Multi-dimensional foreign language education: the case of an eTwinning project in Turkey

Abstract

eTwinning is a telecollaboration initiative which was launched in 2005 by the European Commission. Turkey joined the platform in 2009 with a number of schools, teachers and projects. However, there is still plenty of room for studies on the role of eTwinning in the field of EFL. Aiming to discover the role of eTwinning in a specific Turkish EFL context in an underprivileged area, the current case study explores the experiences of high school students (n = 23) and teachers (n = 2) regarding its potential to improve the students’ language, ICT and intercultural awareness. The data were collected in a mixed-method way by means of participant observation, interviews, project documents on Twinspace and a structured interview. The qualitative data were analysed through inductive analysis and pattern matching whereas the quantitative data were analysed through SPSS (version 23). The study revealed that both the teacher and the student participants found the project promising for the students in terms of English language improvement, ICT use, boosting ICC, motivation and establishment of good relationships. It can be concluded that the eTwinning platform may to contribute to students’ learning and socializing with the rest of world. Yet, the challenges of the project are presented in detail and practical suggestions are offered for teachers in the end.

Keywords:

• EFL
• eTwinning Turkey
• telecollaboration