Telecollaboration: Synchronous Oral Exchanges through Skype in the Classroom

Abstract

[Abstract] Recent research has concentrated on the advantages the use of email, written chat and virtual communities have for language learning as a way to create authentic communicative environments (Vinagre, 2005; Meskill and Anthony, 2005). The benefits of text chat have been lauded by research but there is an obvious lack of studies on synchronous oral chat, which resembles even more closely face-to-face communication. In this paper, we report on an experience based on the integration of synchronous oral chat into a language course and compare the oral proficiency of students using this option to students doing face-to-face speaking activities. We also analyse students’ responses to this new technology and the teacher’s perceptions of improvements on oral production, time on task and language production during the exchanges.