Language Learning Goes Mobile: Online Intercultural Exchange during COVID-19 Pandemic

Y

14

Second Language Learning; Second Language Instruction; COVID-19; Pandemics; Intercultural Communication; Foreign Countries; Student Attitudes; Distance Education; Teaching Methods; Educational Change; Computer Mediated Communication; Phenomenology; Learning Experience; Cross Cultural Studies; Exchange Programs; English (Second Language); Learning Processes; Undergraduate Students; Communicative Competence (Languages)

China; Turkey

2395-9908

The COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented educational challenges. In order to ensure the continuity of formal education and to compensate for interruptions, emergency remote teaching practices were initiated worldwide. Like all other courses, foreign language teaching applied internet technologies as a teaching-learning media during the pandemic. Internet-based intercultural exchange between institutions of different cultural / national origin was already a widespread phenomenon before the pandemic. These intercultural activities have the potential of enhancing foreign language learning during emergency conditions such as pandemics as they provide opportunities for communication for real purposes in distance learning contexts. In order to gather in depth data, this study adopted a phenomenological design of a qualitative research model. The study explored the perceptions of Chinese and Turkish EFL learners based on their first-hand experience regarding an online intercultural exchange activity. When the qualitative data obtained from the individual interviews with volunteer participants were analyzed, it was concluded that the participants valued the activity and believed it contributed to their foreign language learning process and intercultural communicative competence. Findings were discussed in the scope of implementing mobile learning in the form of an intercultural exchange activity in online language teaching and learning process. Findings of this study could shed light on the applicability of online intercultural exchange activities for emergency remote foreign language teaching.

As Provided

2023

EJ1397128