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Title
Building Intercultural Learning Community for EFL Students in Taiwan through Student to Student Partnerships
Presenter
Wen-chi Vivian Wu & Deborah Whitt
Abstract:
As part of the English Composition course at Chienkuo Technology University in Taiwan as well as the Intercultural Communication course at Wayne State College in America, this study aims to discuss the rationale, development, and implementation of the Global Classroom experience. Both student and teacher reflections from the two distinctive cultures were examined.
When EFL instructors are struggling to find some innovative approaches to motivate their students to learn English, integrating the cultural aspect into the English composition course through the use of technology (in this case WebCT and videoconferencing) for the purpose of the enrichment of the course as well as the student inspiration proved to be an effective and efficient way for EFL students to learn how to communicate successfully through writing. The educational experiences developed in both classes have not only allowed Taiwanese students to interact with their international partners, learning about cultural similarities and differences but also developed new friendships which can build a global learning community (Steward and Cash, 2006).
The same benefits were shared by American students. Besides, these intercultural communication interactions have created opportunities for the students in both sides to strengthen their emotional, cognitive and behavioral attitudes about intercultural communication. The changes in these attitudes between the two different groups were explored as well in the paper.
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