Facilitating pre-service language teachers’ intercultural learning via voice-based telecollaboration: the role of discussion questions

Abstract

This study examined the online exchanges of 28 pre-service foreign language teachers (14 in Russia, 14 in the US) as they discussed in English their opinions about cultural products, practices, and perspectives, and their study abroad experiences via voice-based telecollaboration. Informed by intercultural competence frameworks, a qualitative analysis of participants’ oral exchanges revealed six intercultural learning moves performed by participants in order to develop their own and/or others’ intercultural competence during interaction. A follow-up analysis of the intercultural learning moves that emerged in response to five purposefully selected discussion question prompts suggested that one prompt type—i.e. a combined Brainstorm + Reflection Question on Cultural Experiences—encouraged participants to make a higher number and a wider range of high-level intercultural learning moves. The study concluded with guidelines for developing discussion question prompts that are likely to promote the emergence of advanced intercultural learning moves via telecollaboration with global partners.

Keywords:

• Intercultural learning
• telecollaboration
• pre-service language teachers
• discussion questions
• voiced-CMC tool

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Also known as virtual exchange (O’Dowd, 2018).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Veronica G. Sardegna

Dr. Veronica G. Sardegna conducts research on second language acquisition and teacher education with a focus on achieving communicative and teaching effectiveness. One of her main research areas involves exploring factors contributing to the development of teachers' intercultural communicative competence through telecollaboration.

Vera A. Dugartsyrenova

Dr. Vera A. Dugartsyrenova's research interests include blended and distance language learning and teaching, students' perceptions of learning with technology, intercultural communication, and academic writing. She has taught a range of EFL, EAP, and ESP courses to students majoring in linguistics, intercultural communication, psychology, economics, political science, and mathematics.