The document discusses challenges and opportunities in internet-mediated intercultural English language education within China's higher education system. It details findings from surveys and case studies across various higher education institutions, highlighting how internet tools are used for teaching and learning and the limited interaction among students. Additionally, it emphasizes the need for better engagement and communication practices to enhance the learning experience in this digital context.

1. Liang Wang
The Open University
AREC 2013
Challenges and Prospects in Education
Internet-mediated intercultural English
language education
– Opportunities and challenges in China’s
higher education
20/06/2013 Institute of Education, University of London

2. Context
Internet and social media in China and the world
The Project: Internet-mediated intercultural English language
education in China’s HEIs
Focus
Survey and cases
• Opportunities
• Challenges
Framework for Internet-mediated intra-class community
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Outline
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3. Page 03/21
Internet and social media
Information
Collaboration
Sharing
Publishing
Communication
Networking
Gaming
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4. Page 04/21
Internet & social media in China
China’s Internet
Censorship
Google Vs
Baidu
Localising
global products
Globalising
local products
20/06/2013 Institute of Education, University of London

5. Socialization
Exploration
Consultation
Contribution
Comparison
Negotiation
Identification
Learner-informant
partnership
E-tandemTelecollaboration
Established
e-community
Instructional-oriented Independent-oriented
Expression
Reflection
Re-construction
Internet-mediated FLE
Models and features of Internet-mediated FLE
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6. Internet-mediated intercultural English language education
in China’s HEIs
Aims: Whether/How Internet tools are used for English
teaching/learning and whether such a use facilitates an intercultural
approach
Fieldwork: multi-stage multi-site
survey (24 HEIs) & case studies
(4 cases)
• A variety of types of HEIs
• A combination of instruments
– Questionnaires
– Interviews
– Observations
– Documents
Thematic and snap-shot analysis
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The Project
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7. With relevance to Internet use
Searching and downloading information from professional websites
were frequent and regular activities.
Students preferred a ‘Chinese approach’ to search in Chinese key
words, through China-based engines, for content learning.
Teachers and students maintained contact mainly through email and
online networking.
Engaging students in pair/group presentations (online) on specified or
recommended topics appeared common practice.
Asynchronous communication tools were evidently employed whereas
synchronous ones were not.
Setting up an online learning environment emerged as a way of
extending in-class discussion and furthering the aspiration to establish
intercultural exchange.
With regard to forum discussions, students predominantly used the
forum as a medium to express their own ideas; interaction with each
other was inadequately evidenced.
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Findings from survey and case studies
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8. Intensive Reading with occasional Internet use
T
S
Information Communication Publishing/Collaboration Networking
Institution U4, Language Case English Education Centre
Teachers LQ, LXP, CY Students Y1/2 non-English majors
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Case 1 Pedagogical context
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9. Teachers’ views and practices
‘… useful to search for online materials for lesson preparation, in order to
update our teaching about the cultural topics in the texts. We also
encouraged [students] to use online learning materials outside class, for
example, the BBC online English learning resources – they are authentic
and informative.’ (CY)
‘… the use of the Internet … takes place not inside the class but outside
of the class. The direct use of the Internet (like playing a movie or
read[ing] an online article) takes up a very minor part in the teaching.
The direct use of the Internet seems to be very raw … for example, when
I haven’t done enough work to make the online material into the word
file or PPT ahead of the class, I will have to search it in class. That is
actually a very bad practice: How about there is a computer failture
[failure]? How about you can’t find the right thing?’ (LXP)
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Case 1 Opportunities and challenges
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10. Students’ views and practices
‘… we are given cards with minute credit for 40 hours without charge,
but we have to use them on campus – the machines are old and slow and
actually we are asked to do courseware tasks that are uploaded on the
intranet.’ (HTB, translation)
‘I – most of my classmates – use Xiaonei [Renren], for example. But we
only want to exchange anything but textbook-based topics. So boring.
What am I supposed to say about terrorism? … We know that some
teachers use it to watch us, you know, lurking – that’s why we don’t want
to interact, just keep silent. ’ (CLL, translation)
‘My priority is to pass TEM4 so I just want my teacher to focus on
exercises and explain grammar, vocabulary, translation, reading and
writing. He should use Internet for this purpose.’ (XD, translation)
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Case 1 Opportunities and challenges
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11. Business English and pilot intercultural wikis
T
S
Information Communication Publishing/Collaboration Socialising
Institution U22, Int’l partnership Case English Language Centre
Teachers ZB, RZL Students Y1/2 non-English majors,
EAP/ESP
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Case 2 Pedagogical context
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12. Teachers’ views and practices
‘… [students] talk to the [international] tutors, that involves a lot of
things like the way to approach the tutors, how to write appropriate
emails, this kind … of communication skills when [students]
communicate with people from different cultural backgrounds… real-
life intercultural experience … our students are experiencing
it…intercultural communication is part of the experience … not
something that needs to be taught all the time’ (RZL)
‘the purpose of the wikis was to provide a social atmosphere with
intercultural exchange, to develop autonomous learning and
collaboration. I did not prepare learning materials and tasks… but
students on both sides were waiting for the other side to set the ball
rolling. For me, it is time-consuming to moderate the activity all the
time considering my official workload. (ZB)
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Case 2 Opportunities and challenges
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13. Students’ views and practices
‘I feel proud because this university is very different from other
Chinese universities. It is international and we have a lot of foreign
teachers but only the western teachers are good [at speaking English].
Chinese teachers, and other teachers from Malaysia, India, for
example, they speak English with strong accent in our classes – I don’t
mean English language classes. However, they are all responsive to
our email enquiries, although there are not as many opportunities for
face-to-face talk with them as expected.’ (Z & Y, translation)
‘… the intention [to use the Wikis] was good, but our British partners
didn’t participate actively. Our teacher didn’t keep this going, either. I
thought it wasn’t too much relevant to my modules so I adopted a
wait-and-see attitude. I wish they can be more active – actually we are
not active, either.’ (Z & Y, translation)
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Case 2 Opportunities and challenges
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14. Cultural Analysis of Film & Google Groups Site
T
S
Information Communication Publishing/Collaboration Socialising
Institution U14, Language Case Intercultural Institute
Teachers CW (USA) Students Master-level language majors
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Case 3 Pedagogical context
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15. Teacher’s view and practice
‘I don’t tell them the name of the film until the day because I don’t want them to
go on the Internet to find a lot of reviews about the movie. I think they will be too
influenced by that so I want them to see the movie fresh and then for the online
talking and responding. I still don’t want them to read online. I want them to put
their thoughts online. Then we come together for class, that’s when I ask them
some questions – we try to look at the movie as a text itself and not what other
people are saying about it.’ (CW)
‘[the forum] is not only a tool … to make better use of our limited time, but also an
opportunity to practice real communication… to help us break new ground as we
seek to communicate better with each other and people all over the world.’
‘… that could be awesome [to] have some students in the UK or somewhere else,
watch the same films, they write posts on the same website together – this is the
Chinese perspective, that is the English perspective … that would be interesting.’
(CW)
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Case 3 Opportunities and challenges
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16. Students’ views and practices
‘I selected this course just because I wanted to earn credits with ease –
watching some western movies and having a little bit fun – I didn’t
expect it was so demanding that we have to post essays online…’ (HL)
‘[Presentation] is helpful in self-development [as I] could learn from
[the] others who were under pressure to present their best before their
peers’ (LHX)
‘Experience: Browse websites provided by our professor,
Googled some info on relevant subjects, esp
the ad photos
Feeling: Internet tools seem to be quite essential to our
presentation preparation.’ (LY)
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Case 3 Opportunities and challenges
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17. British Literature and Moodle-mediated forum
T
S
Information Communication Publishing/Collaboration Socialising
Institution U17, Specialised
(sports education)
Case English Department
Teachers CHS Students Year 3 English majors (Sports)
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Case 4 Pedagogical context
20/06/2013 Institute of Education, University of London

