Language and Virtual Mobility

[Tadeusz Lemańczyk]

The community LANGUAGE LEARNING AND SOCIAL MEDIA – 6 Key dialogues ( http://www.elearningeuropa.info/en/languagelearning ) has been mentioned by me for the first time in the comment at http://fedcba.ning.com/xn/detail/2516803:Comment:49416 with relation to forum of Language learners and social media: what is happening in Latvia, Poland and Romania. Forum of Where languages collide: How multilingual literacy makes social media real ( http://www.elearningeuropa.info/en/forums/where-languages-collide-h... ) planned for preparatory to an interactive debate [University of Luxembourg and broadcast live (webinar) on 14th June 2011)] with Claire Kramsch, Professor of German and Education at UC Berkeley and Pilar Lacasa, Professor at University of Alcalá, encourages us to pose here the problem of languages enabling characteristically also this up-to-date kind of mobility: hence we shouldn't miss the opportunity to participate in discussions there reporting their results here and discuss some aspects of this problem here reporting the best results of our action there.

[Tadeusz Lemańczyk]

Let's analyze today the video

Using Social Media for Language Learning from LS6 network on Vimeo.

uploaded at http://vimeo.com/channels/195600 and commented also at http://www.elearningeuropa.info/en/blogs/learning-languages-social-... . First of all, do you agree with me that only thanks to English subtitles we know what those six persons answer in Greek, German, Luxembourgish, French, Chinese and Romanian to the questions directed to them? It's obvious that so long as machine translation tools will translate only writing and not speech, transcripts of every video will be indispensable. Very important is therefore the question "How many languages appear on your favourite Social Media profile?" (04:38/09:31). However, what do Claudia Albanese and Mikkel Stroerup mean asking this question? Do they mean "How many languages are understood by those six persons both in writing and in speech?" and "How many languages are both spoken and written by those six persons?" or something else? Only in the answer of that a bit anonymous 22-year-old school teacher (Hélène) in the pink blouse the clear information "My Facebook is in French but I like to comment in Dutch and German [...] I express something in English or Japanese" (from 05:12/09:31 to 05:25/09:31) appears. It suggests that she can write in five languages. She seems to be a great polyglot indeed. Unfortunately, it breeds the question: How great a polyglot should one be to succeed in the Internet? Answering the question "Do you think you have improved your language skills through social media? If so, can you give us an example" (05:34/09:31) and the question "Social media can be fun but do you think they are useful for learning languages? In what way?" (07:07/09:31) they emphasize the direct effect of that. I'm afraid the indirect effect of that (motivation to learn foreign languages when one doesn't meet foreigners face-to-face and such a situation turns his/her foreign language studies into unpleasant art for art's sake) is much more important. Something like this indirect effect appears only in Martin Kracheel's answer "They can be used to raise interest in a language" (07:56/09:31). Are your conclusions similar?

[Tadeusz Lemańczyk]

Our discussion there ( http://www.elearningeuropa.info/en/blogs/learning-languages-social-... ) has been unexpectedly warmed up. Are you not sure of it? Try therefore to go from the following two URLs ( http://vimeo.com/user3945161 and http://vimeo.com/channels/195600 )


to this Web page


and to this one

. "Tadeusz Lemańczyk commented on Using Social Media for Language Learning" and "0 comments"--how is it possible?

[Tadeusz Lemańczyk]

Hi, Claudia ( http://fedcba.ning.com/profile/ClaudiaAlbanese ), why do the questions "How many languages are understood by those six persons both in writing and in speech?" and "How many languages are both spoken and written by those six persons?" are so important in resolving problems within our discussions at Forum of Where languages collide: How multilingual literacy makes social media real ( http://www.elearningeuropa.info/en/forums/where-languages-collide-h... )? Let me exemplify it. I'm not so fluent in French and Spanish to risk writing in these two languages. However, I'm fluent in them enough to read in them and to answer in English [see, for example, my English reply to a French question asked by Dorina and my English reaction to a Spanish comment written by Maria Elena Mazo Salmerón ( http://forums.ec.europa.eu/debateeurope/viewtopic.php?f=98&t=356 )]. 

