ELC’s Virtual Language and Cultural Exchange

We are delighted to share with you an exciting initiative aimed at enhancing PolyU students’ use of English in an international and multicultural setting. In semesters 2 of AY21-22 and AY22-23, we successfully conducted a Virtual Exchange (VE) activity, which saw enthusiastic participation not only from PolyU students but also from students from universities in the United Kingdom, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates.

The VE was designed based on conversation analysis (CA) inspired pedagogy, with carefully curated teaching materials to help students comprehend, observe, and apply cultural concepts/practices using linguistic devices. The feedback we received from the participants was encouragingly positive.

Students relished the opportunity to interact with peers from around the globe and reported a heightened awareness of intercultural issues. They also noted a significant improvement in their intercultural communication skills and their use of English as an international language.

In essence, the pedagogy and materials developed for this VE activity have proven to be effective tools in our mission to nurture our students as global citizens. We look forward to bringing you more such enriching experiences in the future. Stay tuned!