Synchronous Telecollaboration for Novice Language Learners: Effects on Speaking Skills and Language Learning Interests

Telecollaboration brings together learners in different parts of the world for collaborative language learning and cultural exchange. Defined by Belz as the "application of global communication networks in foreign language education" (2002: 61), telecollaboration holds a plethora of benefits for language learners. Mostly utilized in intermediate and advanced language classes, this article argues for the incorporation of telecollaboration at all language levels. Even novice learners can benefit in different ways from the direct exchange with native speakers of the target language. This article summarizes one example of telecollaboration aimed at exploring the effects of participation in a semester-long synchronous virtual exchange on the speaking proficiency of L2 learners of German, as well as their interest in the study of German and potential study abroad. A telecollaborative project was conducted between novice learners of German at a college in the US and advanced learners of English at a high school in Germany. Students formed tandem partnerships and completed voice-chats and text-chats in alternation each week. The results showed that students' speaking proficiency was not stronger than that of the control group after the exchange, but that their interest in learning German and studying abroad had increased