18. Teacher’s view and practice
‘The purpose… is to extend our classroom interaction via the use of
Moodle ... We’ll better understand the world, society and human
relations when discussing some themes with our peers and teacher. ...
Through discussion, we can also gain some experience from the works
and our own lives. In addition, we are able to use English language to
express ourselves so as to improve our writing proficiency. In the same
time, we can also improve reading comprehension when reading each
others’ posts...
Using online discussion as a means of assessment, I intend to give you
a push to do something. I find people, including myself, often being
lazy without being pushed. Another purpose is … to change …
assessment … so that your progress is evidenced by your ongoing
efforts rather than a final test.’ (CHS, translation)
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Case 4 Opportunities and challenges
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19. Perceived opportunities and challenges (Ss)
‘… her [Ms CHS] idea of online discussion was good, as we have an
extra platform to express our own ideas… but … we have to publish at
least 5 posts in order to get 5 points. Personally, I think as long as I can
contribute my own ideas to a discussion it will be fine, not necessarily
with 5 posts… I believe that not everyone will be interested in every
line of discussion… Anyway, the quality of discussion is more
important than quantity. I think we should write posts by sharing what
we really have, rather than posting for the sake of earning scores.
Therefore my suggestion is that there should not be a bottom line of
writing 5 posts for a score …’ (WY, translation)
‘online discussion with scoring was less encouraging… not interested
in literature at all – no use for job seeking – but as a class rep I have to
set up an example for my class’ (CL, translation)
‘I’m CL’s roommate and good friend so she forced me to reply to her
post, despite that we are sitting face-to-face at the same dormitory’
(ZYW, translation)
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Case 4 Opportunities and challenges
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20. Establishing an internet-mediated intra-class community
framework
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Implications
Telecollaboration e-Tandem
Learner-informant
partnership
Established
e-community
Ss T
Internet
Resource
Intra-class
community
Pedagogical
preparation
Managerial
preparation
Technological
preparation
Institutional
preparation
Networking
preparation
Co-ordinating
preparation
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21. Contact: Liang Wang
wanglpkcn@gmail.com
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Wang, L. (2012) Chapter 13 Internet-
mediated Intercultural Teaching and
Learning: Chances and Challenges in
China. In Jin, L. and Cortazzi, M. (eds)
Researching Intercultural Learning:
Investigations in Language and Education,
pp.253-281, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.
Further information
20/06/2013 Institute of Education, University of London