Diverse interest in language, pedagogy, identity and community has found expression through online interaction, networking and connectedness in the discourses captured in this book, Language, Culture and Social Connectedness. Issues surrounding language use in spoken, written and multimedia forms and in sociocultural responses, indigenous knowledges and ethnic perspectives are currently expanding, with consequential transnational implications for pedagogy in higher education. Language education is no longer oriented towards grammar, memorization and learning by rote, but rather using language and cultural knowledge as a means to communicate and connect to others around the globe. Geographical and physical boundaries are being transcended by technology as students learn to reach out to the world around them. This book explores the intricate relationships between language, culture and social connectedness in our diverse local and transnational communities. In a period of challenge in our history, there are tensions that connect and others that tend to disconnect endeavours across the social landscape. ‘Connectedness’ includes relationships both formal and informal and the benefits those relationships bring to the individual as well as to society. ‘Social connectedness’ describes the level of engagement and trust an individual has with others in their community and the roles they take on, their friendships and participation in different activities. People who feel socially connected also contribute towards building communities and society. They help to create social capital as networks that promote effective social functions.

This volume constitutes the proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Social Informatics, SocInfo 2020, held in Pisa, Italy, in October 2020. The 30 full and 3 short papers presented in these proceedings were carefully reviewed and selected from 99 submissions. The papers presented in this volume cover a broad range of topics, ranging from works that ground information-system design on social concepts, to papers that analyze complex social systems using computational methods, or explore socio-technical systems using social sciences methods.

This volume assesses the evolving role of guanxi (social networks) in China's transforming society.

This book provides a comprehensive critical account of tandem learning, charting it evolution from its origins in European educational settings to modern programs offering new perspectives on the approach’s role within higher education. Taking stock of the ways in which increased globalization has produced new linguistic and sociocultural realities, the volume begins by looking back at the development of tandem learning over the last several decades, growing out of a need to create more opportunities for L2 learners to communicate in their target language. The book then examines the different learning objectives and learning outcomes of tandem learning arrangements, moving toward a discussion of tandem learning’s potential role in shaping language policy and the unique challenges involved in implementing tandem programs at higher education institutions. The final section of the book brings the previous discussions together to consider new tools and technology and the ways in which they can better equip language educators to implement tandem learning in their own practice. Highlighting tandem learning’s potential to promote multilingual and multicultural learning on a global scale, this volume will be of particular interest to students and researchers in intercultural communication, language education, multilingualism, and applied linguistics.

In recent years, gaps in college opportunities have contributed to diminished social mobility and are influenced by disparities in collegiate experiences. An integral part of the mission of colleges and universities is to advance student achievement and prepare students for a global society by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access. In order to provide equal educational opportunities, further study on the best practices to create a diverse and welcoming campus community for all faculty and students is required. The Handbook of Research on Opening Pathways for Marginalized Individuals in Higher Education examines specific case studies and stories from the field, analyzes the research breadth for supporting the creation of policies to foster equitable educational access, and studies higher education inclusive policies that promote leadership, social justice, and the health and well-being of faculty and students. The book also helps to alleviate and remedy issues of “historical privilege” with a lens on diversity and support through the creation of inclusive communities of equitable educational access. Covering a range of topics such as social justice, accessibility, and healthy student interactions, this reference work is ideal for academicians, researchers, scholars, practitioners, instructors, and students.

This book explores different perspectives on the role, influence and importance of participants in education research. Drawing on a variety of philosophical, theoretical and methodological approaches, the book examines how researchers relate to and with their participants before, during, and after the collection and/or production of data; reimagining the rights of participants, the role/s of participants, the concept/s of "participant" itself.