Graduation Year

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Ed.D.

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

Degree Granting Department

Language, Literacy, ED.D., Exceptional Education, and Physical Education

Major Professor

Terry Osborn, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Timothy Reagan, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Sanghoon Park, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Jennifer Wolgemuth, Ph.D.

Keywords

Virtual Exchange, Intercultural Exposure, Diglossia, Language Pedagogy, Cross-Cultural Communication, Multi-dialectal Approach

Abstract

The literature on foreign language education shows an increasing interest in incorporating intercultural communicative competence in the foreign language curriculum. However, making intercultural communicative competence an active component in Arabic as a foreign language curriculum in the United States has been overshadowed by a heavy emphasis placed on developing learners’ grammatical competence instead. Intercultural communicative competence has been proven to help language learners develop an awareness of their own culture and other cultures, an appreciation for both the target language and culture, and a set of necessary skills that allow them to communicate effectively and appropriately with others. Intercultural communicative competence is an effective way to counter overgeneralized stereotypes against Arabs, especially now when perceptions of a large number of Americans towards Arabs and their cultures are engulfed in stereotypes and characterized by misinformation and misconceptions. Telecollaboration or online intercultural exchanges have been proven to be one of the effective pedagogical strategies to facilitate intercultural communicative competence. Research has shown that telecollaborative activities have led to both intercultural and linguistic gains. While extensive research explored the effect of using internet-based intercultural exchanges to facilitate language learners’ intercultural and linguistic gains across various languages, little to no research is available which manifests the perspectives and practices of Arabic as foreign language teachers in using telecollaboration for facilitating intercultural communicative competence in terms of Byram’s ICC model and exposing students to Arabic as a multidialectal language.

In this inquiry, I explored AFL instructors’ perspectives and practices regarding the effectiveness of telecollaboration in enhancing Arabic as a Foreign Language (AFL) learners’ intercultural communicative competence (ICC) and linguistic skills in Arabic as a multiglossic language. The participants of this study were 11 Arabic as a foreign language instructors at the tertiary level. The results indicate significant insights into the use of telecollaboration to enhance Arabic as a Foreign Language (AFL) learners’ intercultural communicative competence (ICC) and multidialectal skills. It highlights the multifaceted benefits of telecollaboration, such as facilitating the acquisition of both Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and dialects, fostering authentic cultural immersion, countering stereotypes and skills of discovery, and promoting learners’ intercultural attitudes of openness and curiosity. The findings strongly suggest that telecollaboration supports learners in connecting classroom theory with real-world applications, cultivating fluency over accuracy in communication, and navigating the complexities of Arabic’s diglossic nature. While logistical challenges such as time zone coordination and differing institutional schedules were noted, instructors emphasized the profound impact of telecollaboration in building dialect(s) proficiency, intercultural awareness, and intercultural relationships, with many learners forming meaningful connections and relationships with their language partners overseas. According to the participants, these exchanges not only dismantled learners’ media-driven preconceived notions but also fostered their critical thinking and deep cultural engagement, making telecollaboration a transformative educational experience for AFL learners.

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