Telecollaborative Intercultural Communication - Case Study Example

Teacher’s Competence On Telecollaborative Intercultural Communication Teacher’s Competence On Telecollaborative Intercultural Communication Introduction Telecollaborative Intercultural Communication refers to the application of online communication instruments to bring together different classes of language learners (Cuban, 2001). In most cases, the learners are situated in geographically distant sites all with the aim of developing their intercultural competence and foreign language skill through project work and collaborative tasks. The phenomenon has lately featured as a critical pillar in the field of foreign language development. Telecollaborative Intercultural Communication has also proved useful in spreading knowledge in other fields like science, economics, and others (Gay, 2011). The success of Telecollaborative Intercultural Communication process is determined by both the instructors, as well as the students. However, the rate of learning of the learners is highly dependent on the competence of their instructors (the teaching model applied). Other factors like advancements in technology, culture, and sundry are also important in the process. This paper seeks to present an overview of the competence of teachers with respect to Telecollaborative Intercultural Communication. The paper seeks to explore the importance of teacher’s competence in facilitating the education of distant online learners. Gay (2011) argues that the competence of instructors is crucial in supporting collaborative learning and the development of intercultural awareness. This paper is interested in deliberating on the implications for instructors and seeks to address the skills, attitudes, and the level of knowledge base required by foreign language teachers in establishing and implementing an online intercultural exchange program with their learners (Sehlaoui, 2011).Telecollaborative Intercultural Communication offers a form of interaction between classes of learners who are situated in different geographical locations. The process also offers exchange projects, thereby enriching the knowledge base of learners in distant geographical locations. Many surveys have confirmed the value of Telecollaborative Intercultural Communication in developing foreign language skill of many online learners over the years. Furthermore, the phenomenon has also contributed to the growth and development of intercultural and electronic competencies among learners and teachers as well (Gay, 2011). Nevertheless, other surveys have revealed the narrow application of the practice in most institutions of higher learning. Moreover, the activity is yet to be adopted by a significant number of educators in institutions of higher learning. The various barriers encountered by the educators and learners helps to explain the low degree of applying Telecollaborative Intercultural Communication in most institutions. International Mobility Cuban (2001) suggests that the objective to increase international mobility has been a driving theme of most institutions of higher learning across the globe. Most universities have adopted a policy of internationalization which is aimed at promoting the admission of foreign students, regardless of their geographical location or distance. The practice has also offered foreign language study and translation for students who do not speak the institutions’ official languages. Their courses have been administered online in the language that they can easily understand. The desirability of student mobility is founded on the fact that students are more valuable when equipped with globalized market skills and conditions. Furthermore, their capacity of tolerance and intercultural understanding is also enhanced and they are strategically placed to exploit more productive linkages between higher education institutions. The most importance is placed on enhancing student mobility in the international arena. In 2009, the Conference of European Ministers Responsible for Higher Education noted that by 2020, more than 20% of European Higher Education graduates should have received a training period or study abroad (Gay, 2011). Implementing the provisions, frameworks, guidelines, and other requirements of Telecollaborative Intercultural Communication has been undermined by barriers like economic cost mobility, information technology implications like inferior technology, lack of learner proficiency in foreign languages, and the recognition of international qualifications. Such variables have worked to undermine the competence of teachers in implementing the Telecollaborative Intercultural Communication policy in the course of teaching. The obstacles reduce the enrollment in Telecollaboration Intercultural Communication programs. For instance, in the European region, around 4% of European University learners are availing of their university’s international mobility programs (Cuban, 2001). This phenomenon has questioned the competence of teachers, institutions and policy makers at large in seeking to investigate the root cause of enrollment to such programs. This paper seeks to analyze issues that undermine the competence of teachers in implementing the Telecollaboration Intercultural Communication program in institutions of higher learning. Most of the online activities are separated from the classwork and are normally short term (Gay, 2011). However, successful collaboration is required to be long term (Moule, 2011). In addition, it should also be complex in nature, with the ability to permeate the course of the foreign language. This is incorporated closely with routine activities together with the themes used in classwork (Gay, 2011). Information technologies In the twenty first century, skills in information and technologies have become vital for the foreign language teachers. This is a trend that has been noted by most forefront publications (Aaron, 2012). An example is the European Profile for Language Teacher Education (Nolan, 2010). This gave recommendations for the teachers to adequately train the trainees to work together with partners that were abroad. Furthermore, this comprised of links in information and communication technology visits. In addition, the course should offer for pedagogical use training on information and communication technology (Nolan, 