Riskier was! -
The Application of the Linguistic Risk- Taking Initiative for German language learners in an Austrian University Context
Stefanie Cajka & Eva Vetter
ACLA/CAAL Annual Conference 2019 UBC Vancouver
5 June 2019
Overview
• Austrian context
• Canadian data findings
• Developmental process and adaption
• Pilot study
2
International Students in Austria
Canadian Data Developmental Process
Pilot Study
Austrian Context
43671 76265
0 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 60000 70000 80000 90000
Winter Semester 2007/2008 Winter Semester 2017/2018 Number of International Students
Semester
International Students at Public Universities in
Austria
German knowledge requirements
At the University of Vienna1:
• Application for a degree programme held in German: A2
• Admission to a degree programme held in German: C1
Canadian Data Developmental Process
Pilot Study
Austrian Context
4
1https://slw.univie.ac.at/en/studying/knowledge-of-german/(last accessed on 4 June 2019)
University Preparation Programme of the Vienna Universities (VWU)
• Aims to prepare international students for supplementary examinations2
• German courses are offered as part of this programme
• German courses are held by the Language Center of the University of Vienna
• German courses aim to prepare prospective students for their supplementary examination in German (EPD) à required for admission
• Participation in these courses is possible for four semesters3
Canadian Data Developmental Process
Pilot Study
Austrian Context
Main Idea
In this context, the Linguistic Risk-Taking Initiative (Slavkov &
Séror, in press) seemed to be expedient to accompany the learning process of the prospective students
à to raise awareness of possibilities to practice German
à to foster their engagement in situations of authentic language use
Canadian Data Developmental Process
Pilot Study
Austrian Context
6
Findings in Marshall (2018)
• Majority of the learners undertook more than the required 20 risks
• Interaction-based risks were the least frequently taken risks
• Risk-levels were not always indicated
• If indicated, low- and medium-level risks were the most frequent ones
Austrian Context
Developmental Process
Pilot Study Canadian Data
Extended Analysis - Data
• 72 Passports from Fall term 2017 (27 ESL + 45 FLS)
• 107 Passports from Winter term 2018 (38 ESL + 69 FLS à same as used in Marshall (2018))
à total of 179 Passports
Austrian Context
Developmental Process
Pilot Study
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Canadian Data
Extended Analysis - Results
Austrian Context
Developmental Process
Pilot Study Canadian Data
Learners who wrote
no comment
70%
Learners who wrote
at least one comment
30%
USAGE OF COMMENT SECTIONS
Learners who proposed
no risks 58%
Learners proposed who
at least one risk
42%
PROPOSAL OF OWN RISKS
Figure 2: Usage of the comment sections Figure 3: Proposal of own risks
Questionnaires - Explanation
• Analysis of 20 Canadian questionnaires
• Focus on a class with one of the lowest participation rates
• Questionnaire consisted of three open questions
Austrian Context
Developmental Process
Pilot Study
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Canadian Data
Questionnaires - Explanation
• Analysis of 20 Canadian questionnaires
• Focus on a class with one of the lowest participation rates
• Questionnaire consisted of three open questions
1. Have you participated in the Linguistic Risk-Taking Initiative? Yes/No, why?
2. If you haven’t participated in the Initiative, would you like to explain what would have motivated you to do so?
3. Do you like to add any other personal comments concerning the Linguistic Risk-Taking Initiative?
Austrian Context
Developmental Process
Pilot Study Canadian Data
Questionnaires – Results
Question 1 – Have you participated in the Linguistic Risk-Taking Initiative? Yes/No, why?
• Only 3 learners explicitly marked “YES”
• Some learners filled out the passport but never submitted it
Austrian Context
Developmental Process
Pilot Study
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Canadian Data
Questionnaires – Results
• Question 1 – Have you participated in the Linguistic Risk-Taking Initiative? Yes/No, why?
Austrian Context
Developmental Process
Pilot Study Canadian Data
Reasons for participatingnot
…
…forgot about it
… not enough time
… lack of motivation
… lack of information
Questionnaires – Results
• Question 1 – Have you participated in the Linguistic Risk-Taking Initiative? Yes/No, why?
Austrian Context
Developmental Process
Pilot Study
14
Canadian Data
Reasons for participatingnot
…
…forgot about it
… not enough time
… lack of motivation
… lack of information
Questionnaires – Results
• Question 2 – If you haven’t participated in the Initiative, would you like to explain what would have motivated you to do so?
