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The role of telecollaboration in language and intercultural learning: A synthesis of studies published between 2010 and 2015

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 November 2017

Emrullah Yasin Çiftçi Open the ORCID record for Emrullah Yasin Çiftçi [Opens in a new window]  and
Perihan Savaş
Emrullah Yasin Çiftçi
Affiliation:
Middle East Technical University, Turkey (email: yciftci@metu.edu.tr)
Perihan Savaş
Affiliation:
Middle East Technical University, Turkey (email: perihans@metu.edu.tr)
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Abstract

In today’s globalized world, learning languages and developing intercultural skills are of paramount importance due to dynamic and complex global interdependencies. However, not every language student around the world has a chance to engage in face-to-face intercultural communication with people from different backgrounds. Telecollaboration offers a worthwhile opportunity by creating digital environments for language learners to communicate with people from diverse backgrounds. This qualitative meta-synthesis therefore aimed to investigate the research papers that were published between 2010 and 2015 in respect to language and intercultural learning within telecollaborative environments. Besides reporting emerging research trends among the studies, this synthesis study scrutinized recent emerging issues and observable patterns under five main themes: (1) the participants’ overall views on their telecollaborative experiences, (2) language learning through telecollaboration, (3) intercultural learning through telecollaboration, (4) the challenges experienced within the telecollaborative projects, and (5) the needs for further effective telecollaboration. Finally, this study synthesizes key emerging issues in telecollaborative projects and offers further research and practice directions in line with the current observable patterns.

Keywords

telecollaborationintercultural communicationintercultural competenceonline intercultural exchangeintercultural language learning.
Type
Regular papers
Information
ReCALL , Volume 30 , Issue 3 , September 2018 , pp. 278 - 298
Copyright
© European Association for Computer Assisted Language Learning 2017 

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