Seda Hava Ak is a teacher at Multi Lingua Kindergarten in Berlin. She is interested in language education and innovative teaching methodologies. She has co-written lesson materials and contributed to curriculum development. Her current professional interests include early childhood education, bilingual learning, and creative teaching approaches. She enjoys working with young learners and fostering engaging, interactive classroom environments. Email: sedac344@gmail.com

Henry Dakat studied at Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg. He is passionate about education and committed to supporting learners in achieving their full potential. Email:dakat05@yahoo.com

 

Abstract

This qualitative classroom action research examines how telecollaboration—also known as virtual exchange or online intercultural exchange—and story-based tasks can foster intercultural communicative competence (ICC) in early childhood English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Over five weeks in 2022, two small groups of preschoolers in Turkey and Nigeria engaged in a blend of synchronous micro-encounters (WhatsApp) and asynchronous sharing (Padlet) anchored by a picturebook narrative. Data sources comprised teacher field notes, video artifacts, and short parent feedback (triangulated). Analysis against six a priori indicators (engagement with authentic content, intercultural questioning, spontaneous L2 use, tangible products, knowledge sharing, and formulaic language uptake) suggests that low-tech, narrative-driven telecollaboration can nurture early dispositions of openness, empathy, and curiosity while eliciting age-appropriate target-language production. Scalability is shaped by institutional constraints—limited teacher autonomy, timetabling, and variable connectivity—yet can be mitigated via adult mediation and asynchronous-first design. The study contributes a practically implementable model for low-resource, low-autonomy school contexts and offers design principles for early-years virtual exchange.

 

Introduction

Telecollaboration refers to structured online interaction between groups of learners in different contexts for the purpose of language development and intercultural learning. In practice, it often combines simple tools (e.g., messaging, video calls, shared boards) with task-based activities that invite learners to show, ask, and compare across cultures. In the present project, telecollaboration was intentionally coupled with storytelling to bring culture-in-use into short, developmentally appropriate activities for young learners. The underlying pedagogical need was to create authentic, child-friendly opportunities for language and culture to be learned together, rather than in parallel.

We address the following research question: How do story-based telecollaboration tasks support ICC in young EFL learners?

 

Background and rationale

A growing body of practice and scholarship positions telecollaboration as a vehicle for language development and intercultural awareness. For young learners, narrative offers a concrete and safe frame for noticing similarities and differences, taking perspective, and rehearsing functional language. In this project, the picturebook Same, Same but Different (Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw) served as the narrative spine, inviting learners to connect their lives with those of distant peers through images, brief texts, and guided talk.

Beyond conceptual fit, telecollaboration was selected for pragmatic reasons: learners were already familiar with online platforms post-pandemic; the partner classes spanned two countries; and the team aimed for a memorable, low-cost intercultural experience using tools families already knew (WhatsApp, Padlet).

 

Research design

Design

The study employed classroom action research, with iterative cycles of planning, enactment, observation, and reflection in authentic teaching conditions. Data triangulation drew on teacher observations/journals, video artifacts, and brief parent feedback to enhance credibility.

Context and participants

Two small groups participated:

• Turkey group: four children (ages 4–6.5) in an online private preschool EFL setting; weekly 45-minute sessions on Zoom for five weeks.
• Nigeria group: five children (ages 4–7), children of military personnel living in army barracks in the Middle Belt region.

The groups connected across sites through asynchronous posting and short live encounters.

Tools and materials

The project used Padlet (asynchronous sharing of videos and pictures) and WhatsApp (short live exchanges). The core text was Same, Same but Different.

Tasks and procedure

Two story-anchored task sequences structured the exchange:

• Task 1 – “Introducing My Daily Life”: children prepared 1–2 minute videos showing family, school, greetings, city, and everyday routines; they then watched partners’ videos and discussed what they noticed.

Task 2 – Live WhatsApp Mini-Meet: a 60-minute Q&A inspired by the picturebook, during which learners used previously learned chunks to talk about the story and engaged in natural peer-to-peer interaction. Rather than explicitly focusing on identifying similarities and differences, the activity aimed to prompt curiosity-driven questions about what children noticed, found meaningful, or wondered about in their friends’ lives and cultural contexts.

Connectivity and access challenges (e.g., limited internet, lack of Padlet access) were addressed through adult mediation: a local teacher facilitated device access for the Nigerian group; the Turkish teacher prepared example videos and bilingual instructions for parents. Live sessions were intentionally brief and carefully pre-organized (turn-taking, sound checks) to reduce cognitive and logistical load.

 

Indicators and data

A priori indicators

Progress toward ICC was operationalized through six indicators:

1) engagement with authentic content; 2) intercultural questioning; 3) spontaneous L2 use addressed to peers; 4) production of tangible artifacts (pictures/videos); 5) knowledge sharing/curiosity about others’ cultures; 6) confident use of vocabulary and chunks.

Data sources and analysis

Teacher journals and field notes captured in-the-moment behaviors relative to the indicators. Video artifacts (child-produced and session recordings) provided observable evidence of language use and intercultural noticing. Parents contributed short reflections on children’s motivation and talk at home. The analysis applied thematic coding mapped to the six indicators, using triangulation to corroborate patterns across sources.

