Abstract
Technology has increased the possibilities of contact amongst people of different beliefs, behaviors, thoughts and languages. The use of such technology gives students opportunities to know and get in touch with people from other cultures and foster interculturality in the classroom through virtually mediated environments. The availability of innovative teaching tools such as telecollaboration and the adoption of an intercultural dimension in the ESL curriculum presents an opportunity to enhance the intercultural awareness of children at primary schools. This paper reports on the work-in-progress of a study on intercultural awareness at a private school in Cali. It is a qualitative study to assess the effect of a COIL experience, with a focus on environmental issues on the level of intercultural awareness of 21 students of 5th grade who took part of the telecollaboration project with a paired group of 10 Spanish learners in the United States. Data is gathered through an initial and a final intercultural awareness questionnaire to identify the participants’ intercultural awareness starting and arrival point; interviews and field diaries to broaden the information gathered in the telecollaborative encounters, and the analysis of the oral and written students’ productions which allow identifying their insights about the topics tackled during eight weeks of the intervention. Students are expected to display some basic cultural awareness manifestations about environmental problems after the COIL experience. These are analyzed based on Baker’s intercultural awareness levels: “Level 1: Basic cultural awareness”, “Level 2: Advanced cultural awareness”, and “Level 3: Intercultural awareness”.
Presenters
Leidy Lorena Bolaños BuitragoStudent, Master's Degree in Interlinguistic and Intercultural Studies, Universidad del Valle, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Science, Mathematics and Technology Learning
KEYWORDS
Intercultural awareness, Intercultural dimension, Telecollaboration, COIL, Elementary education
