Does Medium – Teletandem vs Face-to-Face Make a Difference in Advanced L2 Spanish Learner’s Oral Fluency?

Abstract

SLA researchers have advocated for the incorporation of Teletandem (a sub-strand of tele-collaboration) as an autonomous, collaborative, and virtual foreign language environment (see BENEDETTI, CONSOLO; VIEIRA-ABRAHÃO, 2010; TELLES, 2009) aimed to promote L2 communication and intercultural competence in L2 settings, and as an alternative to traditional Face-to-Face (FTF) exposure commonly used in L2 classrooms. While the majority of previous studies on Teletandem for L2 learning have mainly examined its benefits, focusing on the different approaches used by learners in this medium and proposing strategies on how to implement its context in higher education language programs (see CANDIDO, 2010; CAVALARI, 2010), a critical overview of Teletandem research reveals a paucity of empirically supported evidence for the benefits of Teletandem on L2 development. Specifically, no empirical comparisons have been conducted between this medium and traditional face-to-face (FTF) instruction in the L2 classroom. This paper addresses this issue and reports on an empirical investigation of the benefits of this medium when compared to FTF exposure in relation to L2 fluency.