Discoveries and Dialogues: Online exchanges in language learning

The aim of this study day is to bring together experts in didactics and language learning to analyze the role of online interactions and exchanges in language learning. Learning a foreign language has long been considered unique in the field of education, due to its intrinsically social nature; indeed, mastering a language requires using it in communication (Balboni, 2007; Wang, 2008). Many theoretical frameworks, including Swain's Output Hypothesis (2000) and Long's Interaction Hypothesis (1996), argue that interaction in a foreign language involves negotiation of meaning and awareness of new linguistic forms, which can facilitate acquisition. Other theories, such as Sociocultural Theory (Fahim & Haghani, 2012), emphasize the importance of context in interactions.

In the classroom, oral and interactive activities offer many benefits to learners, including a reduction in the level of speaking anxiety (Develotte et al., 2008), greater engagement and motivation (Caon, 2012; Klimova, 2011), and the potential to develop greater learner autonomy (Little, 1991). Online spaces
have multiplied opportunities to practice the target language by facilitating contact between learners from all over the world. This enables them to develop key language skills and broaden their cultural knowledge (De Martino, 2020; Schug & Simon, 2023).

In digital spaces in particular, the concept of interaction takes on a whole new meaning. While interaction is often described specifically in terms of exchanges between learners with similar profiles (e.g. in Manoïlov, 2019), other recent research has broadened the concept. Learners may interact with tutors or teachers in online courses (Chakowa, 2019), course content and other
users in flipped classrooms (Aydin, 2021; Hernández Nanclares & Pérez Rodríguez, 2015), students wishing to do a language exchange (De Martino, 2020), students wishing to practice a lingua franca with a speaker with a different mother tongue (Schug & Simon, 2023), video game players in different countries (Winaldo & Octaviani, 2022), or even online chatbots (Tahir & Tahir, 2023).

The aim of this day is therefore to explore these different types of online interactions and their impact on the language learning experience. Possible presentation topics include:
1. Theoretical presentations offering a clear and explicit framework for encouraging interaction in online spaces.
2. Case studies or feedback on innovative strategies or devices to encourage interaction in online spaces.
3. Empirical studies on students' experiences with online interactions (their impact on language acquisition, motivation, self-efficacy...).

Submission guidelines.
Please send a 250-word abstract (in French or English), with 3-5 keywords, and an indicative bibliography by September 1, 2024. Send your paper in PDF to: dschug[at]parisnanterre.fr.

Presentations will be 20 minutes long, followed by 10 minutes of discussion with the audience.