Internationalization at Home, COIL and Intercomprehension

Abstract

This study aims to explore the concept, benefits, challenges and activities related to Internationalization at Home (IaH), defined as the integration of international/intercultural dimensions into the formal/informal curriculum in domestic learning environments (Beelen & Jones, 2015), as an alternative for more inclusive activities in higher education, within the process of internationalization. The study also offers a review of studies carried out mainly in Brazil by a Brazilian research group. Considering the importance of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in current practices of education and international exchange, this study explores possibilities of approaches such as COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning), allied with the Intercomprehension approach (IA) to suggest the development of more multilingual and inclusive activities, which foster IaH as an alternative to current and hegemonic internationalization practices. The paper concludes with some suggestions for the incorporation of such approaches, assuming that IaH should be prioritized in the internationalization agenda once it caters for a larger audience and, as such, is more inclusive and democratic.