Description

In this episode of RASCALS' Roundtable, we explore how virtual and hybrid language exchanges are reshaping second-language learning. Join us as we speak with educators who are pioneering innovative ways to make second-language acquisition more engaging and authentic.

👥 Meet Our Guests:
🔹 Nick Walker & Philippe Gagné – Founders of a groundbreaking twinning project that pairs ESL and FSL students from different cégeps to foster authentic, meaningful language exchanges. Their initiative builds on key findings from a study of 974 students across 11 cégeps, conducted by Philippe Gagné & Maria Popica, which revealed that one-third of young ayant-droits actively resist learning French, often citing a lack of real-world applications (Popica & Gagné, 2021). However, students with French-speaking friends demonstrated greater autonomy in the language, underscoring the power of peer interactions in language acquisition.

🔹 Susan Parks – Leader of Tandem Canada, a nationwide virtual language exchange platform that connects students across institutions. She discusses how structured language partnerships build confidence, enhance real-world communication skills, and foster lasting cross-linguistic friendships.

🎧 What You'll Learn:
✅ How virtual & hybrid language exchanges transform second-language learning
✅ The role of peer networks in fostering self-efficacy and autonomy
✅ Research-backed insights on student motivation (or resistance!) in FSL & ESL classrooms
✅ How Tandem Canada and the Twinning Project are bridging language gaps

🔗 Links & Resources:
📄 Gagné & Popica’s research: Read the study

📚 Nick Walker’s resources: Labodanglais.com | EnglishLab.ca

📄 Gagné & Deveau’s research: Read the study

🔗 Tandem Canada platform: ⁠Explore the platform⁠

📹 Tandem Language Exchange Video: ⁠Watch here⁠