Internationalization at Home and the Development of the Linguistic Skills of Written Expression and Reading Comprehension in Foreign Language Teaching

Abstract

The emergence of COVID19 on the world scene has become a major challenge for the entire society and, in this particular case for the methods used in teaching and learning foreign languages in Higher Education Institutions. Not only teachers but also students have had to suddenly face the need to achieve their linguistic and intercultural academic goals in a totally new environment, characterized by the massive presence of digital and online teaching tools and by a very big lack of motivation in both teachers and students. In this study, we will analyze the relevance of virtual exchange and collaborative learning with foreign students who remain in their home universities and their contribution to improve the skills included in the CEFR. Starting with a case study of foreign language tuition in German and based on qualitative data, we will show the usefulness of internationalization at home as an effective tool for the development not only of linguistic skills, such as the written expression and reading comprehension, but also of the necessary intercultural competence. Furthermore, we will also examine how internationalization at home can be an equally useful tool or teaching practice to foster motivation in foreign language learning and teaching. We will highlight the relevance of teaching practices and resources at a time when teachers and students have had to get used to new teaching practices overnight. Based on the provided data, and due to its pedagogical relevance, we will be ready to conclude that internationalization at home is a practice that has offered an answer to a problem arising after the imposition of the lockdown and consequently should continue to be used at HEIs in the future.