2010). Another body that recognizes the role that information and communication technology plays is the European Portfolio for Student Teachers of Foreign Languages (Lockhart, 2010). It emphasizes that teachers should be conversant with both the information systems and the computer mediated communication. In addition to teachers using the web technologies, they should to a certain degree feel contented working with the online technologies. Thus, Sehlaoui (2011) is of the opinion that teachers should possess a fundamental working knowledge of the present tools of communication and web management. An example is Moodle. Gay (2011) categorically stated that when a school invested in an information technology expert, the teachers would resist a move to manage a Moodle. The incorporation and organization of exchange are both complicated and time consuming. Telecollaborative practitioners face different challenges in their quest to integrate an exchange. Among the issues includes the time required to both setting and running of exchanges (Aaron, 2012). Furthermore, difficulty in the assessment and integration because of institutional frameworks poses another challenge (Sehlaoui, 2011). The lack of integration is attributed to institutions allocating inadequate time and credit for the parties involved in the exchanges like the teachers and students (Sehlaoui, 2011). The teachers involved in these exchanges are required to invest both time and energy. Furthermore, the teachers find it difficult to get an appropriate partner and the right pedagogical skills required. This is because, while most of the online learning endeavors involve the teacher solely working with their students, this requires the teacher to work with two or more collaborators. These are located in different institutional and cultural setting (Creemer, 2012). Thus, the teachers need refined skills and attitudes to collaborate with their partners and colleagues. Hence, it is of paramount importance to get a partner that shares the same objectives. In addition, the partners should be able to become accustomed to the different expectations of institutions and be ready to adapt to the disturbances that includes both network and hardware. Furthermore, they should also be willing to lose control of the class dynamics. Consequently, the partners should develop a program that meets the needs and levels of both classes (Gay, 2011). Nevertheless, the teachers are required to invest a lot of their time and energy into the integration. Thus, this takes place even without any support and recognition from the institutions (Roberts, 2010). Furthermore, they are obliged to find partner-teachers who are both able and willing to incorporate the exchange in the same manner. Moreover, the partners are obliged to offer credit to students for their participation in online activities (Creemer, 2012). Universities have increased learning opportunities for students through online options. Such strategies have worked to offer virtual mobility options for students who are unwilling or unable to participate in physical mobility programs. Virtual mobility has replaced or in some instances complemented the task accomplished by physical mobility. Virtual mobility has contributed to building on the particular potential of online education and network communication. The most popular form of virtual mobility is Telecollaborative/Online Intercultural Communication (Exchange Projects). The exchange mechanism occurs between students of different classes of foreign language classes. The distinguishing factor is that this type of learning involves students who are situated in different and distant geographical locations (Sehlaoui, 2011). For instance, in the framework of university education, this may comprise students being taught German at an Irish university. The students could be communicating on a bi-weekly basis with students of English in a German partner institution. Optionally, Business Studies lessons in Spain, Japan, and the United States could adopt a language like English to handle collaborative projects together with the aid of an online collaborative platform. Competence of Teachers The success rate of Telecollaboration Intercultural Communication is highly determined by the competence of teachers. The ability to integrate and consume information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the study of foreign languages has become a critical part of the instructor’s cluster of skills in the current century. Various manuals like the European Profile for Language Teacher Education has been used as a frame of reference to offer competence guidelines for Telecollaboration Intercultural Communication teachers. The framework provides that Foreign Language teacher education should prepare teachers on how to link and command the participation of all partners worldwide. In other words, the trainee teacher should be equipped with skills that helps to link them with partners abroad. This comprises of visits, exchanges, or Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Telecollaboration Intercultural Communication teachers should be able to offer training in information and communication technology. This is essential for pedagogical purposes in the classroom. Competent teachers are expected to be accustomed to information systems and computer-aided communication. Telecollaboration Intercultural Communication features as one of the most crucial information and communication technology activities in foreign language education. The phenomenon is also known as online intercultural exchange (OIE). Various surveys have illustrated the latency of this activity for the support of collaborative foreign language learning. This also includes the development of intercultural awareness, as well as online projects. Moreover, online portals like Intercultural E-mail Classroom Connections (IECC), and ePals, eTwinning, have enabled a significant number of online foreign language exchange mechanisms to be established by teachers in the international arena. It is reported that there are over 130, 000 classes of both primary and secondary pupils registered on ePals platform. What is more, several thousand new classrooms are registered each month. This calls for Telecollaboration Intercultural Communication teachers to have superior communication and social skills which are crucial in engaging