 

Findings

Engagement and emerging empathy

Children oriented readily to culturally rich video content and picturebook scenes, displaying curiosity and attention. Parents reported high willingness to record and re-record videos, with some children asking to make “extra” videos—signs of ownership and pride.

 

Intercultural questioning

In live micro-meets, learners posed simple, curiosity-driven questions about peers’ daily lives (e.g., school routines, ways of greeting, pets), often referencing scenes from the shared story. This behavior aligns with indicators 1–2 and reflects perspective-taking in an age-appropriate register.

 

Spontaneous L2 use

Short, functional formulas emerged in peer-addressed turns (greetings, questions, comments). Repetition across tasks appeared to stabilize chunk use, with learners borrowing expressions first modeled in videos and teacher prompts.

 

Tangible products and knowledge sharing

Learners produced drawings/posters that externalized what they noticed (e.g., games, alphabets, ways of going to school) and used captions to link artifacts to partners’ videos—a visible bridge from noticing to expression. In some cases, classes exchanged examples of traditional games, further situating culture in play.

 

Family mediation and affective climate

Parent comments highlighted enthusiasm and (in isolated cases) hesitation about sharing personal routines, underscoring the importance of a supportive climate that validates children’s choices about what to disclose. Adult mediation across both sites (parents and a local teacher) was crucial to participation and to offsetting connectivity constraints.

 

Discussion

The project suggests that story-anchored telecollaboration can concurrently activate ICC’s knowledge, attitude, and skill dimensions in early childhood, even with minimal infrastructure. The added value is not simply “showing telecollaboration works”; rather, it specifies an implementable model—micro-tasks, low-tech tools families already use, asynchronous-first design, and structured adult mediation—that fits low-autonomy EFL contexts.

Observed gains are modest but meaningful for the age group: heightened curiosity about peers’ worlds; increased willingness to ask questions; and emergent, functional L2 use in authentic communicative moments. Importantly, engagement appeared to hinge on ownership (child-made videos/artifacts) and recognizable narrative frames that made comparison safe and concrete.

At the same time, institutional conditions matter. Limited teacher autonomy and scheduling pressures constrain live interaction; variable connectivity complicates synchronous plans. The project’s mitigation strategies—brief, highly structured live slots; adult mediation; and reliance on asynchronous video exchanges—offer a realistic route to participation equity and sustainability.

 

Practical implications for low-autonomy schools

• Name the construct clearly: define telecollaboration with common synonyms (virtual exchange/online intercultural exchange) to build shared understanding with colleagues and parents.
• Design for micro-tasks: 5–10 minute steps; child videos of 1–2 minutes; one simple artifact per lesson.
• Low-tech first: use tools already familiar to families (e.g., WhatsApp) plus one sharing space (Padlet).
• Adult mediation: bilingual parent guidance, example videos, and a local teacher “tech buddy” where needed.
• Evidence habits: maintain brief, indicator-aligned field notes and archive representative video/artefact snapshots for reflective practice.

 

Limitations and directions for future research

The sample is small and context-specific. Transcript density was limited, and formal inter-rater reliability was not established. Subsequent iterations should (a) develop and share a simple codebook for the six indicators; (b) include lightweight pre/post ICC checklists suitable for early childhood; and (c) document ethics and data stewardship procedures with greater specificity. Short follow-up interviews with families could explore transfer to home talk and attitudes.

 

Conclusion

Telecollaboration coupled with storytelling appears feasible and educationally valuable for young EFL learners when implemented through low-tech, micro-task design and supported by adult mediation. It can cultivate early ICC dispositions—curiosity, openness, perspective-taking—while eliciting functional language use in authentic exchanges. For schools with limited autonomy and variable infrastructure, the model demonstrated here offers a doable pathway to intercultural learning that complements existing curricula.

 

Acknowledgments

We thank the participating children and families in Turkey and Nigeria, and the supporting teacher who facilitated device access and messaging in the Nigerian group. This study was carried out as the final CARP project of the e-lingo master’s program at Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to our professors and our university for providing us with this opportunity.

 

Selected references (from project materials)

Alonso-Belmonte, I., & Vinagre, M. (2017). Interculturality and identity in computer-mediated communication. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 30(5), 343–350.

Dendenne, B. (2021). Telecollaborative writing within an Algerian EFL context. Language Related Research, 12(3), 151–186.

Helm, F., & Guth, S. (2010). The multifarious goals of Telecollaboration 2.0. In Telecollaboration 2.0: Language Literacies and Intercultural Learning in the 21st Century (pp. 69–106). Peter Lang.

Kostecki-Shaw, J. S. (2011). Same, Same but Different. Christy Ottaviano Books.

O’Dowd, R. (Ed.). (2007). Online Intercultural Exchange: An Introduction for Foreign Language Teachers. Multilingual Matters.

O’Dowd, R. (2012). Intercultural communicative competence through telecollaboration. In The Routledge Handbook of Language and Intercultural Communication.

Sevilla-Pavón, A., & Rojas-Primus, C. (2020). Developing 21st-century competences in telecollaborative projects through digital storytelling. In F. Nami (Ed.), Digital Storytelling in Second and Foreign Language Teaching (pp. 155–177). Peter Lang.

Taşkıran, A. (2019). Telecollaboration: Fostering foreign language learning at a distance. European Journal of Open, Distance and E-Learning, 22, 86–96.

 

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