The Virtual Classroom: A New Avenue in Language Learning, The Case of ‘GVC’ at Tlemcen University

Abstract

The information age or what Warschauer (1999) calls ‘the new industrial revolution’ due to the emergence of internet, paved the way for many domains to prosper, namely the teaching learning environment, the introduction of internet-based social networking tools in second language classes penetrated the world enhancing intercultural competence among students willing to acquire a foreign language. Moreover, this form of social interaction allows them to build strong relationships and online communities of common interests, which leads to a deep understanding of both languages and cultures simultaneously. In Algeria, particularly at Tlemcen University, we believe such online tele-collaborative learning fosters intercultural competence. Through a virtual class, local university students interact with their foreign counterparts through social networking platforms in order to grasp the English language in a cultural environment, with this in mind, the present research work aims at exploring whether such a new method of language learning helped in building inter-culturality among Algerian students.