Using TikTok and Instagram Reels to Support Learning Dev and Cultural Awareness in Beg Fr Courses

CARLA GRADUATE RESEARCH PROJECT PRESENTATION:
Following research articulating the benefits of social media activities in language learning classrooms, we undertook a project to create an openly accessible database of dynamic media resources in French from TikTok and Instagram. Using a combination of unique intersectional profiles and direct hashtag searches, we searched the platforms for authentic video-based media and organized relevant clips into a thematic database in line with topics covered in beginning French courses. We selected clips for inclusion based on their authenticity and ability to increase learners' cultural and sociolinguistic awareness of diversity within the francophone world. The video database was designed as an Open Educational Resource (OER), and is freely accessible online to help instructors expand their access to this new genre of interactive media. Subsequent research will examine the efficacy of this media type in helping learners develop cultural and sociolinguistic awareness, pronunciation gains, and communicative proficiency in beginning French courses.
Presenters:
Chimène Dupuis is a graduate student in the Department of French and Italian, at the University of Minnesota. She is an instructor for beginning French courses at UMN and has been working on innovative learning experiences in language classrooms.
Amanda Dalola is Director of the Language Center and Associate Professor of Linguistics at the University of Minnesota. Her current research projects include the production, perception, and digital media renderings of sociophonetic variables and speech styles in French and Korean, the use of social media applications in the language learning classroom, and the use of translanguaging and open educational resources as open educational practices.