Best,
Tad

[Tadeusz Lemańczyk]

"Claudia Albanese and Mikkel Stroerup"--as you all are able to perceive it, Claudia Albanese ( http://fedcba.ning.com/profile/ClaudiaAlbanese ) has already joined us. Will also that second polyglot ( http://www.china.org.cn/travel/expo2010shanghai/2010-10/30/content_... ) join us? I'll then greet him with this favorite song ( http://fedcba.ning.com/video/wonderful-wonderful-copenhagen ) of my wife [73.WONDERFUL COPENHAGEN, Danny Kaye ( http://www.lemant.user.icpnet.pl/tad/digest2.html )] as much as I greeted today Claudia with that favorite song ( http://fedcba.ning.com/video/torna-a-surriento ) of mine. :-)

[Tadeusz Lemańczyk]

Is Claudia as ardent Farida Gangi


fan as I am? I hope so. It would be then interesting to know which one from those twelve songs {Sergio Endrigo and Farida [19 Jul 2008, 19:43] ( http://forums.ec.europa.eu/debateeurope/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=32... )]} she would choose. After long consideration, I've chosen Come sempre ( http://www.lastfm.pl/user/tadfrompoland and http://www.lastfm.pl/music/Farida+Gangi/_/Come+sempre ). And you all, which one would each of you choose? Must I add that Farida's songs encouraged me greatly at that time ( http://www.lemant.user.icpnet.pl/tad/allud.html ) in my attempts to become an Italian-speaking person?

[Tadeusz Lemańczyk]

Let's return to your question "Do you think you have improved your language skills through social media? If so, can you give us an example". I dare suppose that eunited ( http://forums.ec.europa.eu/debateeurope/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=28... ) would answer affirmatively to your question. Incidentally, because that topic celebrating european languages,music,and culture.... ( http://forums.ec.europa.eu/debateeurope/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=2830 ) proves shared by me ( http://www.lastfm.pl/user/tadfrompoland ) opinion about importance of songs in learning foreign languages, I've decided from those many songs to choose at least that beautiful song of my youth ( http://fedcba.ning.com/video/czeslaw-niemen-kalakolczik ) and add to our videos ( http://fedcba.ning.com/video ).

[Tadeusz Lemańczyk]

I must definitely add something in connection with eunited. I wish all of you meeting in the Internet such pleasant persons as that Londoner. I will never forget these two compliments ["Neddy you are a bright man! And have an excellent memory." (07 Jul 2008, 09:49) and "Beautiful and very bright children Neddy. Could they be like their Papa!" (07 Jul 2008, 18:10)] which she paid me there [Denying the Holocaust. ( http://forums.ec.europa.eu/debateeurope/viewtopic.php?t=3117&st... )]. Many thanks anew, eunited, wherever you are.

[Tadeusz Lemańczyk]

Claudia Albanese ( http://fedcba.ning.com/profile/ClaudiaAlbanese ), the newest member ( http://fedcba.ning.com/profiles/members/ ) of Multilingual Studies at a Distance. Students and Academics of All Countries, Unite! :-) ( http://fedcba.ning.com/ ) should feel more comfortably reading my communiqué "Now ( http://fedcba.ning.com/group/wpb/forum/topics/przeklady-z-wloskiego-na ), we are ready to host also Italian-speaking persons. :-)" ( http://www.facebook.com/pages/Security-Safety-Engineering/139376116... ) and that conversation of mine with raptor ( http://forums.ec.europa.eu/debateeurope/viewtopic.php?f=73&t=419 ), shouldn't she? Nonetheless, after more than three years, I must correct some URLs in the latter:
- in Multilingual TV channels for the European dialog (07 Feb 2008, 09:14): http://www.lemant.user.icpnet.pl/tad/floor2b.html as the second Web page of this website ( http://www.lemant.user.icpnet.pl/tad/universe.html ), http://www.lemant.user.icpnet.pl/tad/106.htm (that "somewhat better at");
- in Cable TV and satellite TV (09 Feb 2008, 14:36): http://www.lemant.user.icpnet.pl/tad/floor6a.html as the sixth Web page of this website ( http://www.lemant.user.icpnet.pl/tad/polish.html ), http://www.lemant.user.icpnet.pl/tad/bbs431.htm (that "available now at"), http://www.lemant.user.icpnet.pl/tad/tv.html (that "Also my children");
- in Polish protected against other languages by (09 Feb 2008, 21:00): http://www.lemant.user.icpnet.pl/tad/quader.html (that "my past research interests in Antonio Gramsci");
- in Internet TV (10 Feb 2008, 11:28): http://www.lemant.user.icpnet.pl/tad/ester2-13.html (that "topic"), http://www.lemant.user.icpnet.pl/tad/ester2.html (that "e-course").

Therefore, what do you think, Claudia, about my statement "I can read texts in Italian nearly as easy as texts in English. I only daren't write in Italian"? Have I replied to your and Mikkel's question "How many languages appear on your favourite Social Media profile?"?

