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Issues of equity and inclusion in Virtual Exchange

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 November 2023

Robert O'Dowd Open the ORCID record for Robert O'Dowd [Opens in a new window]
Robert O'Dowd*
Affiliation:
Universidad de León, León, Spain
*
Email: robert.odowd@unileon.es
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Abstract

The increasing recognition of the limitations of physical mobility programs has led Foreign Language departments to consider online approaches such as Virtual Exchange (VE) and Blended Mobility as alternatives in international education. These online approaches have the potential to promote inclusion and diversity by providing opportunities for student cohorts who are unable to participate in traditional mobility programs. However, there are still challenges and barriers that need to be addressed, related to foreign language competence, digitalization, and structural gaps in educational systems. In this paper, I review the arguments and the evidence for and against the belief that VE can be a force for greater inclusion in international learning, before going on to explore the issue of equity of engagement in VE projects.

Type
Plenary Speech
Information
Language Teaching , First View , pp. 1 - 13
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press

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Footnotes

This article is based on a plenary talk given at Diversity in the Digital Foreign Language Classroom International Conference on 30 March 2023 at the University of Education, Ludwigsburg, Germany.

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