Acts of identity during online collaborative interactions in foreign languages

1. Teletandem and Performativity Acts of identity during online collaborative interactions in foreign languages João A. Telles, Ph.D. UNESP – Universidade Estadual Paulista, Brazil Center for Languages and Teacher Development FAPESP – São Paulo State Foundation for the Support of Research

2. Teletandem Brasil Foreign languages for all 2005 www.teletandembrasil.org

3. Concerns and reflections • restrictedaccessoftheeconomicallychallengedstudentstotheexistinglanguagesandculturesofthe world; • social andeducationalexclusion • theimportanceofdevelopingstudents’ oral competence (productionandcomprehension) alongwithwritingandreadingabilities in FL learning. • weaknessesofforeignlanguageeducation in the countries; • qualityofforeignlanguageteacherdevelopment • digital literacyexclusion: restrictaccesstotechnology • hegemonyofEnglish in relationtootherlanguages; • geographicalisolation [linguisticand cultural isolation]

4. Our partner institutions NORTH AMERICA EUROPE • Georgetown University • Virginia Commonwealth University • University of Miami • University of Georgia • University of Washington – Seattle • University of Hawaii at Manoa • Truman State University • University of Arizona • Northwestern University • Hillmar Middle School (California) • Hillmar High School (California) • Università del Salento (Italy) • Università di Bologna (Italy) • UniversitàdegliStudi Roma III (Italy) • Université Charles-de-Gaulle, Lille III (France) • Université de Lyon (France) • University of Stockholm (Sweden) • Johannes GütenbergUniversität (Germany) • University of Southampton (England) • UniversitateaBabeş-Bolyai (Romenia) ASIA • University of Hubbey (China) MIDDLE EAST LATIN AMERICA • King Saud University – Ryad (Saudi Arabia) • Universidad Autonoma de Mexico (Mexico) • Universidad Argentina de la Empresa (Argentina) • Universidad del Trabajo (Uruguay) SOUTH ASIA • University of Bankok (Tailand)

5. A bit of what we have learned about teletandem interactions • teletandem conversation emphasizes themes of interest to partners, vocabulary meaning negotiation and, grammar input or discussion about grammar rules (Santos, 2008, 2009; Brocco, 2009); • frequently, discussions on these differences are repetitive, common sense and essentialist in nature – what Pennycook (2012:526) calls cultural ascriptions; • teletandem conversation sessions are frequently and essentially focused on contrasting daily life in each of the partners’ countries – highlighting differences - and talking about them (Benedetti et al, 2010; Telles & Maroti, 2006).

6. Teletandem as Performance How do we “perform” national identities with words, during teletandem sessions? The making of the subject in Butler’s thinking The highlighting of differences

7. AUSTIN Speech Acts Felicity conditions Butler’s concept of Performativity draws on DERRIDA Citationality Iterability BOURDIEU Ho it is that words come to have power BUTLER Performativity ALTHUSSER Interpellation PENNYCOOK, 2007

8. Butler’s main ideas on performativity Identites of gender. The performance of gender. Gender is performative. Interpellation: “Girls are not born girls, they are girled” (Gender Trouble) Gender is the effectand not the causeof discourse (Salih, 2002:103) “(…) the action of gender requires a performance that is repeated (iterability of gender). This repetition is at once a reenactment and reexperiencingof a set of meanings already socially established (…)” GT:190) [systems of categorization – Woodward, 2000) Normativity, heteronormativity, heterocentrism, parody, sedimentation Performativity: an aspect of discourse that has the power to put into action that that it names. “It is not a singular act, but a repetition and a ritual, which achieves its effects through its naturalization (….)” (GT:198) The conditions for the emergence of the subject in discourse Is the theory of performativity (a theory of agency) transposable onto national identity???

9. Pennycook’s insights on Butler‘s work “Discussion on performativity provides a way of thinking about relationships between language and identity that emphasize the productive force of language in constituting identity rather than identity being a pregiven construct that is reflected in language use” (p.70-71); “We are not as we are because of some inner being but because of what we do” (p.70); Drawing from Butler’s works: “Identities are a product of our ongoing performances of acts that are largely pre-scribed (…) within highly rigid regulatory frames” (p.70). Pennycook, Alastair (2007) Global Englishes and Transcultural Flows. London: Routledge.

