Exploring Student-teachers' Development of Intercultural Communicative Competence through Virtual Exchange

Abstract

This study sought to explore the development of intercultural communicative competence (ICC) in student-teachers participating in a virtual exchange (VE). The study participants completed a pre- and post-survey analyzed quantitatively, along with reflective portfolios that were analyzed qualitatively, for a multi-dimensional snapshot of individual ICC and its development through the lens of Byram's (1997) ICC framework. As internationalization becomes more pertinent both to higher education outcomes and to living and working in a pluralistic society, teacher training programs must employ effective means for developing skills for successful intercultural communication. Research has proven VE to be successful in developing ICC, but results are far from automatic. Studying VE participants from three partner classes (Israel, Sweden, and the U.S.A.) in a six-week VE consisting of three tasks, my study corroborates findings of positive ICC development, but also presents interesting nuance in the VE experience based on individual participant life-experience. Beyond simply identifying the areas of ICC growth in participants, the results of this study provide insight into pedagogical strategies to implement in VE. Additionally, along with the careful considerations of planning the VE itself, I highlight the importance of considering the backgrounds of the VE participants, particularly those with prior international mobility experience or intercultural experience. Though a small-scale study with only 20 participants, the results offer considerations for any practitioner wanting to implement a VE in a language classroom or teacher-training program.