Telecollaboration: Interview with Eva Toth (Part 2)

Posted by karinawp on May 5, 2016

Telecollaboration uses “…online communication tools to bring together language learners in different countries for the development of collaborative work and intercultural exchange” (O’Dowd & Ritter, 2006, p623). Such collaborations may also be known as Tandem Language Learning (TLL), Online Intercultural Exchange (OIE) or even Internet-mediated Intercultural Foreign Language Education (ICFLE).

In this video, Hungary-based teacher Eva Toth, shares her experience organising an online collaborative project with her students. The project is called Let’s get down to e-business! and was set up through the e-Twinning network, the community for schools in Europe.

In Part 2, Eva talks about:

finding Telecollaboration partners, and maintaining connections with them (Facebook & Skype)
how to organise a Telecollaboration project
the project outcomes (collaboration, digital & language skills, self-esteem, self-confidence)
online collaboration tools (Linoit, Symbaloo)
the value for students of meeting experts in the field
BYOD

Great quotes from Part 2 of the interview, highlighting the project outcomes:

“Oh my good, how many things we have been using! And how many things we are good at!” It’s very good for their self-esteem and self-worth.

There was one great outcome – a trip to Microsoft so they could see what a real company looks like”

During the project we also managed to organise at least two Skype sessions, where we met the Italian group and Czech group. And it was good cos even my students who have real problems in English, they were not afraid to speak one or two sentences in English to a foreigner…and it was really great.”

I’d like to leave you with a question Eva raises about BYOD: if students bring their own devices “should you as a teacher ask them to use their own mobile internet for educational purposes?

If you are interested in participating in a Telecollaboration project with students based in China, or the UK, please do get in touch.

Friends outside of China, feel free to watch the video on YouTube here.

Reference

O’Dowd, R. & Ritter, M. (2006). Understanding and Working with ‘failed communication’ in telecollaborative exchanges. CALICO Journal, 23 (3), 623-642.