The literature is full of reports
of how e-mail exchanges are being employed to develop learners' intercultural
communicative competence. However, more research needs to be carried out into
what students are learning from these activities and how the students can be
best prepared to engage in them. My own qualitative research seems to indicate
that, firstly, students often interact with their distant partners but do not
know how to suitably engage them in order to get a deeper insight into the other
culture. Furthermore, students may receive information but they are unable to
analyse and evaluate it. In other words, communication technologies appear to
be merely exposing learners to cultural knowledge. Students need training in
how to work with this information.
Based on research carried out in EFL classrooms in Spain and Germany, this presentation will look at the skills of enquiry and analysis which students need to develop in order to engage successfully in these on-line intercultural exchanges. How can the teacher develop the students' ability to interpret a document from the other culture and put it into perspective in their own culture? How can learners interact successfully with their partners and attain information from them which will lead to a better understanding of other cultural perspectives? The important role of the teacher in this process will also be considered.
Robert O'Dowd
University of Essen, Germany