10. Pennycook’s theoretical reflections: Links with teletandem discourse and activities Pennycook, A. (2007) Global Englishes and Trancultural Flows. London: Routledge. We perform identities with words (rather than reflect identities in language). We also perform languages with words (p.73). Identities are formed in the linguistic performance rather than pregiven(p.76). Language and identity are constantly performed and remade. (p.76) Pennycook’s work suggests a move from the performative to the transformative: performativity understood as neither merely the playing out of the public roles nor the acting out of sedimented behavior, but the refashioning of futures (p.77).

11. Marking differences during teletandem sessions Teletandem is a special collaborative and autonomous mode of telecollaboration. Performative Theory can shed light into the constitution of subjectivities and of national identities of foreign language students. During these online interactions, students engage into linguistic performances of highlighting and discussing differences between their countries.

12. The marking of differences during teletandem sessions B: Intramural. Oh okay intramural. A: So, like our school has the, the um… the professional soccer team that, you know, they compete with other universities and all of that stuff. And then they have an intramural soccer team that is with uh… like, I can join an intramural soccer team. B: Oh no, but but our team… we play against other universities and stuff but it’s not like its professional. It’s not the eeeuuuuh quality level, not professional level. But we still play for against the other universities, and we play championships, you know? A: Oh okay. So, is is that the only, are you guys the only soccer team in the school? B: Yeah. A: So, okay. That’s the school soccer team. A: (…) And when do you play soccer for your team? B: We play on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Wednesday we have a match. (…) A: Okay. Are you guys, are you guys very good? B: Yeah. Kind of, because it’s a university team, college team, so it’s not like great because we don’t have too much time to play, you know? A: Is it, is it um. Is it intramural? Is it like the professional university team? B: No, it’s not professional. A: So you guys do it for fun, right? B: We play fun, yup. A: Here they call that, intramural. Intramural or professional soccer team?

13. The marking of differences during teletandem sessions B: Yup. A: That’s how you would say, here, so uh… uh, so civil servants would be people who work for the government, uh, work for the government in government jobs. Teachers. For teachers you would just say “teacher”. B: Okay. A: You wouldn’t say… you wouldn’t say that your teacher is a civil servant. You would just say that she’s a teacher. B: Okay. B: We have a pizzeria in . I own, we own a pizzeria in my city and my brothers work there. My father work there. My mother’s a…, how can I say that? Funcionáriopublico. A: She’s a civil, uh, a civil servant. B: Yeah A: But she works for the government. B: Yup A: Okay, so she’s a civil servant. B: She’s a math teacher A: Oh, she’s a teacher! Oh, okay! Well, she’s a teacher. Teacher or Civil Servant?

14. The marking of differences during teletandem sessions • A: Sujeira dirty. Oh! It’s, it’s... Sucio in Spanish, sucio. • B: That’s it. • A: [surprised voice] Do you know what sucio means in Spanish?! • B: I know, I know. That’s exactly it. That’s it. • A: That’s it. So X is muisucio [very dirty]. • B: Very (laughs). • A: Are you sure this is what you mean? • B: That’s what I mean. They are... it’s too polluted. They make things dirty, they mess up the floor. They don’t care much about cleanness. (Pause). You get it? • A: Yes, yes, yes. And, huh... did you like X [the country where B has been]? • B: You see [both laugh]… It depends. The… was interesting… The experience, many things, you know, are different from here, you see, from Brazil, many different things from [my continent]. It is REALLY different. But, I did not like the… the… the dirt… X people are a bit piggish, have you noticed that? • A: Sujeira [dirt]? What does sujeiramean? • B: All right. Sujeira [dirt] is, look, wait! [probably checks an online dictionary] Dirt: Matter out of its place

15. Final comments The online context of teletandem for transcultural communication, per se, does not educate students towards global citizenship. Rather, it is the ways that instructors use this online learning context that may promote the critical teaching and learning of foreign languages and the critical appreciation of identity and difference. Understanding how these notions are performed are important not only to students but to language instructors. They must deal with such issues in their professional development, as they increasingly adopt technologies for transcultural and transcontinental interactions in their language classes. If the teacher is not critically well informed about such issues, the mediation session does not transcend the level of mere experience reports, perpetuating stereotypes and sedimented conceptions of self and other. Having students to simply interact with people and languages from other countries is not enough.

16. Obrigado Gracias Grazie gràcies Merci Thank you Danke Спасибо நன்றி 謝謝 شكرا لك. תודה آپ کا شکریہ ありがとう σας ευχαριστώ jtelles@assis.unesp.br www.teletandembrasil.org