https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9283-6291
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Abstract
Guided by the framework of internationalization at home (IaH), this study employed a mixed-methods approach investigating the development of intercultural communicative competence (ICC) among a group of tertiary English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in Taiwan, facilitated through the means of telecollaboration. The telecollaboration incorporated 30 EFL learners and 30 learners of Chinese from Australia and New Zealand. Data collection encompassed EFL learners’ responses to a self-assessment questionnaire, their reflective essays, alongside instructors’ reflective journals. The findings showed that EFL learners held positive perceptions regarding their telecollaboration experience and reported substantial growth in ICC across three dimensions: cognitive, affective and behavioral. In applying various multimodal communication strategies, EFL learners realized and valued cultural similarities and differences. Their reflective accounts exhibited evidence of enhanced linguistic and cultural competences. The telecollaboration enabled them to increase their confidence in utilizing English, hone their digital literacy skills for effective communications, and establish conducive environments for their relational and emotional development with their teammates and instructors. The latter provided indispensable emotion in varying contingent situations. Incorporating the insights drawn from the instructors’ reflective journals, the study argues that telecollaboration as a pedagogical practice is the significant essence of effective IaH curriculum design and implementation.
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Notes on contributors
Hui-Chin Yeh
Hui-Chin Yeh is currently a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Applied Foreign Languages at National Yunlin University of Science and Technology in Taiwan. She is acknowledged in the Scopus database as one of the World’s Top 2% Scientists. Her research interests center on EFL teacher education, computer-assisted language learning, and EFL reading and writing. She received 2011 2017, 2020, and 2022 distinguished young scholar awards from the National Science & Technology Council, a 2021 service excellence award, a 2016 Yunduo award in teaching and mentoring, 2014 and 2020 research excellence awards, and a 2011 excellent mentor award from her university. Her “Multimedia English” course has been certified as a quality e-learning course form the Ministry of Education in Taiwan. In addition, in recognition of several different language systems developed and 5 patent achievements were honored with the TWPatentDB. She hopes her efforts in different aspects can make contributions to academia.
Grace Yue Qi
Grace Yue Qi, PhD, FHEA, is a Senior Lecturer and Researcher in the School of Humanities, Media and Creative Communication, Massey University, New Zealand. Her current research interests lie in the epistemological and ontological intersections of language, culture and technology, emphasising the humanistic orientation of language education. Her recent projects and publications include language policy and planning in Australasia, plurilingual education, and language teacher and learner agency and identity development and intercultural communicative competences in online multimodal environments.
Shih-hsien Yang
Shih-hsien Yang is a professor in the Applied Foreign Languages Department at National Formosa University in Taiwan. He graduated from the Language Education at Indiana University - Bloomington. His research interests include computer assisted language learning and teacher education.