Abstract
In this chapter we will illustrate and analyse the outcomes of an online exchange programme that took place in 2020–2021 and 2021–2022 between the University of Kent and the KeDaGaoXin University of Xi’an in Western China. British student participants were learners of Mandarin at different levels, while Chinese participants were advanced learners of English and aspiring English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers. The student participants of Mandarin were taking the language module as an elective: this fact is important insofar as, besides their three hours of weekly language classes, they had no further opportunities to actively engage with Chinese culture during lockdowns. The programme was developed on different fronts, incorporating online teacher training, a series of cultural workshops (Travelling Virtually in Xi’an), a summer camp in China for British students, and agreements for two visiting teachers.
The aim of the project was to facilitate intercultural communication and acquisition of new language skills competences through a virtual exchange that would mitigate the impact of restrictions imposed on travelling and social life. We evaluated the success of the programme via a short survey comprising Likert-scale, multiple-choice, and open questions.
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Notes
- 1.
An example of TEL is Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL). This is formal or informal learning mediated by handheld devices that must be available anytime, anywhere. MALL can be effective as an additional tool for enhancing the four language skills (speaking, writing, reading, and listening), and it is fundamentally useful for boosting motivation, engagement, and autonomy—which, as highlighted in the Introduction, are indissolubly connected elements of learning. However, one issue with MALL is that many apps exist out there whose focus will be on one skill or another. Many apps will, for instance, focus on vocabulary. There is, in the main, not a single app for language learning that adopts a truly holistic approach. Even those that claim to be more complete than others fall short, at least when it comes to the subject of this chapter: community.
- 2.
The questionnaire was administered via Microsoft Forms. The students had been informed of the scope of the study, and anonymity was granted by the complete absence of any personal details request in the form, as well as by the functionality in Microsoft form, which allows for complete anonymity of respondents.
- 3.
WeChat is a Chinese instant messaging, social media app, first released in 2011. In 2018 it became the largest standalone mobile app in the world.
- 4.
The recordings can be found here: https://www.kent.ac.uk/language-centre/events/14671/travelling-virtually-in-xian
- 5.
At both the beginning and the end of the programme, virtual ceremonies were held, with the presence of senior members of faculty from the Chinese university and equivalent-level colleagues from the UoK. This was meant to impress on both students and staff participants an appreciation for the project from senior figures, with the intention of signalling senior management’s appreciation and support. The ceremonies were also meant to make students feel part of a bigger community by introducing people involved in the making of the project, who did not necessarily attend all seminars but who contributed in a different way (e.g. administratively and organisationally). In this respect, it is worth clarifying that the three authors of this chapter had different roles within the project. Wissia Fiorucci handled the administrative side of the cultural programme set-up and the ensuing learning agreement. Ru Su led conversations with our Chinese partners and oversaw the running of the programme itself in all its components, with help from Wissia Fiorucci who is also in charge of lectors’ training. Alvise Sforza Tarabochia gathered and analysed data from the surveys, as well as taking part in official ceremonies. The chapter was co-written and research was conducted by all authors.
- 6.
Its success led to our being invited to the online International Chinese Education Conference, hosted by the Chinese Cultural Institute–Chinese Plus, in December 2021. We introduced our project and university to the participants at the conference, which featured academics from all over the world. This exposure also allowed us to use the programme as a case study to negotiate with the Chinese Centre for Language Education and Cooperation, which eventually agreed to fund a new exchange agreement between the two universities.
- 7.
For instance: ‘I love the presentations of Xi’an culture on Wednesday afternoon […]. The presentation are beautiful and executed very professionally which makes learning about the culture even more interesting’.
- 8.
Transcripts from the videos: ‘The programme has been outstanding, … really feels like you can go to Xi’an and meet these people and speak about the same topics in depth…hope there are more this kind of culture exchanges to come./Every teacher and student at [the Chinese] university has done a fantastic job./I hope to study abroad in China one day, … I think this gives me a taste of what it would be like and I really appreciate the kind of insider knowledge that I could find out from the programme./The culture and the history of China and how big Xi’an is because I haven’t actually heard of the city Xi’an before, … so I really enjoyed that’.
- 9.
To protect student anonymity, and given the small numbers that could render identification easy, we did not include any questions that could lead to identifying the student respondent, and hence we do not have data available for analysis of aspects through cross-referencing (e.g. we do not know if students who attended certain seminars rather than others feel they had developed intercultural knowledge to a lesser or greater degree).
- 10.
Comments are reported here in their entirety: ‘The inclusion of the opportunity to work in China as well as the impressive cultural exchange seminars were amazingly done and wonderfully inclusive and expressive of Chinese culture./ I love the Wednesday sessions with training teachers in China, it is a very helpful revision session as well as learning about Chinese (especially Xi’an) culture./ As an extra I love the presentations of Xi’an culture on Wednesday afternoon and I am very much excited for having the opportunity to visit Xi’an potentially in the spring./The presentation are beautiful and executed very professionally which makes learning about the culture even more interesting./ The cultural sessions were amazing and I enjoyed them a lot./ I really enjoyed every workshop. It was executed at a very professional level and all of the students and staff involved have done an amazing job!! I do not have any suggestions for improvement as I think everything went very well./ They were perfect, I wouldn’t change anything./ I don’t have nothing to suggest as each session was amazing, so professional and interesting. They have enriched my heritage’.
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Fiorucci, W., Su, R., Tarabochia, A.S. (2023). Developing an Online Community and Intercultural Competence: Travelling Virtually to China. In: Fiorucci, W. (eds) Language Education During the Pandemic. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35855-5_7
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