Language Learning Through Telecollaboration: A 21st-Century Approach

Abstract

Recent unprecedented global events, including emergency remote teaching, have led to an exponential growth of interest in telecollaboration among practitioners and researchers, evidenced, among others, by the growing number of publications devoted to this topic. Attention has been drawn to the number of promises associated with telecollaboration projects, in particular the cultural and linguistic ones. However, such complex and dynamic exchanges also have several limitations. Consequently, a significant number of parties might struggle to make sense of the vast body of knowledge available on the topic and might encounter difficulty in implementing such projects. To address this issue, this study adopts a meta-analytical approach and provides a synthesis of the recently published research on telecollaboration. The reviewed sample comprises 28 journal articles devoted to English as a lingua franca telecollaboration projects, published between 2016 and 2021. The results of these articles are presented in a consolidated and easily understandable manner that permits all interested parties to efficiently examine the newest findings of the literature and apply them accordingly in real-life conditions. This, in turn, facilitates the implementation of good practices and the organization of future telecollaboration exchanges.