Initiating Intercultural Communicative Competence through Telecollaboration:  A Case of Language-Exchange Classrooms of Arabic and English

Ahmed A. Al Khateeb; Mohamed Hassan

doi:10.29333/ejecs/1718

Authors

Ahmed A. Al Khateeb King Faisal University https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4196-5338
Mohamed Hassan https://orcid.org/0009-0008-6991-4755

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejecs/1718

Keywords:

telecollaboration, online collaboration, intercultural communicative competence, foreign-language classroom, cultural learning

Abstract

This paper investigates to what extent telecollaboration can be integrated as an effective medium for the enhancement of intercultural communicative competence (ICC) in the foreign-language classroom. The data was obtained over one semester from a series of asynchronous exchanges in language-exchange class settings using Google drives shared between United States-based students learning Arabic as a foreign language at three American universities, and students at a Saudi university in Saudi Arabia learning English as a foreign language. The one-on-one interactions covered a variety of topics related to cultural knowledge, perspectives, values, practices, behaviors, and products. The data from this collaborative online project also included two reflection surveys that students responded to before and after the study. Byram’s 2021 model (including its objectives) was applied, and the findings reveal that many ICC objectives are clearly reflected in students’ telecollaborative exchanges, indicating that this type of exchange can be used effectively as a tool to develop students’ intercultural competence. The findings also show a noticeable increase in students’ interests in cultural learning and understanding the culture of others.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Ahmed A. Al Khateeb, King Faisal University

Ahmed Al Khateeb is an associate professor at English Language Department at King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia. He holds a PhD in Applied Linguistics and Modern Languages from the University of Southampton in the UK. He is a winner of Fulbright scholarship and a visiting scholar at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. His research interests include technology-enhanced language learning (TELL), advanced learning technologies, AI and education, instructional design, e-learning, telecollaboration and language learning, intercultural communication and psychology of language learners and their cognitive behaviours.

Mohamed Hassan

Mohamed Hassan, PhD, is a senior lecturer in Arabic at the Dept. of Asian Languages and Civilizations at Amherst College, USA. His current research interests include critical discourse analysis, critical sociolinguistics and discourse theory. He was a visiting scholar at the Linguistics Department, UMass Amherst and taught at UMass Amherst and Smith College. He is a contributing editor of Metamorphoses, the Journal of the Five College Faculty Seminar on Literary Translation. His recent translations were published in The Common, and in Wasla magazine. He is a co-translator of African Folklore: An Encyclopedia into Arabic. His forthcoming book chapter is “Religious Minority Representation in Arabic Language” in The Routledge Handbook of Language and Religion. Routledge. Forthcoming in 2024.

References

Al Khateeb, A., & Hassan, M. (2021). Telecollaboration and intercultural communicative competence: Revealing students’ experiential insights in Saudi Arabia and the U.S. World Journal of English Language, 12(8), 20–27. https://doi.org/10.5430/wjel.v12n8p20 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5430/wjel.v12n8p20

American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. (2017). NCSSFL-ACTFL can-do statements: A collaboration between NCSSFL and ACTFL. https://www.actfl.org/resources/ncssfl-actfl-can-do-statements

Belz, J. A. (2003). Linguistic perspectives on the development of intercultural competence in telecollaboration. Language Learning & Technology, 7(2), 68–117. https://hdl.handle.net/1805/2655

Brooks, N. (1997). Teaching culture in the foreign language classroom. In P. R. Heusinkveld (Ed.), Pathways to culture: Readings on teaching culture in the foreign language class (pp. 11–37). Intercultural Press.

