60 subjects.

The questionnaire  Likert scale questions () example:  10.How often do you use your native language? Very Frequently Frequently Occasionally Rarely Never  Open questions: example:  Can you give an example of what you believe is the biggest difference between your native culture and the American one?

Data analysis: caracteristics of our public  Age of the public: majority between 22 and 25 years old  Time of stay : most of them are in the US from 7months to 2 years  Origin: Multiligualism of the student: Spoken languages: 72% speak 2 L, 22% 3L and 6% 4 L.

Data analysis: Perceptions of their literacy competence in English  In reading:  In writing:  In speaking:  In listening Students seem more confident in reading and listening than writing in English How students assess their skills in English:

Data analysis: Awareness of cultures  What is/was the biggest challenge when coming to the US:  La différence avec la répartition de référence est très significative. chi2 = 27,56, ddl = 7, 1-p = 99,97%.  Le chi2 est calculé avec des effectifs théoriques égaux pour chaque modalité.  Le nombre de citations est supérieur au nombre d'observations du fait de réponses multiples (2 au maximum).  Students find difficult to adapt to the new way of life in general.  Among the biggest difficulties the social relations and the lacking of vocabulary seem to preoccupy more than 73% of them.

Data analysis: perceptions of multilingualism  When we assert that a language can be spoken well only if it is learned at a young age most of the students agree:  La question est à réponse unique sur une échelle.  Les paramètres sont établis sur une notation de 1 (Strongly agree) à 5 (strongly disagree).  Les calculs sont effectués sans tenir compte des non-réponses.  La différence avec la répartition de référence est très significative. chi2 = 33,80, ddl = 4, 1-p = >99,99%.  Le chi2 est calculé avec des effectifs théoriques égaux pour chaque modalité.  La somme des pourcentages est inférieure à 100% du fait des suppressions.  When we assert that being bilingual/multilingual means to have a very good speaking, understanding, reading, and writing in two or more languages most of the students agree :  La question est à réponse unique sur une échelle.  Les paramètres sont établis sur une notation de 1 (Strongly agree) à 5 (strongly disagree).  Les calculs sont effectués sans tenir compte des non-réponses.  La différence avec la répartition de référence est très significative. chi2 = 45,15, ddl = 4, 1-p = >99,99%.  Le chi2 est calculé avec des effectifs théoriques égaux pour chaque modalité.  La somme des pourcentages est inférieure à 100% du fait des suppressions. Perceptions of the students of how one can learn very well a language. Perceptions of the students of bi- multi lingualism

Data analysis: perceptions of languages and cultures  53% of the students compare frequently their native language with English during the learning procedure.  La question est à réponse unique sur une échelle.  Les paramètres sont établis sur une notation de 1 (Very Frequently) à 5 (Never).  Les calculs sont effectués sans tenir compte des non-réponses.  La différence avec la répartition de référence est très significative. chi2 = 38,88, ddl = 4, 1-p = >99,99%.  Le chi2 est calculé avec des effectifs théoriques égaux pour chaque modalité.  La somme des pourcentages est inférieure à 100% du fait des suppressions.  Students at 44% compare usually the way of American life with their own.  La question est à réponse unique sur une échelle.  Les paramètres sont établis sur une notation de 1 (Always) à 5 (Never).  Les calculs sont effectués sans tenir compte des non-réponses.  La différence avec la répartition de référence est très significative. chi2 = 27,02, ddl = 4, 1-p = >99,99%.  Le chi2 est calculé avec des effectifs théoriques égaux pour chaque modalité.  La somme des pourcentages est inférieure à 100% du fait des suppressions. Do students compare English (translate, find similarities or differences…) - when they learn English in the US - with their native language? Do students compare their culture, while in the US, with the American one?

Data analysis: perceptions of intercultural competence  When we assert that having a different language and culture is a disadvantage when living in the US most of the students disagree :  La question est à réponse unique sur une échelle.  Les paramètres sont établis sur une notation de 1 (Strongly agree) à 5 (Strongly Disagree).  Les calculs sont effectués sans tenir compte des non-réponses.  La différence avec la répartition de référence est très significative. chi2 = 24,13, ddl = 3, 1-p = >99,99%.  Le chi2 est calculé avec des effectifs théoriques égaux pour chaque modalité.  But students find important to adapt to the American culture and way of life :  La question est à réponse unique sur une échelle.  Les paramètres sont établis sur une notation de 1 (Very Important) à 4 (Of Little Importance).  Les calculs sont effectués sans tenir compte des non-réponses.  La différence avec la répartition de référence est très significative. chi2 = 42,00, ddl = 4, 1-p = >99,99%.  Le chi2 est calculé avec des effectifs théoriques égaux pour chaque modalité. Perception of being “international” Perception of being “adapted”

Data analysis: Writing styles associated with texting and social networking Students state that they use very frequently or frequently their native language in the US.  La question est à réponse unique sur une échelle.  Les paramètres sont établis sur une notation de 1 (Very frequently) à 5 (Never).  Les calculs sont effectués sans tenir compte des non-réponses.  La différence avec la répartition de référence est très significative. chi2 = 23,51, ddl = 3, 1-p = >99,99%.  Le chi2 est calculé avec des effectifs théoriques égaux pour chaque modalité.  La somme des pourcentages est inférieure à 100% du fait des suppressions.  Students use both native and English language when they write on Facebook/Twitter or texting friends, while when texting family they use only their native language. How often do you use your native language? Social network writing

Data analysis: some qualitative results  How do international students see US culture comparing to their native one?  the biggest difference is that we think small calling people or specially professors by their name is rude in our culture but not in home. Shri Lankans love to respect other people  the big difference between my native culture and native culture are friends. How hard I try I cannot make an American my best friend because Americans have thoughts about Arabs  Here it is hard to have help when you need. In my country my whole family will stand with me when I have a problem  teaching methods are very different and I am loving the way teachers help students here  My education system back in Bangladesh was mainly based on book and old theory, we learned a lot but hardly found a way to experiment and innovate. But here I find the culture of innovation and practically testing everything I am learning every day

Data analysis: some qualitative results  How do students see American culture?  many individuals believe that money bring happiness.  Hollywood paint a false picture of America. I though Americans are more friendly. Racism is a big issue.  That people here are very broad minded and considering when it comes to internationals. I don't think any other part of the world are so welcoming/ accepting to people of any cultural Background.  Organized country, infrastructure good, government services (fire department, post office, tax department etc )do their job.

Conclusions

Thinking beyond deficits and remediation  The international students I have researched use more than one languages and diverse cultural patterns for communicating in daily life.  They are knowledgeable, reflexive learners and intercultural persons.  Educators need to understand and accept multilingualism as an asset.  We need to move from a perspective of deficit to one of complex transition: these transitions manifest themselves linguistically and socially in many ways.

References  Cole, D.R., & Pullen, D.L. (2010). Introduction to multiliteracies in motion: Current theory and practice. In D.R. Cole & D.L. Pullen (Eds.), Multiliteracies in motion: Current theory and practice (pp. 114). New York: Routledge.  Cope, B., & Kalantzis, M. (2000). Multiliteracies: The beginnings of an idea. In B. Cope & M. Kalantzis (Eds.), Multiliteracies: Literacy learning and the design of social futures (pp. 38). London: Routledge.Corder, S. P. (1967) "The significance of learners’ errors”. International Review of Applied Linguistics 5:  Marshall, S. (2012). Academic writing: Making the transition. Toronto: Pearson Education Canada.  THANK YOU!