In this article, Francois Stalder reflects on some top tips, and also provides an outline and helpful links to resources for a successful online school exchange.
With the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic, new opportunities have arisen for students to connect virtually with others around the world. I have used these virtual exchanges as a way to engage and motivate high-achieving students in their language-learning journey. Students can also broaden their cultural understanding and improve their communication skills in a foreign language by participating in online school exchanges.
the language exchange was a cost-effective way for students to practice their language skills
A successful school exchange requires thorough planning and preparation, as well as a willingness to go the extra mile on the part of teachers. Additionally, common sense is key to ensuring a smooth and successful exchange. In 2021, my colleague Luisa Forsgren from AIS Vienna and I initiated an online class exchange between our middle school Spanish groups. We hope to continue this exchange in 2023-24 and would welcome the opportunity to collaborate with other teachers who are interested in participating in a similar project.
After completing our first exchange experience, Luisa and I reflected on the key factors that would make future exchanges even more successful. We started by considering what we as teachers believed would be engaging and interesting for our students to participate in. Both of us were enthusiastic about the project, but our students had mixed reactions. It was essential for us to ensure that they understood the purpose of the exchange. To facilitate this, we utilized the chalk talk approach to nonverbally discuss the benefits of the exchange for our language class. Some of the ideas that our students emphasized included:
1. Improved language skills: Participating in an online language exchange allows students to practice their language skills in a real-life setting, which can help to improve their fluency, pronunciation, and comprehension.
2. Cultural exchange: Through their conversations with students from the other school, students had the opportunity to learn about different cultures and ways of life.
3. Cost-effective: Since there is no need for travel, the language exchange was a cost-effective way for students to practice their language skills. Of course, the option to travel to the other school in the future remains open.
4. Increased confidence: The exchange provided an opportunity for students to use their language skills in real-life situations, which helped to boost their confidence. Some students may be nervous about using their world language, but through their involvement in the exchange and their interactions with their peers from the other school, they became more comfortable and confident in their ability to communicate in that language.
...the students collaborated on various activities, such as reading a book together and writing letters to one another...
After completing step 1, Luisa and I developed a comprehensive plan for the exchange, including specific goals and activities. This plan outlined the details of how students and teachers would communicate and collaborate online, as well as how the exchange would be organized and managed. One of the activities we included in the plan was reading the book "Peter va a Colombia" by Craig Klein Dexemple and preparing questions and activities for the students to complete. We also set up a shared vocabulary Google sheet using the Google Translate formula, which allowed students to independently acquire language. Of course, the teachers checked the translations to ensure they were accurate and appropriate in the context of the story. In the future, we plan to use a collaborative journal in which students can record notes about their interactions during the project.
The exchange program lasted for approximately two months, which was the time needed to complete a unit of study. The teachers provided guidance and support to the students throughout the program. During the exchange, the students collaborated on various activities, such as reading a book together and writing letters to one another. Once they finished reading the book, they worked on a shared slide deck as a group project. Some students required closer monitoring during this phase. After the project was completed, it was discovered that some students needed additional training on how to properly acknowledge the sources of the materials they used in their project. To address this, the teachers will provide this training in the future. The students were also trained on how to include sound in their slides through a video tutorial.
Luisa and I regularly assessed our students and the progress of the exchange to ensure that we were providing the best possible experience for them. Our goal was to help our students enjoy the exchange and improve their language skills. To assess their progress, we used our own rubrics and a point rubric that we developed with the students from both schools. Additionally, we asked the students to provide feedback on the project by answering a series of questions.
Here are a couple of quotes taken from the responses I collated here:
“The best part of the exchange was taking a scene from the book and transferring it into my own writing. But the most challenging part was that my pal was so far away that it was really hard to communicate because we didn’t have Spanish at the same time. It would be better to speak faster at the beginning and not wait." Julia, AIS Vienna.
“The best of this project was working with a partner who lives far away from me. After I was able to contact her, it became so easy to work with her. It was hard to write and speak in Spanish. Later I improved my vocabulary and grammar so much." Clara, AIS Budapest.
Are you interested in starting an online school exchange? If so, I would love to chat further about creating a possible exchange programme between us, or assist you with any questions you may have - please don't hesitate to reach out by leaving a response below!
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