Beyond Conversation: Designing Effective Virtual Exchanges for Language Learning

Virtual exchanges provide language learners with opportunities for authentic communication and intercultural interaction with peers in another country. This talk discusses how these exchanges can be designed to support meaningful interaction and learner engagement. Drawing on classroom-based research, the presentation examines students’ experiences with virtual exchanges and different forms of corrective feedback, as well as the effectiveness of these approaches for supporting language learning. The findings highlight key considerations for designing and implementing virtual exchanges in the language classroom.

The Ginger Marcus Foreign Language Learning Speaker Series at Washington University is sponsored by the Department of Comparative Literature and Thought; the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures; the Department of Jewish, Islamic, and Middle Eastern Studies; the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures; and the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.