Intra-Program Email Exchanges

Abstract

Email exchange projects have been shown to raise intercultural communicative competence and cultural awareness, increase motivation and improve writing and computer skills. However, the difficult process of organizing and implementing such an exchange can leave instructors wondering if these benefits are worth the effort. One way to mitigate the difficulties involved is to have a practice intra-program email exchange before attempting an exchange with another school. This paper describes how one such exchange was organized, implemented, and integrated into the established curriculum at a university in Japan. The results demonstrate that completing an intra-program exchange can help learners build self-confidence and email writing skills and can help educators clarify objectives and identify problem areas before beginning an exchange with another school. Equally valuable, completing an intra-program exchange can also help educators determine whether an inter-school exchange is necessary or even desirable for the particular program in question.