Austrian Context
Developmental Process
Pilot Study Canadian Data
Suggestions
… … different timing
… make it part of the course
… easy challenges to begin with
… different format (à app)
… reminders … more advertisement
LRT-Passport à ”Riskier was“- booklet
Austrian Context
Developmental Process
Pilot Study
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Canadian Data
Feedback Language Center Including new risks
Compilation of the risks
Translation of the Linguistic Risk-Taking Passports
Elements of the „Riskier was“- booklet
Austrian Context
Developmental Process
Pilot Study Canadian Data
Feedback Language Center
• 14 pages, 65 risks
• Welcome page
• Introduction to Linguistic Risk-Taking
• Rules of engagement
• Linguistic Risks
• Pages to propose own risks
• Profile of a Linguistic Risk-Taker
Figure 4: “Riskier was!”-booklet
Elements of the „Riskier was“- booklet
Austrian Context
Developmental Process
Pilot Study
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Canadian Data
Feedback Language Center
Figure 5: “Riskier was!”-booklet – page with risks Figure 6: “Riskier was!”-booklet – page to propose own risks
Differences
• No similarity with a passport
• No personal information of the learners required
• No comment sections
• Different design to indicate the risk-levels
• No Self-Assessment-Page
Austrian Context
Developmental Process
Pilot Study Canadian Data
Figure 7: “Riskier was!”-booklet – illustration of how to indicate risk-levels
Addressing the findings
• Actively involving teachers in the planning stage
• Additional motivation + reminders
• Possibility for learners to share their questions and experiences
• New design for risk categorization
• Impossible to forget to indicate the risk-level
Austrian Context
Developmental Process
Pilot Study
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Canadian Data
Research questions – Pilot study
• How do German language learners in a VWU-German course perceive their usage of the “Riskier was!”-booklet?
• How do German language learners in a VWU-German course assess the Linguistic Risk-Taking Initiative for their language learning?
• How is the Linguistic Risk-Taking Initiative assessed by the teachers who teach German in VWU-German courses?
Austrian Context
Developmental Process
Pilot Study Canadian Data
Setting and Procedure
• Setting: Two VWU-German courses à two teachers, about 40 learners
• Procedure:
Austrian Context
Developmental Process
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Canadian Data
Briefing of the teachers
Setting and Procedure
• Setting: Two VWU-German courses à two teachers, about 40 learners
• Procedure:
Austrian Context
Developmental Process
Pilot Study Canadian Data
Briefing of the teachers
Presentation of the Initiative and
distribution of the booklets in
class
Setting and Procedure
• Setting: Two VWU-German courses à two teachers, about 40 learners
• Procedure:
Austrian Context
Developmental Process
Pilot Study
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Canadian Data
Briefing of the teachers
Presentation of the Initiative and
distribution of the booklets in
class
Duration of the Initiative: 8 weeks
Setting and Procedure
• Setting: Two VWU-German courses à two teachers, about 40 learners
• Procedure:
Austrian Context
Developmental Process
Pilot Study Canadian Data
Briefing of the teachers
Presentation of the Initiative distribution of and the booklets in
class
Duration of the Initiative: 8 weeks
Collection of the booklets questionnaire and survey in class
Setting and Procedure
• Setting: Two VWU-German courses à two teachers, about 40 learners
• Procedure:
Austrian Context
Developmental Process
Pilot Study
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Canadian Data
Briefing of the teachers
Presentation of the Initiative and distribution of
the booklets in class
Duration of the Initiative: 8 weeks
Collection of the booklets questionnaire and
survey in class
Interviews with both
teachers and two learners per course
Methodology
Austrian Context
Developmental Process
Pilot Study Canadian Data
Questionnaire survey with the German
language learners
• Perceived usage of the booklet
• Perceived impact on their language usage and language skills
• Language learning experience and motivation
Guideline-based expert interviews (Gläser & Laudel, 2010) with teachers
• More detailed description of their perceived usage of the booklet
• More detailed description of the perceived impact on their language usage and language skills
• Personal opinion about the risks, the booklet and the whole initiative
• Involvement of the initiative in the course
• Perceived impact on their students’ language usage and language skills
• Personal and professional opinion about the booklet and the initiative
Guideline-based expert interviews (Gläser & Laudel, 2010) with learners
Next Steps?
• Analysis of the data
• Interviews: Qualitative Content Analysis (Mayring, 2015)
• Questionnaires: descriptive statistics
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Developmental Process
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Canadian Data
Preliminary conclusion
Austrian Context
Developmental Process
Pilot Study
Canadian Data à The Linguistic Risk-Taking Initiative can be adapted to another language and a different context
Preliminary conclusion
Austrian Context
Developmental Process
Pilot Study
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Canadian Data à The Linguistic Risk-Taking Initiative can be adapted to another language and a different context
à However, it is important to further investigate how to make use of this tool in a context that is not bilingual
References
• Gläser, J. & Laudel, G. (2010). Experteninterviews und qualitative
Inhaltsanalyse: als Instrumente rekonstruierender Untersuchungen (4.
Aufl.). Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften.
• Marshall, S. (2018). The Linguistic Risk Taking Initiative: An
Investigation into a New Educational Tool for Fostering Linguistic Risk- Taking amongst University-level Language Learners. Major Research Paper: University of Ottawa.
• Mayring, P. (2015) Qualitative Inhaltsanalyse. Weinheim, Basel: Beltz.
• Slavkov, N. & Séror, J. (to appear). The Development of the Linguistic Risk-Taking Initiative at a Bilingual Post- Secondary Institution in
Canada. Canadian Modern Language Review.