Intercultural Communication By Means of Efl Learners’ E-Pal Exchange

Sezen Balaban Şahin^1,

¹English Language Teaching, Bursa Uludağ University, Bursa, Turkey

Cite this paper:
Sezen Balaban Şahin. Intercultural Communication By Means of Efl Learners’ E-Pal Exchange. American Journal of Educational Research. 2025; 13(2):67-70. doi: 10.12691/education-13-2-4

Abstract

E-pal exchange, which has been utilized as the digital form of ‘pen pal exchange’, has been employed as a means of foreign language learning practice for a long time. In academic contexts, this application is essentially utilized so as to strengthen cross-cultural communication among language learners and lay the groundwork for future language teachers to adapt diversity within their future teaching contexts. In other words, this digital practice assists both foreign language teachers and learners to constitute a wider discernment of the world, people and the target language. With regard to this notion, it was found expedient to generate this research study in terms of initiating university EFL learners’ intercultural awareness. To this end, this research embraced 32 EFL learners at university preparatory classes and aimed at generating an e-pal exchange activation for two months. Learners were expected to email their e-pals at least three times a week and note their written reflections as a means of data collection for this research. A qualitative research design was administered by means of learners’ written reflections and their oral responses to an interview. Findings identify their views and perceptions on discrete cultures in addition to their feelings subsequent to this e-pal phase and reflect distinct implementations for both learners and teachers of English who intend to widen their horizon of the world.

Keywords:
intercultural communication e-pal exchange views perceptions reflections

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