© The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press; all rights reserved.
Evaluating the outcomes of online intercultural exchange
Robert O'Dowd teaches EFL and EFL Methodolgy at the Universtity of León, Spain. He is also a co-author of the classroom software series Log Into English for secondary school students in Germany. He recently completed his PhD on the use of networked technologies in the foreign language classroom
Email: dfmrod{at}unileon.es
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Abstract |
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This paper reports the findings of three qualitative studies which were carried out in university level EFL classes in Germany. The three groups used various combinations of communication technologies such as email, web-based message boards, and video conferencing in order to engage in online exchanges with different partner classes in Ireland and the USA. The research was aimed at establishing, firstly, how such virtual intercultural contact can contribute to the development of intercultural communicative competence, and secondly, what skills and knowledge both students and teachers need in order to engage successfully in this complex online learning activity. The research revealed that the success of such exchanges often depends on their appropriate integration into the language classroom and that it is necessary to reassess the role of the teacher in telecollaborative exchanges.