The I-Tell Project aimed to better prepare students for study abroad through telecollaborative exchanges before mobility. Students from Ireland and Spain were paired and completed 4 tasks over 8 weeks using various technologies like email, Voicethread and Skype. Feedback found tasks organized but difficult to complete weekly. Technologies like email were convenient while Skype benefited language learning most. Students developed intercultural awareness by comparing cultures and breaking stereotypes. Their language skills, cultural knowledge and confidence for study abroad increased. While successful, the small sample size limited findings. Facilitator support and matching students' destinations and levels are recommended for effective intercultural exchanges.

1. The I–Tell Project: Intercultural
telecollaborative learning
before students mobility abroad
Marta Giralt & Catherine Jeanneau
School of Modern Languages & Applied Linguistics
University of Limerick, Ireland

2. The I–Tell Project
Presentation overview
• Rationale for project
• Project description
• Data gathering
• Findings
– Students’ feedback: Tasks & Technologies used
– Project outcomes: Impact on students:
•Intercultural awareness
•Language Learning
•Preparation for the mobility period
• Limitations, conclusions and recommendations

3. Rationale for the I-Tell project
• Period abroad (Erasmus, work placement):
significant part of the Higher Education
language learning experience.
• Crucial to increase the opportunities for
students to go abroad.
• Paramount to prepare them for their mobility
period to fully benefit from this experience
(Byram & Dervin, 2008)
The better prepared
students are before their
placement, the better their
experience will be
« Apprendre à être étranger :
des parcours de formation
interculturelle pour les étudiants
de mobilité »
(Mathilde Anquetil, 2008)

4. Data gathering
• Results from 12 questionnaires
–6 Irish students / 6 Spanish students
• Evidence from 8 portfolios
–5 Irish students / 3 Spanish students
• Teacher’s Diary (Facilitator of the Irish
group)

5. Project aims & objectives
• For students to be better prepared for
their period abroad and learn more
about the country they will be travelling
to (impacting directly and positively on
student experience).
• To develop the participants'
intercultural, linguistic and digital skills.

6. What is Telecollaboration?
The engagement of groups of students in online
intercultural interaction and collaboration with
partner classes from other cultural contexts or
geographical locations, under the guidance of
educators and/or expert facilitators
(Robert O’Dowd, 2014)

7. Project description
website of the project
Project program: 8 contact sessions
4 Tasks: one task to be completed every 2 weeks
research has proven that …the negotiation of meaning
and the resultant learner modifications are much more
prevalent in goal-oriented, task-based interaction
than in usual conversation (Pellettieri, 2000: 64)
Exchanges: 2 per week
asynchronous & synchronous;
multimodal communication
50% Spanish 50% English

8. Example: task 3

9. Students’ feedback on overall project:
TASKS - Irish students
Main issue: TIME
It was not
difficult to know
what we should
be doing
Was hard to find the
time to do it
considering you really
have to sit down and
think about what you
are going to say
It was easy to keep up with the
tasks but I found it difficult to do
it on a weekly basis because if
one of us did not reply
immediately than it would result
in a rush to finish the tasks due.
Strategy used to overcome this problem
=> Self-regulation
Some pairs did not follow the tasks’ order

10. Students’ feedback on overall project:
TASKS - Irish students
yes because its
very beneficial.
It is a great way to
practise Spanish
with someone your
age in a relaxed
manner
It's a great way to practice
your language in a more fun
environment to the classroom
setting, you have to do a task
weekly so you can't ignore a
language for a few days which
can sometimes happen in busy
times of the semester. It was
fun telling the VIP all about
Ireland and UL.

11. Students’ feedback on overall project:
TASKS - Spanish students
For me, the project is
well organized, the
tasks, the exchange, the
tools suggested..
I think tasks
are fine as
they are.
We just have
problems in
finding free time
to communicate
each other [sic]

12. Students’ feedback on overall project:
TASKS - Spanish students

13. Students’ feedback on overall project:
TECHNOLOGY
I found the technology
easy to use as I use it
on a daily basis

14. Students’ feedback on overall project:
TECHNOLOGY USED
Emails: asynchronous communication most
convenient and easy to maintain, good ice-breaker
Voicethread: The most challenging for students but
a good preparation to skype
Skype: The most beneficial for language learning
Facebook: Introduced by students as a more casual
and natural way to stay in touch
We thought that email was the
most convenient form of
communication for the exchange
as it was quick and easy
I had never talked
by email with
anyone
I feel Skype is the best method but only
after some emails, as the emails let us
find out about the other person before
we talk face to face on Skype which
creates a more relaxed atmosphere
I found the skype
best for my
language but it was
very difficult to find
the time.
I found Facebook the easiest method of
communication. It seemed to be the most
natural and informal way of
communication as I would not normally
email my friends so it seemed very formal
to be doing so.

