This book presents findings from a research project which provided future language teachers in Germany and in the US with the opportunity to experience computer-mediated collaboration. Overall goals of the project included preparing preservice language teachers to use computer technology in their future teaching, fostering electronic and professional literacies and cross-cultural learning. This volume explores institutional, technical, socio-cultural and linguistic challenges encountered by participants when jointly designing a website. Data collection instruments were triangulated, and a Grounded Theory approach was used to identify categories such as linguistic issues and missed negotiation opportunities. Based on her findings, the author makes recommendations for future projects and research.

Autorentext

The Author: Carolin Fuchs is Research Scholar in the Department of French at the University of California at Berkeley. She received her Ph.D. from the Institut für Anglistik at the Justus-Liebig Universität Gießen. Additionally, she holds an M.A. in TESOL and a Certificate in Teaching Foreign Language from the Monterey Institute of International Studies. Her primary research interests include synchronous and asynchronous CMC-based language teaching and learning, electronic literacies, corpus linguistics, socio-cultural theory, dynamic assessment, intercultural learning, and electronic portfolios in language teaching and teacher education.

Inhalt
Contents: Approaching the Research Niche Reviewing CMC in Language Learning Revisiting Cooperative Language Learning and Communicative Language Teaching, and Discussing Technology in Teacher Education Laying out the Research Map Contextualizing the Study: «CMC MIIS-Giessen» Presenting the Quantitative and Qualitative Results of the Study Analyzing the Groups' (Topic) Negotiation in Email and Chat Transcripts Discussing Paticipants' Perspectives on CMC-Based Challenges Revisiting the Key Principles of Negotiation and Calling for Further Research.