Q&A
As teachers, we don’t always know where to start and how to solve certain problems. Here are answers to the most commonly asked questions.
Why organize intercultural twinnings?
Intercultural twinnings are more than learning activities: they are experiences learners will remember for a lifetime. When we organize twinnings for our students, we offer them not only the opportunity to practice French, but also the chance to experience an unforgettable encounter in French with people from another culture.
How do I find twins to partner with my students?
Twinning opportunities vary depending on the context. Some teachers find participants in other departments in their institution (e.g. language classes, intercultural or linguistic courses, education faculties, adult education programs ). Others look for students in other institutions (twinning with another CEGEP or university).
It’s impossible to organize meetings in my institution. Is it possible to organize an online twinning activity ?
Yes, there is an extensive research literature available on the web on the topic of “telecollaboration” or “online exchanges”. Twinning can be done through Skype, Facebook or a learning platform like Moodle. To find online partners, there are platforms like Unicollaboration where you can post an ad.
How do I prepare students for intercultural twinning?
Effective preparation of students increases the chances of successful twinning. It is therefore important to spend time planning and preparing your students. This could include :
- Explaining the learning scenario to your students – why who what where etc.
- Explaining the details of the schedule or teaching activities
- Discussing the evaluation method for the activity
- Providing a document with all the guidelines and instructions for the twinning activity
- Presenting the notion of twinning through a video
The more twinning participants know what they have to do, the more confident they’ll be when it comes time to interact with their twin.
In intercultural twinning, what kind of evaluation is recommended?
To promote communication, intercultural exchange, cooperation (and avoid competition between participants), evaluating the twins’ participation is recommended. If a summative evaluation is required, opt for an overall assessment of whether learning objectives have been achieved. Excessively detailed or surgical assessments can cause unwanted conflict (e.g. my twin didn’t provide me with the right answers so he’s bad in French … my twin is not competent in this area …).
What’s the best way to form twinning teams?
Several pairing formulas are possible. Some teachers form teams by matching learners with common interests, similar availability, and complementary linguistic levels. Others function by random selection using sticky notes, numbers, colors or language games. The important thing is to plan ahead for this process so that it is done quickly and participants have as much time as possible for the exchange!
How many twinning meetings should I organize? 1, 2, 3, 4 or more?
Several formulas are possible depending on your school calendar, schedules and program. Sometimes only one meeting can be organized. This can be an excellent opportunity to carry out a brief, low risk experiment with twinning. In other contexts, it is better to have several meetings (3, 4 or 5) so that the twins can take the time to get to know each other, to discuss a range of topics and grow comfortable enough to discuss more personal topics.
What linguistic skills does twinning target?
All language skills can be targeted. Twinning can be an opportunity to practice conversation (oral production and comprehension), but it can also lead to reading texts or books (reading comprehension), listening to songs or viewing videos (listening comprehension) ) or even lead to writing texts (written production).