Byram, M. (1997). Teaching and assessing intercultural communicative competence. Multilingual Matters. https://doi.org/10.21832/9781800410251

Byram, M. (2004). Cultural studies and foreign language teaching. In S. Bassnett (Ed.), Studying British cultures: An introduction (pp. 88–100). Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203356616-13

Byram, M. (2008). From foreign language education to education for intercultural citizenship: Essays and reflections. Multilingual Matters. https://doi.org/10.21832/9781847690807 DOI: https://doi.org/10.21832/9781847690807

Byram, M. (2021). Teaching and assessing intercultural competence: Revisited (2nd ed.). Multilingual Matters. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21832/9781800410251

Byram, M., & Morgan, C. (1994). Teaching and learning language and culture. Multilingual Matters. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21832/9781800418158

Byrnes, H. (2002). Language and culture: Shall the twain ever meet in foreign language departments? ADFL Bulletin, 33(2), 24–32. https://doi.org/10.1632/adfl.33.2.25 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1632/adfl.33.2.25

Çiftçi, E. Y., & Savaş, P. (2018). The role of telecollaboration in language and intercultural learning: A synthesis of studies published between 2010 and 2015. ReCALL, 30(3), 278–298. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0958344017000313 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0958344017000313

Council of Europe. (2001). Common European framework of reference for languages: Learning, teaching, assessment. https://rm.coe.int/16802fc1bf

Deardorff, D. K. (2006). Identification and assessment of intercultural competence as a student outcome of internationalization. Journal Studies in International Education, 10(3), 241–266. https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315306287002 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315306287002

Eren, Ö. (2023). Negotiating pre-service EFL teachers’ identity orientations through telecollaboration. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 17(2), 469–484. https://doi.org/10.1080/17501229.2022.2085280 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17501229.2022.2085280

European Commission. (2009, August 31). The INCA project: Intercultural competence assessment. https://ec.europa.eu/migrant-integration/library-document/inca-project-intercultural-competence-assessment_en

Fantini, A. E. (2009). Assessing intercultural competence: Issues and tools. In D. K. Deardorff (Ed.), The SAGE handbook of intercultural competence (pp. 456–476). SAGE. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4135/9781071872987.n27

Freiermuth, M. R., & Huang, H. C. (2021). Zooming across cultures: Can a telecollaborative video exchange between language learning partners further the development of intercultural competences? Foreign Language Annals, 54(1), 185–206. https://doi.org/10.1111/flan.12504 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/flan.12504

Gong, Y. F., Lai, C. & Gao, X. A. (2022) Language teachers’ identity in teaching intercultural communicative competence, Language, Culture and Curriculum, 35(2), 134–150. https://doi.org/10.1080/07908318.2021.1954938 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/07908318.2021.1954938

Guryanov, I. O., Rakhimova, A. E., & Guzman, M. C. (2019). Socio-cultural competence in teaching foreign languages. International Journal of Higher Education, 8(7), 116–120. https://doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v8n7p11 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v8n7p116

Gutiérrez-Santiuste, E., & Ritacco-Real, M. (2023). Intercultural communicative competence in higher education through telecollaboration: Typology and development. Education and Information Technologies, 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11751-3 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11751-3

Helm, F. (2013). A dialogic model for telecollaboration. Bellaterra Journal of Teaching & Learning Language & Literature, 6(2), 28–48. https://doi.org/10.5565/rev/jtl3.522 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5565/rev/jtl3.522

Helm, F. (2015). The practices and challenges of telecollaboration in higher education in Europe. Language Learning & Technology, 19(2), 197–217. https://doi.org/10125/44424

Helm, F., Guth, S., & Farrah, M. (2012). Promoting dialogue or hegemonic practice? Power issues in telecollaboration. Language Learning & Technology, 16(2), 103–127. https://doi.org/10125/44289

Huang, L.-J. D. (2021). Developing intercultural communicative competence in foreign language classrooms: A study of EFL learners in Taiwan. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 83, 55–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2021.04.015 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2021.04.015

Hymes, D. (1972). On communicative competence. In J. B. Pride & J. Holmes (Eds.), Sociolinguistics: Selected readings (pp. 269–293). Penguin.

Hymes, D. (1982). Narrative form as a “grammar” of experience: Native Americans and a glimpse of English. Journal of Education, 164(2), 121–142. https://doi.org/10.1177/002205748216400203 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/002205748216400203

Jackson, J. (Ed.). (2012). The Routledge handbook of language and intercultural communication. Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203805640

Kramsch, C. (1993). Context and culture in language teaching. Oxford University Press.

