Abstract

Telecollaboration in the language classroom promotes both second-language development and Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC). However, previous research identified its potential limitations, including instances of failure, misunderstanding, tension, and a reluctance to participate. The current study contributes to emerging literature concerning the role of prior pedagogical mentoring in supporting learner interaction during telecollaborative exchanges by examining the online interactions of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. A total of 38 undergraduate students from Kuwait and Colombia participated in pedagogical mentoring before engaging in an eight-week series of online activities. The students’ online discussions are analysed herein using a content analysis framework triangulated with their responses to a post-questionnaire. The findings reveal the students engage in various socio-affective and cognitive interactional behaviours that correspond to Byram’s (1997 Byram, M. (1997). Teaching and assessing intercultural communicative competence. Clevedon, England: Multilingual Matters. [Google Scholar]) ICC framework. The micro-level analysis of the students’ interaction and post-questionnaire demonstrates that most of these interactional behaviours correlate with descriptors pertaining to aspects of attitudes (curiosity and openness) and knowledge. Instances of the skills of discovery and interaction are also observed when the students engage with religious and socially related topics. The study concludes that prior pedagogical mentoring is beneficial for equipping learners with essential skills, including the collaborative skills that are an indispensable prerequisite for effective participation in telecollaborative exchanges.

摘要

语言课堂中的远程协作促进了第二语言的发展和跨文化交际能力 (ICC)。然而，之前的研究发现了它的潜在局限性，包括失败、误解、紧张和不愿参与的情况。目前的研究通过检查英语作为外语 (EFL) 学习者的在线互动，为有关先前教学指导在远程协作交流期间支持学习者互动中的作用的新兴文献做出了贡献。共有来自科威特和哥伦比亚的 38 名本科生在参加为期八周的系列在线活动之前参加了教学指导。此处使用内容分析框架分析学生的在线讨论，该框架与他们对后问卷调查的回答进行三角测量。1997 拜拉姆，M.（1997 年）。跨文化交际能力的教学和评估。英国克利夫登：多语言问题。 [谷歌学术] ) ICC框架。对学生互动和后问卷的微观分析表明，大多数这些互动行为与态度（好奇心和开放性）和知识方面的描述符相关。当学生参与宗教和社会相关话题时，也会观察到发现和互动技能的实例。该研究得出结论，先前的教学指导有利于为学习者提供基本技能，包括协作技能，而协作技能是有效参与远程协作交流不可或缺的先决条件。