Page 49 - LanGuide Project: Research and Professional Insights
P. 49
What Kind of l s p Does LanGuide Propose?
be used for learning several languages, promoting interculturality (Kom-
para Lukančič & Fabijanić, 2020, p. 44).
The creation of the exercises dedicated to both the English language and
the Romanian language which were included in the LanGuide app was
driven by the concept of cultural literacy, aiming at developing learners’
multicultural understanding (Kompara Lukančič & Fabijanić, 2020, p. 44).
But in what the exercises for the English language were concerned, the cul-
tural aspects integrated in this language learning app required a novel ap-
proach from their creators, as elements of their respective cultures had
to be conveyed by means of the English language, which is the language
of the exercises. For example, the Romanian team introduced elements of
their local culture by using authentic institution names, proper names, to-
ponyms, or the real names of university classrooms at Transilvania Univer-
sity, their home university in Braşov. Furthermore, the exercises contain
Romanian phone prefixes, and even names of local companies. Addition-
ally, the team tried to go beyond such elements and introduced quite prag-
matic, down-to-earth aspects of Romanian culture, e.g. problems related
to bureaucracy. This can help the users of the application prepare for their
mobility in Romania (Nechifor & Dimulescu, 2021, pp. 96–97).
The example of the LanGuide application illustrates one of the chal-
lenges that c all specialists are faced with: conveying language as a defin-
ing feature of the community which speaks it, and thus enabling learners
to use language as an instrument for intercultural communication. But this
is not the only issue that is inherent to c all. In what follows, the chapter
will focus on some other types of challenges that c all must deal with.
The Evolution of c all to m all
M-learning is undergoing fast progress and expansion. Early approaches
did not quite address, in correct terms, the needs of the users while also
employing incipient know-hows that were not too widely accessible or too
well understood (Kukulska-Hulme et al., 2007). But these days, according
to Kukulska-Hulme and Shield (2008), hand-held gadgets such as mobile
phones and tablets with or without internet connection, e-dictionaries,
m p 3/4 players with or without internet access have transformed into
learning devices, everywhere and at any instance, the most-handy seeming
to be the mobile phones (Kondo et al., 2012). And even though, according to
an experiment conducted by Stockwell (2007), which was meant to identify
the preferability of students in acquiring new vocabulary by means of us-
ing a computer versus using a mobile phone, the inclination of the subjects
49
be used for learning several languages, promoting interculturality (Kom-
para Lukančič & Fabijanić, 2020, p. 44).
The creation of the exercises dedicated to both the English language and
the Romanian language which were included in the LanGuide app was
driven by the concept of cultural literacy, aiming at developing learners’
multicultural understanding (Kompara Lukančič & Fabijanić, 2020, p. 44).
But in what the exercises for the English language were concerned, the cul-
tural aspects integrated in this language learning app required a novel ap-
proach from their creators, as elements of their respective cultures had
to be conveyed by means of the English language, which is the language
of the exercises. For example, the Romanian team introduced elements of
their local culture by using authentic institution names, proper names, to-
ponyms, or the real names of university classrooms at Transilvania Univer-
sity, their home university in Braşov. Furthermore, the exercises contain
Romanian phone prefixes, and even names of local companies. Addition-
ally, the team tried to go beyond such elements and introduced quite prag-
matic, down-to-earth aspects of Romanian culture, e.g. problems related
to bureaucracy. This can help the users of the application prepare for their
mobility in Romania (Nechifor & Dimulescu, 2021, pp. 96–97).
The example of the LanGuide application illustrates one of the chal-
lenges that c all specialists are faced with: conveying language as a defin-
ing feature of the community which speaks it, and thus enabling learners
to use language as an instrument for intercultural communication. But this
is not the only issue that is inherent to c all. In what follows, the chapter
will focus on some other types of challenges that c all must deal with.
The Evolution of c all to m all
M-learning is undergoing fast progress and expansion. Early approaches
did not quite address, in correct terms, the needs of the users while also
employing incipient know-hows that were not too widely accessible or too
well understood (Kukulska-Hulme et al., 2007). But these days, according
to Kukulska-Hulme and Shield (2008), hand-held gadgets such as mobile
phones and tablets with or without internet connection, e-dictionaries,
m p 3/4 players with or without internet access have transformed into
learning devices, everywhere and at any instance, the most-handy seeming
to be the mobile phones (Kondo et al., 2012). And even though, according to
an experiment conducted by Stockwell (2007), which was meant to identify
the preferability of students in acquiring new vocabulary by means of us-
ing a computer versus using a mobile phone, the inclination of the subjects
49