Kramsch, C., & Hua, Z. (2016). Language and culture in ELT. In G. Hall (Ed.), The Routledge handbook of English language teaching (pp. 38–50). Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315676203-5

Lee, L. (2020). Using telecollaboration 2.0 to build intercultural communicative competence: A Spanish-American exchange. In Language learning and literacy: Breakthroughs in research and practice (pp. 575–593). IGI Global. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-9618-9.ch030

McCarthy, M. & Carter, R. (1994). Language as discourse: Perspectives for language teaching. Routledge.

Müller-Hartmann, A. (2007). Teacher role in telecollaboration: Setting up and managing exchanges. In R. O’Dowd (Ed.), Online intercultural exchange: An introduction for foreign language teachers (pp. 167–192). Multilingual Matters. https://doi.org/10.21832/9781847690104-010 DOI: https://doi.org/10.21832/9781847690104-010

Müller-Hartmann, A., & Kurek, M. (2016). Virtual group formation and the process of task design in online intercultural exchanges. In R. O’Dowd & T. Lewis (Eds.), Online intercultural exchange: Policy, pedagogy, practice (pp. 145–163). Routledge.

O’Dowd, R., & Dooly, M. (2020). Intercultural communicative competence development through telecollaboration and virtual exchange. In J. Jackson (Ed.), The Routledge handbook of language and intercultural communication (2nd ed., pp. 361–375). Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003036210-28

O’Dowd, R., & Lewis, T. (Eds.). (2016). Online intercultural exchange: Policy, pedagogy, practice. Routledge.

O’Dowd, R., & Ritter, M. (2006). Understanding and working with “failed communication” in telecollaborative exchanges. CALICO Journal, 23(3), 623–642. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24156364 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1558/cj.v23i3.623-642

Oskoz, A., & Gimeno-Sanz, A. (2019). Engagement and attitude in telecollaboration: Topic and cultural background effects. Language Learning & Technology, 23(3), 136–160. http://hdl.handle.net/10125/44700

Reisigl, M., & Wodak, R. (2009). The discourse-historical approach (DHA). In R. Wodak & M. Mayer (Eds.), Methods of critical discourse analysis (2nd ed., pp. 87–121). SAGE Publications.

Risager, K. (2007). Language and culture pedagogy: From a national to a transnational paradigm. Multilingual Matters. https://doi.org/10.21832/9781853599613 DOI: https://doi.org/10.21832/9781853599613

Rossiter, M. P., & Bale, R. (2023) Cultural and linguistic dimensions of feedback: A model of intercultural feedback literacy. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 60(3), 368–378. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2023.2175017 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2023.2175017

Sadler, R., & Dooly, M. (2016). Twelve years of telecollaboration: What we have learnt. ELT Journal, 70(4), 401–413. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccw041 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccw041

Spitzberg, B. H., & Changnon, G. (2009). Conceptualizing intercultural competence. In D. K. Deardorff (Ed.), The SAGE handbook of intercultural competence (pp. 2–52). SAGE Publications. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4135/9781071872987.n1

Thorne, S. L. (2010). The “intercultural turn” and language learning in the crucible of new media. In S. Guth & F. Helm (Eds.), Telecollaboration 2.0 for language and intercultural learning (pp. 139–164). Peter Lang.

Ware, P. D., & Kramsch, C. (2005). Toward an intercultural stance: Teaching German and English through telecollaboration. The Modern Language Journal, 89(2), 190–205. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.2005.00274.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.2005.00274.x

Wodak, R., & Krzyzanowski, M. (Eds.). (2008). Qualitative discourse analysis in the social sciences. Palgrave Macmillan. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-137-04798-4

Wu, S. (2021). Unpacking themes of integrating telecollaboration in language teacher education: A systematic review of 36 studies from 2009 to 2019. Computer Assisted Language Learning. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2021.1976800. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2021.1976800

Yang, Y., & Zhuang, E. P. (2007). The construction of the intercultural communication competence framework in foreign language teaching. Foreign Language World, 4, 13–21, https://www.oriprobe.com/journals/caod_5544/2007_4.html