What is it about?
This paper discusses how engaging with Virtual Exchange - VE/Collaborative Online International Learning - COIL (a way to engage interculturally with students located in different countries) can challenge students engaged in English language education, as it takes them out of their comfort zone and academic staff utilising this approach can encounter lack of motivation for the exchange. It can also present inclusion challenges, particularly in Global South-Global North exchanges like this one involving Mexico, the UK (where most students were from China) and Spain. While the students’ evaluation of their VEELT (Virtual Exchange for English Language Teaching) experience was positive on the whole, a number of engagement and inclusion challenges were identified and are discussed in this paper.
Why is it important?
It is important to explore the reasons why students sometimes do not engage with virtual exchange as there is a considerable amount of literature illustrating the positive effect that this approach can have for the purpose of developing global citizenship skills as well as other transferable skills for the world of work (such as communication, digital, resilience). The paper also discuss possible intercultural reasons that might have caused lack of motivation for some of the students concerned.