Cross-cultural Projects to Enhance Communication

• Rita Zeinstejer

• Rosario• Argentina

Two environments

• blog: Sharing Learning

• wiki: Sharing Culture

objectives• familiarize learners with technology • allow them to practise English in authentic,

meaningful situations • contact English speaking people from

other countries • raise awareness of the importance of

going global • help students hone the four skills • expand learners' cultural

understanding and horizons 

both allow uploading of files and photos by different users

• Blogs

• structured• highly personal• focus: process• administered by one

individual• editable by creator• chronologically organized

• Wikis

• flexible• intensively collaborative• focus: content• open to anybody

• editable by anyone• organized in innumerable

ways

wiki

• Project work with Webheads http://caeb2008.pbwiki.com/

• collaborative writing• maps• images• photos• audio

Project work with Webheads

• Collaborative project

“What you know about the interviewee’s country

and what you’d like to know”

Stages of the Project

• Introduction: class discussion “purpose of studying a second language”.

• Intro: countries and teachers involved: brainstorming knowledge on different cultures

• Agenda: • setting the rules• preparation: in class• wiki: in MM room• live interview• recordings uploaded• follow-up: in the classroom: what they

learned• reporting: written task

What the project with ten members of WIA from nine different countries implied for my students:

 • honing listening and speaking skills• expanding vocabulary• using the language in authentic

situations• using English with native/non-native

teachers of the language• communicating safely• learning about other cultures• boosting their self-confidence• raising awareness on the importance of

learning English 

blog

• Classblog: http://ritamz.ning.com/

• Project work• Discussion forums• Links for extra practice• Tools and apps

• Individual blogs

Project work with students fom Korea

• Prof. Sook Whan Cho (Korea), from International Writing Exchange Projects (IWE) http://www.writeit.to/sys/

• essay postings• classblog exchanges• individual blogs exchanges• http://ritamz.ning.com/profile/HongSeongBeom• http://ritamz.ning.com/profile/RanHur

What the project with students from Korea implied for my students: • using English in authentic contexts• communicating safely• gaining cultural input• gaining self confidence• gaining new contacts• exposure to new experiences• using state-of-the-art technology

Essays published in our classblog on:

 • international marriages : example of weddings in

Japan and Korea, with photos/images• differences between oriental/occidental cultures:

costumes, food, festivities, table manners, etiquette, art.

Students’ feedback

• http://ritamz.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=1985596%3ABlogPost%3A4621

• In SLIDESHARE: http://www.slideshare.net/RitaZ/cross-cultural-projects-to-enhance-communication-presentation/