[Tadeusz Lemańczyk]

Beyond the shadow of doubt, that report [UN RETO PROVECHOSO. CÓMO LA MULTIPLICIDAD DE LENGUAS PODRÍA CONTRIBUIR A LA CONSOLIDACIÓN DE EUROPA. Propuestas del Grupo de intelectuales en favor del diálogo intercultural Creado por iniciativa de la Comisión Europea. Bruselas 2008] recommended at that time by Toño and followed up by me [A REWARDING CHALLENGE. HOW THE MULTIPLICITY OF LANGUAGES COULD STRENGTHEN EUROPE. Proposals from the Group of Intellectuals for Intercultural Dialogue set up at the initiative of the European Commission. Brussels 2008] in the discussion Informe del Grupo de Intelectuales ( http://forums.ec.europa.eu/debateeurope/viewtopic.php?t=842&sta... ) is still very helpful in deciphering the question "How many languages appear on your favourite Social Media profile?". Incidentally, will Claire Kramsch, the author of that book [Language and Culture. Oxford University Press, 1998. 134pp. ( http://german.berkeley.edu/people/showprofile.php?id=7 )] concur with me on that reply of mine

You wrote in it as follows: "en mi caso, esa 'lengua adoptiva' es el esperanto, y me ha servido para todo lo que sugiere el Informe Maalouf y para unas cuantas cosas más". However, concerning a "personal adoptive language" Maalouf suggests that "Learning that language ['personal adoptive language'--T.L.] would go hand in hand with familiarity with the country/countries in which that language is used, along with the literature, culture, society and history linked with that language and its speakers." He therefore suggests any natural language, he doesn't suggest any artificial or constructed language. Why do you see his suggestions differently?

which wasn't then commented by Toño, a great enthusiast of Esperanto ( http://www.delbarrio.eu/ )? I expect the problem of  cultural environment vibrant with life as a prerequisite of normal development of any language aspiring to be "personal adoptive language" will appear in our "interactive debate" ( http://www.elearningeuropa.info/en/languagelearning ).

[Tadeusz Lemańczyk]

Let me add some words about that English "language of international communication" of mine ( http://forums.ec.europa.eu/debateeurope/viewtopic.php?t=842&sta... ) with the help of what I wrote in the topic Should we get rid of the NHS? ( http://forums.ec.europa.eu/debateeurope/viewtopic.php?t=3098&st... ). Then (06 Jul 2008, 11:07) it was "forty years ago". Although today it is "forty-three years ago", I'm surprised by that still active link ( http://www.swistak.pl/aukcje/2913362,E-Frank-Candlin-Present-Day-En... ). Nonetheless, I've decided not to risk and I've pasted here the photo


of that "book 2 of Present Day English for Foreign Students by E. Frank Candlin". :-)

[Tadeusz Lemańczyk]

In those fragments ( http://forums.ec.europa.eu/debateeurope/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=14... , http://forums.ec.europa.eu/debateeurope/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=14... and http://forums.ec.europa.eu/debateeurope/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=14... ) of discussion Intercultural dialogue? In English?! ( http://forums.ec.europa.eu/debateeurope/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=1470 ), I didn't miss the opportunity to add something very important. Cultural environment vibrant with life isn't only a prerequisite of normal development of any language aspiring to be "personal adoptive language". Such vibrancy big enough [Why does English win the competition? (03 Apr 2008, 19:03)] places the particular language on a pedestal. It happens because of attractiveness, not because of force [On "to force and to attract" anew (04 Apr 2008, 10:57)]. Neither Esperanto nor Interlingua [Interlingua culture (04 Apr 2008, 13:25)] possesses such a cultural springboard. By the way, are also you inspired by that "Maltese bat" [Farfett il-Lejl ( http://fr.wiktionary.org/wiki/chauve-souris#fr )]? Who of you learning German was encouraged by such beautiful pieces of music as Klange der Heimat ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPFNCROfRJk ), just like I was?

[Tadeusz Lemańczyk]

The stronger the motivation, the more quickly a person will learn a foreign language--the role of song videos in overcoming historical prejudices against learning some languages was appreciated at that time [What is the relationship between the two Germanies? ( http://forums.ec.europa.eu/debateeurope/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=3210 )] even by Crafts (15 Jul 2008, 08:54). Once more [Deutschen Schweiz was really a great help (15 Jul 2008, 17:30)], my gratefulness for Vico Torriani ( http://fedcba.ning.com/video/vico-torriani-du-schwarzer ). By the way, here is


what Bastian from Potsdam [Re: Deutschen Schweiz was really a great help (15 Jul 2008, 18:07)] expressed writing the following sentence "It is a cute picture of your wife"--let me add, it's about that five-year-old girl on the right. :-)