Navigating Intersections in Virtual Exchange: Language, Culture, and Technology
Gazi University
Abstract
Over the past two decades, Virtual Exchange (VE) has expanded from an experimental telecollaborative practice into an established pedagogical framework within applied linguistics and language education. Drawing upon sustained transnational initiatives across diverse institutional contexts, this presentation examines how VE operates at the intersections of linguistic interaction, intercultural development, and digital innovation.
Rather than approaching VE as a uniform model, the session considers how differentiated task designs cater to varied learning outcomes. Particular attention is given to the ways learners negotiate meaning, cultivate intercultural communicative competence, and develop global competence through mediated dialogue. The discussion also reflects on contemporary technological intersections, including generative AI, examining how such tools can serve as reflective stimuli and communicative scaffolds without displacing authentic interpersonal engagement.
Synthesizing empirical observations and VE experiences, the talk highlights key pedagogical considerations, interactional dynamics, and curriculum alignment challenges, offering several insights into designing meaningful and sustainable VE practices in language education.
Bionote
Asuman Aşık is an associate professor at the Department of English Language Teaching at Gazi University and vice manager of Project Coordination Implementation Research Center. Her main research topics include teacher training, technology and language teaching, teaching English to young learners and curriculum and materials development, corpora and language teaching, CALL and eLearning.