抄録
This paper discusses the effects of eTandem online international video chat exchanges on Japanese university students as EFL learners and pre-service teachers. A total of seven students in Tokyo, Japan, participated in this research. They had an international exchange through a video chat in a tandem situation with six partners taking a Japanese language course in Melbourne, Australia. The exchange conversations were video-recorded and analyzed qualitatively with the thick description technique in the qualitative research method. Interactions among the members in five groups show that autonomy in negotiating the language choice between their primary and target languages and deciding on topics to talk about along the conversation stream made the exchange challenging and stimulating. Though the partners’ Japanese language proficiency levels varied widely, the Japanese participants coped with each situation by playing a Japanese language tutor role with a beginner partner or a new overseas friend with an advanced-level partner. All the groups collaborated conscientiously to enjoy the video chat international exchange by utilizing various communication strategies and code-switching between their primary and target languages. In conclusion, autonomous collaboration is crucial for students to be active and willing to communicate in an eTandem online international video chat exchange.
