Mutually Beneficial Foreign Language Learning: Creating Meaningful Interactions Through Video‐Synchronous Computer‐Mediated Communication

Abstract

Providing learners of a foreign language with meaningful opportunities for interactions, specifically with native speakers, is especially challenging for instructors. One way to overcome this obstacle is through video‐synchronous computer‐mediated communication tools such as Skype software. This study reports quantitative and qualitative data from a Skype partner program that emphasized meaningful communication between American students learning Japanese in the United States and Japanese students learning English in Japan. Analysis of pre‐ and posttests showed significant improvement in the listening and speaking abilities of the Japanese participants and in the speaking abilities of the American participants.

Factors associated with improvement in oral fluency when using video‐synchronous mediated communication with native speakers

“…The Skype program in which students participated over the 3‐year period under consideration (2015–2017) has been described in Kato et al (). Apart from minor changes each year, described in the following paragraph, the overall scheduling pattern, general requirements, pre and post speaking tests, questionnaires, and postprogram reflection prompts remained the same.…”

“…Similarly, a longitudinal cross‐sectional study by Saito, Dewaele, Abe, and In'nami () found that “more frequent L2 use with positive emotions directly impacts acquisition” (p. 709), including speaking skills. Although enjoyment is likely to lead to increased interest in maintaining the conversation partnership beyond a specific course or program (Kato et al, ) and although several studies focusing on VSMC found students’ levels of enjoyment to be important enough to report (e.g., Yang et al, ; Yanguas, ), none attempted to determine if enjoyment was correlated with improvement in oral abilities.…”

“…In the context of VSMC, quantity refers to the amount of time participants spend using VSMC (allocated time) and the percentage of that time in which communication was conducted in the target language (engaged time). Although quantity does not necessarily equate with quality (Taillefer & Munoz‐Luna, ; Tian & Wang, ), VSMC with native speakers can provide learners with opportunities for meaningful interactions that support progress toward higher levels of proficiency (see Kato et al, ; Scarcella & Oxford, ).…”

“…Even among the studies that reported significant improvement in speaking abilities for participants in VSMC programs (e.g., Kato et al, ; Yang et al, ), it was observed that some learners improved more than others, although the researchers were unable to pinpoint why. Lin's (2014) analysis found that a number of factors influenced the effectiveness of CMC programs in general, including task type, interlocutor type, and whether the learners were in an FL or second language (L2) learning environment .…”

“…Specifically, Lin () posited that FL learners were aided by CMC more than L2 learners, that opinion‐exchange task types were effective in improving writing skills but not speaking skills, that peer‐to‐peer CMC environments supported learners’ spoken and written language development more than peer‐to‐native speaker environments, and that lower‐level learners showed more improvement than higher‐level learners. However, studies that reported on VSMC with native speakers (e.g., Kato et al, ; Yang et al, ) have often found significant improvement at a range of instructional levels, making it unclear how this factor affects VSMC specifically.…”