Developing CALL for heritage languages: The 7 Keys of the Dragon

[EN] In this article we present an interactive extensible software, The 7 Keys of the Dragon, for the teaching/learning of Albanian and Russian to students that attend primary and secondary education in Greece with the respective languages as their heritage languages. We address the key challenges we encountered during the conceptualization phase of the project development and the specific design choices we implemented in order to accommodate them. Drawing on recent research on the role of Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) applications for young bilingual populations, we aimed at creating a user friendly environment with a clear pedagogical orientation. Furthermore, given that games in language learning are associated with intrinsic motivation and meaningful exposure to the target language, we have integrated a fairy-tale background narrative, a game-inspired reward system, and two cartoon-like assistant characters to stimulate the user’s involvement in the learning tasks. Five chapters for each target language were created, each comprising a text, a variety of scaffolding material and quizzes. The software is designed to provide real-time automatic correction of quizzes and allow for easy expansion with additional quizzes and texts. A separate application for teachers facilitates essay correction and commenting on the students’ language learning progress and achievements.We are grateful to Amalia Rodou-Gorou and Tania Zouravliova for creating the language materials, to Nestoras Pelesoglou for the graphic design, and to Prof. dr. Ioannis Spantidakis for providing guidance in the pedagogical design of the e-learning environment. This research was supported by the programme “Education of Immigrant and Repatriate Students” (Action 5, Deliverable 5.2.3) funded by the European Social Fund, National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) 2007-2014 and the Ministry of Education, Lifelong Learning and Religious Affairs of the Hellenic Republic. The usual disclaimers apply.Revithiadou, A.; Kourtis-Kazoullis, V.; Soukalopoulou, M.; Konstantoudakis, K.; Zarras, C. (2015). Developing CALL for heritage languages: The 7 Keys of the Dragon. The EuroCALL Review. 23(2):38-57. doi:10.4995/eurocall.2015.4667.SWORD385723

The Hidden Schools: Mapping Greek Heritage Language Education in Canada

Since the languages of immigrant communities in Canada are categorized as “non-official”, our government is under no obligation to contribute to the perpetuation of these languages. Furthermore, education, in general, is a provincial responsibility. Thus, no formal reporting and documentation of Heritage/International Language Programs takes place at the national level. Given this situation, the various ethnic community groups are left alone with the task of protecting their valuable linguistic and cultural heritages. Inevitably, without national information sharing or support from the Canadian government, HL policy and programming are in a precarious state. My study involves my participation in a community-based research project that aims to locate, map, assess and develop the Greek HLE resources in Canada. Theoretically based on the concepts of Ethnolinguistic Vitality and Language Maintenance, my investigation (a) addresses the question of access to Greek language and culture education by exploring the programs and resources currently available to HL learners; (b) formulates an asset-based model to analyze the capacity of the Greek community's HLE system and proposes changes for its upgrade; and (c) develops a database to allow community members, HLE stakeholders and researchers to search for information about Greek language schools, community organizations and cultural events across Canada. Overall, this investigation addresses the retention and development of Canada’s cultural and linguistic resources through HLE. My findings demonstrate that for Heritage Languages to be maintained in Canada beyond the third generation, communities need to assume responsibility and foster three necessary conditions for educational success in the 21st century: access, innovation and motivation. As a starting point, I suggest locating, sharing and developing HLE assets through collaborations with stakeholders, including universities, governments, interested professionals and funding agencies. This study not only brings into prominence Greek HLE in Canada, but also underscores the passion and determination of immigrant communities to fully participate in mainstream society without diminishing their cultural and linguistic capital.Ph.D

From Greek School to Greek's Cool: Heritage Language Education in Ontario and the Aristoteles Credit Program - Using Weblogs for Teaching the Greek Language in Canada

Heritage Language Education is considered the cornerstone of Canada’s multiculturalism policy. In Ontario, the mission to preserve the cultural capital of the various ethnic communities is carried out primarily by non-profit organizations and groups with limited official support. My thesis is the autobiographical inquiry of an internationally educated teacher who is involved in a Greek language credit program in Toronto. My commitment to understanding the needs of the new generation of learners guided me through a series of professional development initiatives and the creation of an educational blog which is currently used by students, parents and teachers of the Aristoteles Credit School. By presenting my experiences as I navigated the multidimensionality of HLE in Ontario, I hope to offer a case of a bottom-up reform attempt which is based on transformative pedagogy and brings heritage language education to the epicentre of community activity and educational change in the 21st century.MAS

From Greek School to Greek's Cool: Heritage Language Education in Ontario and the Aristoteles Credit Program - Using Weblogs for Teaching the Greek Language in Canada

Heritage Language Education is considered the cornerstone of Canada’s multiculturalism policy. In Ontario, the mission to preserve the cultural capital of the various ethnic communities is carried out primarily by non-profit organizations and groups with limited official support. My thesis is the autobiographical inquiry of an internationally educated teacher who is involved in a Greek language credit program in Toronto. My commitment to understanding the needs of the new generation of learners guided me through a series of professional development initiatives and the creation of an educational blog which is currently used by students, parents and teachers of the Aristoteles Credit School. By presenting my experiences as I navigated the multidimensionality of HLE in Ontario, I hope to offer a case of a bottom-up reform attempt which is based on transformative pedagogy and brings heritage language education to the epicentre of community activity and educational change in the 21st century.MAS

The Hidden Schools: Mapping Greek Heritage Language Education in Canada

Since the languages of immigrant communities in Canada are categorized as “non-official”, our government is under no obligation to contribute to the perpetuation of these languages. Furthermore, education, in general, is a provincial responsibility. Thus, no formal reporting and documentation of Heritage/International Language Programs takes place at the national level. Given this situation, the various ethnic community groups are left alone with the task of protecting their valuable linguistic and cultural heritages. Inevitably, without national information sharing or support from the Canadian government, HL policy and programming are in a precarious state. My study involves my participation in a community-based research project that aims to locate, map, assess and develop the Greek HLE resources in Canada. Theoretically based on the concepts of Ethnolinguistic Vitality and Language Maintenance, my investigation (a) addresses the question of access to Greek language and culture education by exploring the programs and resources currently available to HL learners; (b) formulates an asset-based model to analyze the capacity of the Greek community's HLE system and proposes changes for its upgrade; and (c) develops a database to allow community members, HLE stakeholders and researchers to search for information about Greek language schools, community organizations and cultural events across Canada. Overall, this investigation addresses the retention and development of Canada’s cultural and linguistic resources through HLE. My findings demonstrate that for Heritage Languages to be maintained in Canada beyond the third generation, communities need to assume responsibility and foster three necessary conditions for educational success in the 21st century: access, innovation and motivation. As a starting point, I suggest locating, sharing and developing HLE assets through collaborations with stakeholders, including universities, governments, interested professionals and funding agencies. This study not only brings into prominence Greek HLE in Canada, but also underscores the passion and determination of immigrant communities to fully participate in mainstream society without diminishing their cultural and linguistic capital.Ph.D