BOOSTING FOREIGN-LANGUAGE COMMUNICATION CONFIDENCE THROUGH A SHORT-TERM ICT-BASED INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP

This paper outlines a short-term Information and Communications Technology (ICT)-based international exchange program co-organized by Hokkaido Information University (HIU), Japan, and Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi (RMUTT), Thailand. Participants in this program generally are non-fluent speakers with lower levels of proficiency. The program provides a context and goal that necessitate the use of English as a common language, or lingua franca, between Thai and Japanese students and instructors. The main part of the program consists of two workshops: one at HIU and one at RMUTT. Throughout the workshops, students work in teams of four to produce web pages, short films and computer programs, all in English and using English as their common language. At the end of the workshops, students present their work in groups to peers and teachers in all-English presentations. In order to assess how participation in the program affects students’ attitudes toward using English and interacting with an international community, a 24-item survey was designed, adapted from previous surveys on communication apprehension (CA) and willingness to communicate (WTC). The survey was given to all participating Japanese students before and after the workshops. For comparison, it was also given to a group of Japanese students not involved in the HIU-RMUTT program. Preliminary statistical treatment of student response data suggests significant differences in CA and WTC among program participants compared to non-participants, with more moderate differences between a preprogram survey and a post-program survey. Considerations for future research are offered at the end.