Transformative Learning through Community-based Language Learning

Abstract: This research explores transformative learning in community-based language learning experiences. The study, conducted with 25 undergraduate students enrolled in two advanced language courses with a service-learning component, was designed to identify if transformative learning occurs during the semester-long course, which classroom and community-based activities lead to transformative learning, and specifically, which modes of communication are associated with changes in students' beliefs, attitudes, and perceptions. Faculty administered pre- and post-semester surveys on changes in students' values, beliefs, and opinions, as adapted from King's (2009) Learning Activities Survey. Survey results indicate that a majority of students experienced a moment of transformative learning during the course, which was triggered by a combination of community interactions and course content. Students cited interpersonal speaking, interpretive listening, and interpersonal writing in the target language as high-impact practices. Findings indicate that students perceive reflection activities involving interpersonal speaking and writing in the L2 as most supportive of transformative learning and this should influence how reflection activities are designed. This research informs future directions of world language curriculum with community-based components.

Narrative: Community-based Language Learning (CBLL) describes world language courses with a community-engaged component. While there is emerging research demonstrating that Transformative Learning (TL) occurs in Community-Based Language Learning (CBLL) courses, few researchers have investigated precisely what fosters TL in the context of CBLL courses. We determined to study 1) if and how students report TL related to their CBLL courses, 2) whether there were specific moments when TL took place and whether TL could be mapped onto particular classroom and community activities, 3) if the language selection (English or target language) and/or particular mode of communication (interpretive reading or listening, interpersonal speaking or writing, presentation speaking or writing) seemed to better support TL. To answer these questions, we administered pre- and post-semester surveys that were adapted from King's (2009) Learning Activities Survey and reviewed class assignments that targeted self-reflection in two advanced CBLL courses. We examined students' self-reported changes in values, beliefs, and opinions from the pre- and post-survey responses and a selection of student comments from those surveys that indicate thematic trends in self-reflections.

Transformative learning is "the process of using a prior interpretation to construe a new or revised interpretation of the meaning of one’s experience in order to guide future action" (Mezirow, 1996, p. 192). According to Mezirow, transformative learning is triggered by a "disorienting dilemma", which occurs when an experience does not match our existing meaning structures. Although few scholars have explicitly connected language learning with the larger framework of transformative learning (Leaver et al., 2021), there is some research about shifts in world language student perspectives that informs the current study. Examples focus on changes in student perceptions of language acquisition, motivation, and cross-cultural awareness (Baker, 2018; Chavez et al., 2003; Kramsch, 1993; Ortuño, 1991). Documented methods for supporting shifts in perspective include contact with native speaker communities (Pak, 2020; Byram & Kramsch 2008), collaborative learning (Pilling-Cormick, 1997), being exposed to authentic materials (Abrams et al., 2006; Guy, 2007; Johnson, 2021; Tisdell & Thompson, 2007), cultural exposure (Schwartz, 2013), and critical reflection (Crane & Sosulski, 2021; De Santis & Willis, 2016; Johnson, 2015).

Looking specifically at world language courses, research has shown that CBLL challenges students' worldviews, builds relationships with local communities, and promotes critical social awareness (Van Deusen-Scholl & Charitos, 2021). There is a growing interest in reimagining the world language classroom to build on these community-based experiences since "[c]ultivating social pedagogies help us to bridge between pedagogical amplification in classroom spaces and social action in the world, ultimately giving students the translingual and transcultural tools to participate effectively in complex and diverse communities in the future" (Dubreil & Thorne, 2017, p.6). The majority of CBLL research has focused on its impact on motivation for language study, perceived language gains, personal goals, cultural understanding, and civic engagement (Baker 2019). Johnson and Nelson (2010) found that meeting with native speakers, collaborative learning, and film analysis made significant contributions to perspective transformation; students showed increased identification with Hispanic cultures and better awareness of diversity in both Hispanic cultures and their own cultures. Interpersonal interaction with community members has a direct impact on perspective transformation since it contributes to the development of students' critical social awareness (Palpacuer Lee et al., 2018; Van Deusen-Scholl & Charitos, 2021). By engaging with authentic materials (film, social media posts, news stories) and "people whose mental models interpret reality in unfamiliar ways, the potential for disorienting dilemmas increases", CBLL sets the stage for decentering the learner's own perspective and building critical consciousness (Johnson, 2021, p. 74).

Our findings show that a large majority of students (74%) in both CBLL courses experienced a transformative moment during the semester as a direct result of the course. An even more significant percentage of students (91%) expressed that the course had some or much influence on their change in perspective. These data align with research showing that community-based learning is a high-impact practice and indicates that doing this community-engaged work in the L2 has equal potential to promote transformational learning in students.

When examining the important role of community interactions in students' transformative experiences, our data confirms observations by Pak (2020) and Palpacuer Lee et al. (2018). These encounters outside of known contexts in students' lives provide opportunities for "border crossing", which is often associated with learning experiences noted in traditional service-learning classes (Hayes & Cuban, 1997). Examining how students describe these experiences, relationships seem genuine and do not perpetuate the deficit mindset associated with charity-based service experiences. Students do not perceive that they are engaging in charity-based work, or viewing communities as "others", but are building relationships based on solidarity with the community; these community-based learning opportunities seem to break down stereotypes rather than confirm them. In the context of the reported community interactions (interacting socially, tutoring, or volunteering in homes), we conclude that the mode of interpersonal speaking contributes to the most significant opportunities for shifting learner perspectives. This finding aligns with previous researchers' descriptions of the activities that most often lead to TL. Perspective transformation most often occurs in the community when students are engaged in interpersonal modes of communication.

Our research also suggests that while community experiences are key components of transformational learning, the importance of classroom activities cannot be ignored. This finding coincides with research about the importance of critical reflection in transformative learning. In our study, 77% of students indicated that a classroom assignment or activity contributed to a shift in perspective. This high percentage of respondents suggests that community interactions alone do not provoke transformation, but that curricular and community activities complement one another. This research study contributes to the understanding of how community-based language learning impacts opportunities for transformative learning in college-aged students.