About

Language identity and the ability to navigate complex cultural environments are increasingly important in the new global world. Full knowledge of a language involves not only linguistic competence but also the ability to interact appropriately, culturally and situationally in diverse environments, i.e. sociocultural competence. The disadvantages of learning a foreign language in a non-immersion context (like learning Spanish in the UK or English in Argentina) have long been acknowledged by teachers and learners, and more recently established by empirical research (e.g., Krashen, 1981). It seems clear that the benefits of learning in an immersion context (learning Spanish in Spain or English in UK, for example) cannot be replicated in a nonimmersion environment. New technologies can help to overcome some of these disadvantages, but some aspects of language learning, such as sociocultural competence, are not amenable to being taught in a classroom. They can be learned only through experience of natural interactions. In this PhD, I aim to investigate whether the use of reflective e-portfolios in foreign language teaching can help students develop their sociocultural competence and a new language identity (understood as the way we conceive ourselves related to the language we speak), specifically whether researching for and writing of the e-portfolios can improve students’ communication skills, develop their learning and critical thinking,and enhance their capacity for autonomous learning. The proposed project takes an Action Research approach, to explore the potential of modern technologies to achieve well-established objectives of language teaching and learning in a non-immersion context. If reflective e-portfolios can be shown to improve students' sociocultural competence in a non-Hispanic context, it is arguable they could also be used in the teaching and learning of any foreign language in any non-immersion context. The proposed research will therefore have implications for all institutions teaching foreign languages.