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CaseStudy002Phase1Step2FocusOfAttention

Page history last edited by rose.luckin@... 13 years, 1 month ago

Language Learning: French autoethnography


[Study Home]  [Study Phase One]  [Study Phase Two]  [Study Phase Three]

[1.1] [1.2] [1.3] [1.4] [1.5] [1.6] [1.7]

 

1.2 Specify Focus of Attention

 

Having completed initial iterations of step 1 to brainstorm potential Forms of Assistance (1.1), it is then possible to start to identify possible foci of attention. In this example, the main aim for the empirical study at the outset was to evaluate the data collection process for the Ecology of Resources framework, in particular with respect to research ethics to inform future empirical work. However, in addition to this aim a focus of attention is required to drive the data collection and analysis process itself: a focus that is more tightly defined than the broad aim of identifying resources that can assist the learner to learn French. 

 

The starting point for identifying a potential focus of attention is data from: the learner's blog, diary, browser bookmarks, search history, photos, plus (once a design iteration has been completed) the previous iterations of the design process.

 

Phase 1, Step 2

Potential Foci of Attention as at April 26, 2010

 

Initially the following possible foci of attention are identified from the data. Examples of particularly relevant posts from the learner's blog are included below.

 

  1. Affective resources to improve the subjective learning experience e.g. learner confidence; motivation; emotional fluctuations.
  2. Speaking and Listening skills, to aid conversation whilst in France
  3. Keeping the French going whilst not in France, for example when back in the UK

 

Blog Post from 23 APRIL: “I can feel myself making a transition [une transition] when I travel to France, but not one that can be pinpointed at a specific place or time. It happens gradually as I travel and as I settle back in and interact once again with French people, images, sounds and text [des images, des sons et du texte]. I want to be able [capable] to transport [transporter] some of this to my situation [ma situation] at home so that I can feel some of the same sensations (perhaps not the anxiety) and I also want to be able to transfer some of the familiarities [les familiarités] of England here. I have already noted that I found looking for the French in my everyday interactions [mon interactions] in England was helpful and I am also enjoying a blog recommended [un blog recommandé] by a friend that is written partly [en partie] in French and partly [en partie] in English. I know that I want to retain [retenir] a contact with my French whatever I am doing whilst learning and am therefore adopting a similar approach [adopter une approche similaire] here, but for now with an emphasis upon words that I can identify [identifier] as having French connections. If anyone reading this spots words I have missed feel free to point them out.

 

Blog Post from 22 APRIL extract: “I have found it really hard to avoid feeling like all the French I have learnt has faded away whilst I have been in the UK. I look back on my grand success just before I left Marseille of talking in French for a whole evening and wonder how I did it!”

 

 

This was then narrowed down to the following potential focus of attention after work had been done on the other steps of phase 1:

 

  1. What are the resources that can help me (the learner) to maintain French language skills when not in France. Described in one blog entry as: “the meta structure for my learning”?

 

 

However, this requires attention to the environment of the learner in the UK as well as that in France. This was not part of the initial data collection activity, but some additional data is available in the form of the learner’s diary and blog postings made whilst in the UK. Rather than undertaking fresh data collection at this stage, it was decided to use this data that was already available.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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