Developing Intercultural Communicative Competence through Semester-Long Telecollaboration: A Mixed-Methods Study of Pakistani and German University Students in Virtual Exchange
Keywords:
telecollaboration, intercultural communicative competence, EFL, Pakistan, Germany, Byram, IDI, online intercultural exchangeAbstract
The growing internationalization of higher education has intensified the need for pedagogical approaches that foster intercultural communicative competence (ICC) alongside language proficiency. This study investigates the development of ICC through a semester-long telecollaboration project that paired English as a Foreign Language (EFL) university students in Pakistan with English education students in Germany. Grounded in Byram's (1997) model of ICC, Helm's (2015) telecollaboration evaluation framework, and Holmes and O'Neill's (2012) intercultural preparedness model, the study employed a mixed-methods research design to examine changes in participants' intercultural competence and communication practices. A total of 78 participants (40 Pakistani and 38 German students) engaged in three collaborative tasks: a cultural interview exchange, collaborative wiki development, and critical incident discussions conducted through video conferencing and shared online documents. Quantitative data were collected using the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI; Hammer et al., 2003), while qualitative data consisted of communication logs, collaborative artefacts, and reflective essays. Findings revealed statistically significant improvements in ICC for both groups (Pakistan: d = 0.63; Germany: d = 0.58), indicating moderate gains in intercultural development. Qualitative analysis further demonstrated enhanced knowledge of other cultures, improved skills of interpreting and relating cultural perspectives, and greater critical cultural awareness. Participants also reported increased empathy, openness, and confidence in intercultural communication. However, recurring misunderstandings, differing communication norms, and unequal linguistic confidence highlighted the challenges inherent in virtual intercultural exchanges. Power asymmetries associated with English as the shared medium emerged as a key factor influencing interaction quality and participation. The findings suggest that structured telecollaboration can serve as an effective pedagogical strategy for cultivating ICC in higher education while underscoring the importance of carefully designed tasks, guided reflection, and critical engagement with linguistic and cultural power dynamics.
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