플랫폼 기반 상호문화적 영어 교수-학습 모형 개발과 적용

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to develop and implement a platform-based intercultural English teaching and learning model for a real time online class (‘English/American culture’) at a Korean university. According to the intercultural language learning theories, the intercultural competence makes learners better understand the target culture and improve language abilities. By incorporating inter-cultural projects into an English & American culture course with an E-buddy project (of one Korean student and one American student as a team) on multiple online platforms, we encouraged Korean students to meet regularly with an American partner and do a collaborative culture project on a chosen topic in English. We analyzed the effects of the class with the inter-cultural project, by employing quantitative and qualitative methods: observations of classes and the culture project, a questionnaire, students’ reflection reports and interviews. The findings showed that students perceived it to be useful for an improvement of their speaking and listening skills. They were able to gain deeper insights into English/American culture and its society. In addition, the students developed certain degree of cross-cultural awareness and thereby came to a reappraisal of their own culture. In general, the students were positive about the course with the intercultural culture project in groups and found it beneficial for their language learning and intercultural understanding.