15. Impact on students:
Intercultural awareness
- Discovering and comparing:
Differences: Timetables, routines, prices
Social interaction
Festivals & Celebrations
Similarities Deeper reflexions
- Breaking pre-conceived ideas
- Broaden perception of the other culture
“Nights out are much later in Spain, alcohol is
a lot cheaper and entries to clubs are cheaper
also”
“In Ireland, while they always have respect,
they talk to them using their first name, which
it's more casual”
“Before talking with her I didn’t know how
similar both countries were in religion”
“I think we both have learned about the others
language and culture and above all, that
behind the little differences between both
countries, it exists a common willing of
knowing!” “I think that talking with Ashley has
changed the way in which I consider Ireland.”
“Something that has
surprised me is that they
cook with ‘aceite de oliva’ as
we do in Spain, I thought
that they cooked with
butter!”
“What caught my attention was that Laura explained me that the
Catholic Church had a big power in her country and, especially in
the education. Furthermore the figure of the Pope is very
important for them. Most of the population ( 90 per cent, more
or less) is Catholic. So I have noticed that the religion is more
powerful than in Spain.”
“we have a lot of common interests””we are actually quite
similar”

16. Impact on students: Language Learning
- Different skills
- Peer learning
- Development of learning strategies
(sharing web resources; using transcriptions when talking)
- Attitude versus correction
Oral: fluency and listening
Written
Grammar and new vocabulary
Contextualized
Reflexion through mistakes
Misunderstanding and negotiation of meaning
Oral corrections
Concern about personal image
Willing to do more peer
correction

17. Impact on students: Preparation for
mobility period
LOGISTICS SIDE [COMMUNICATION BASED ON
INFORMATION EXCHANGE]
- Practical information (university system;
culture)
HUMAN SIDE [COMMUNICATION BASED ON
PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP OF TRUST]
- Emotional support & encouragement
“Things are organized quite differently. I think Irish Universities
have a lot more facilities and clubs and societies. The timetable
structure is also very different.”
“I learned that their university have their exams after Christmas
whereas in my college we have them before the Christmas break.”
“Bego also told me places in Spain that I should visit when I go
there on Erasmus, like the various monuments and festivals (eg.
San Fermin and La Tomatina)...I think with all the information I got
from Bego I think I would feel comfortable with living in Spain.”
“It has made me feel better telling her how I feel about living abroad
as she is in the same situation as me. And I definitely feel more
prepared for my erasmus than before I started this project.”
“I’ve been talking with her about this and we both feel frightened
about how it will be to leave our countries, our homes, our families
and friends…”
“I encouraged him to go as it is vital for his language learning and I
told him what I knew about the Universities he was considering.”
“...the timing and atmosphere of university in Spain appeals to me
from what Patricia told me”

18. Limitations and recommendations
Limitations
Small data sample
Recommendations:
- Role of the facilitator: setting up &
keeping the exchange going
- For effective exchanges: Homogeneous
groups (level of language, motivation /
assessment, destination)

19. Conclusions
- Overall success of the project
- High satisfaction level amongst students
- Positive engagement from our learners
- Role of the social media
- More authentic for our students
- Good to discover L2 culture
- Good extension to the project: 4 Irish
students out of 6 plan to stay in touch with
partners via Facebook
thanks to Facebook I
saw her Halloween’s
photos and I could
realize how it is
celebrated in Ireland
I can see what she
has been up to in
her daily life and
compare it to
what I do in my
daily life
we are friends on
Facebook, we talk
about our lives and
what we do with our
friends

20. THANK YOU
marta.giralt@ul.ie
catherine.jeanneau@ul.ie