Abstract
During this COVID-19 pandemic, no one can deny the value of online communication. It has saved our lives by preventing us from going outdoors and becoming infected, while also facilitating achievement of various personal and professional goals. Online communication can also assist us with our academic goals, whether it is used to communicate with supervisors or with people from other lingua-cultural backgrounds to practice the language. This form of communication is emphasized in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) framework, which is one of the most significant guidelines for language teaching and learning throughout the world. The present research has two aims: first, to determine the extent to which CEFR-based online intercultural communication can improve Thai students’ communicative language competence, and second, to investigate Thai students’ attitudes toward CEFR-based online intercultural communication and international volunteers. The results received from 15 fifth-year dual B.A. (Chinese) and B.CM. (Traditional Chinese Medicine) students and international volunteers using various research instruments revealed that Thai students could increase their communicative language competence after participating in CEFR-based intercultural communication activities. This encompassed linguistic, sociolinguistic, and pragmatic abilities that correspond to the CEFR (2001) scales. In terms of attitudes, the study indicated that, because they were more confident in their communicative language ability, they had a positive attitude toward the CEFR-based online intercultural communication activities and their international volunteers. Finally, further research on this topic should include a proper design of online communication activities as well as methods for assessing students’ competency both before and after participation.
Highlights
1.1 Online CommunicationDuring the midst of the COVID-19 epidemic, it seems impossible to deny the importance of online communication
To address this research question, which concerns the improvement in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) communicative language competence of the Thai students after engaging in the CEFR-based online intercultural communication activities, different sources of data must be discussed
According to the Guide to the CEFR for English Language Teachers published by Cambridge University Press (2003), students who obtain a higher level of CEFR will need more study and practice hours to move to the level than students who receive a lower level
Summary
1.1 Online CommunicationDuring the midst of the COVID-19 epidemic, it seems impossible to deny the importance of online communication. When the World Health Organization (2020) has advised people all across the world to maintain social distancing and stay at home to reduce infections, online communication has become a significant form of their social interactions and engagements in different domains (Kaçar, 2021; Nguyen et al, 2020; Wong, Ho, Olusanya, Antonini, & Lyness, 2021). To support this point, Kaçar (2021) argued that the use of online communication through the internet and social media has become more popular among people because it could provide them with distance learning, remote jobs, and virtual socializing environments, which cannot be performed through face-to-face communication during the pandemic’s lockdowns and social isolation. According to O’Murchu, Breslin and Decker (2004), many individuals use online communication for both professional and personal purposes, such as increasing company advancements and managing dating and meeting offline. Vrocharidou and Efthymiou (2012), on the other hand, described that some people use online communication for academic jel.ccsenet.org
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