learners. The teachers should posses great skills that are crucial in sustaining regular communication with members from other cultures in distant venues. The teachers should also be able to offer learners with an opportunity to learn and reflect on the outcomes of every intellectual exchange within the informed and supportive context of their foreign language classrooms. Goals and Objectives of The Teachers In light of the former paragraph, it is perhaps not fascinating that there is a growing interest in how Telecollaboration Intercultural Communication teachers can be guided on how to set up and make use of online cultural exchanges in their sessions.various analysts suggest that Telecollaboration Intercultural Communication teachers should be offered with opportunities to take part in the online exchange programs themselves. This will enable them to experience the processes and tools which will be crucial in teaching Telecollaboration Intercultural Communication Students in the future. Such opportunities can facilitate the analysis and re-designing of textbook exercises and tasks. Before being a fully fledged teacher of a Telecollaboration Intercultural Communication program, a teacher should be equipped with a comprehensive description of attitudes, skills, and knowledges which are required by teachers. In short, teachers should be poses all tools that are needed to establish and implement a successful online exchange project in their classrooms. Teachers should build workforces which have information and communication technologies. The technologies should command reflective, adept, and creative skills that are crucial in the management of information and enhancing a problem-solving approach. The teachers should also be able to offer a type of learning that enables citizens to be resourceful and knowledgeable so as to be able to manage their own lives effectively. A good Telecollaboration Intercultural Communication teacher shoulds also be able to foster a cross-cultural understanding, as well as the peaceful resolution to conflicts. Further the kind of education offered by Telecollaboration Intercultural Communication should be one that is able to promote the participation all citizens to participate wholly in the transformation of the society. The learners should be equipped with skills that will enable them to influence choices which affect their lives. It is evident that escalating research has lead to the increased demand of intercultural competence through telecollaboration. The trend has seen governments and corporations pushing for students and learning institutions to employ communication across different cultures…….. However, research on it is dependent on a range of academic disciplines. As a result, a myriad of ideologies about the same subject occur. On the other hand, the rate of growth in the world of business has shot up the exigency of intellectually proficient workers……... Therefore, this has prioritized the need for teachers to develop their competence on telecollaborative intercultural communication to help students build their capacity for the business world. Collectively, educational and economic goals focus on promoting intensified productivity by developing intercultural competence. The models of intercultural competence undermine the abilities of teacher productively use telecollaboration. Moreover, the guides offer limited information that teachers can use to guide their daily activities and decision-making (Sehlaoui, 2011). The idea of congregating cultures in a single unit not only diminishes the foundation of pedagogy, but also invalidates its value. Furthermore, dialogue by teachers regarding the notion fall short of sufficient objectivity. Students result in being less creative in their response. In addition, the abstraction limits the development of intercultural competence in the firsthand communication in a classroom. It erodes the teachers’ ability to develop their own intercultural speaker uniqueness for an optimal intercultural relationship with their students (Sehlaoui, 2011). In effect, both the students and the teacher are limited from developing a dialogic discussion. Further, it grinds down their linguacultures. Research has revealed that differences exist between and among cultures. As a result, stereotyping has been the order of the day. Therefore, pedagogy is left superficial, likely to damage the establishment of intercultural communicative competence(Guth & Helm, 2010). A teacher taking cross-cultural studies is limited to first hand information. When they do their research about a particular culture, they find prior information already gathered (Dooly, 2008). Meanwhile, the consumption of such information not only makes the teacher further abstracted, but also limits their creative and active comprehension of the world they study. This has a ripple effect in their class presentation (Guth & Helm, 2010). Back in class, the teacher ends up explaining to their students the cultural fact learnt in an elevated manner, depending on their outlook towards the facts of the culture of study. Subsequently, students understand the information passively, trying to make some sense in it. This is to say that no creativity is required from the students; they generalize people in the culture-containers. Absolutely, in an actual practice in a classroom, teachers introduce intercultural development goals. More so, talking about culture as products makes the culture and those who adopt them voiceless objects that are cognized (Guth & Helm, 2010). Some teachers also fail to take note of abstracting cultures, magnifying the probability of monologic discourse. Contrary to this, they should thrive to restore eroded cultures and those in them through focusing in the meantime intellectual interactions in their foreign language classes (Dooly, 2008). References Top of Form Dooly, M. (2008). Telecollaborative Language Learning: A Guidebook To Moderating Intercultural Collaboration Online. Bern: P. Lang. Bottom of Form Top of Form Guth, S., & Helm, F. (2010). Telecollaboration 2.0: Language, Literacies and Intercultural Learning In The 21st Century. Bern: Peter Lang. UNESCO ICT. (2011). Competency Framework for Teachers. Paris: United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organanization. O’Dowd, R. (2013). 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