Updating my Personal Learning Environment…

Hello everyone!

As I said at the end of the first semester, reflecting on your own PLE is really important because it makes you think about the way you learn and by thinking about your learning structures, you can realize if the method you are using is good or if it can be improved and developed.

• Has something changed during the second semester in the organisation of my English learning?
  
  

Definitely yes!!!

I still think that grammar and vocabulary exercises, listening practice, reading texts aloud, doing translations are the basic tools if you want to learn a language. But they’re not enough… This is why I would add and consider other categories for my PLE.
First of all the Web source can be really useful since everyday it gives us new tools that can help us learn a language: not only can we find articles to read, exercises to do, but also it gives us the possibility to communicate with real people who live far from us. This is what we have done until few weeks ago through Skype: speaking with the American students of Dickinson College has been amazing. In a few hours I learnt new words, new expressions and I could practise both my language skills (mainly speaking and listening skills) and my intercultural competence (I found out many interesting aspects of American culture). In this way my English knowledge has improved a lot.
Plus, I now want to dedicate much time to the informal, personal and individual learning: I think that relationships and friendships are the best way to learn a language and I’m sure that the easiest way of improving a language is by doing something amusing and interesting like chatting with foreign friends, listening to music and watching films in English.

My first PLE consisted of a mindmap divided into 4 main groups called HOW, WHERE, WHO and GATHERING INFORMATION. I would keep them as they are, but I would add some subgroups to the ‘Informal Tools’ section: the use of Skype, Facebook and Messenger that give you the chance to keep in touch with your foreign friends from all over the world and tandem meetings in order to practise your English language and compare your culture with that of other people.

REFLECTING ON MY INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE

Hi guys!!!

We have already spoken about intercultural competence... Almost two months ago, at the beginning of the second semester, we dealt with the Yoga Form, a form to examine the development of our intercultural communicative competence (ICC).

• What has changed thanks to our exchange?

Well, first of all I have to say that it was not easy to answer to the questionnaires... But all those questions and examples to provide made me reflect a lot on my improvements and I found it very useful.

As far as my language skills are concerned, I think that I made many improvements. In order to do my final project I had the chance to read and write a lot... That's why I feel more fluent and confident with some grammar structures, plus I learned many useful words, such as 'political platform', 'parking lot', 'to run for office', 'stay permit', 'to reckon', 'mind that', 'to trip', 'to get kicked out' (in a soccer match), 'to recruit'.

However, what makes me really happy is the improvement of my listening and oral skills in general! I enjoyed speaking with Allyson and Ugo both because I could test my level of oral English and because of the topics we discussed... And this leads me into the next aspect to consider: the development of my intercultural competence. I learned a lot of new things about American culture: from the most general aspects (daily routine, students' life, educational system) to more complex topics (terrorism, politics, immigration). Besides, I developed my knowledge about my own culture: in order to answer to the questions from the American guys I had to gather information and in this way I discovered and re-considered Italian culture.

So... Everything was really useful and enjoyable... I do hope I'll be able to keep in touch with these new friends of mine and you all!

C U!!!