Virtual exchange: moving forward into the next decade

Abstract

[ES] In a recent editorial position paper in this journal, Jozef Colpaert (2020) rightly observed the dramatic growth of interest in the pedagogical activity of connecting students in structured online intercultural collaboration with peers in order to develop their foreign language, intercultural and digital competences. However, he also takes issue with the gradual move away from the term ‘telecollaboration’ towards ‘virtual exchange’ to describe this pedagogy. I found Colpaert’s article very important as it challenges practitioners and researchers such as myself to critically reflect on the terminology we use to describe what we do. For that reason, I was both delighted and honoured when he invited me to address some of the issues which he raises in his position paper. I also take the opportunity here to review and look for commonalities in the many ‘impact reports’ which have been published lately based on large scale projects and initiatives related to virtual exchange. I then conclude by looking to what the immediate future may hold for this activity.