English as a Shared Intercultural Language in India–Japan Virtual Exchange: Communication Challenges, Shared Understanding, and Intercultural Learning

Authors

  • Saranyaraja Muthumaniraja Ferris University image/svg+xml
  • Dr. C. J. Shilaja Stella Maris College, Chennai, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63671/ijeir.v2i3.146

Keywords:

India–Japan virtual exchange, English as a shared intercultural language, intercultural communication, shared understanding, supportive communication, intercultural learning

Abstract

This qualitative case study examines English as a shared intercultural language in an India–Japan virtual exchange involving university students from both countries. Drawing on student reflections and researcher observations, it explores communication challenges, English use, and intercultural experiences. Thematic analysis identified difficulties related to pronunciation, perceived fluency differences, hesitation, turn-taking, and online audio conditions. Despite these challenges, participants sustained communication through accessible topics, visual support, supportive responses, and continued interaction. The findings suggest that successful intercultural communication depends on flexibility, cooperation, and willingness to manage difficulty rather than grammatical accuracy alone, offering implications for the design of future virtual exchanges.

References

Ala-Kortesmaa, S., & Muñoz, C. (2023). Challenges in virtual team communication in the context of virtual exchange experience. European Journal of Open, Distance and E-Learning, 25(1), 49–61. https://doi.org/10.2478/eurodl-2023-0004

Aquino, K. C., Tobin, E., & Sloan, S. (2023). Remote global learning: The role and use of virtual exchange for U.S. and Irish graduate students. Online Learning, 27(2). https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v27i2.3380

Avgousti, M. I. (2018). Intercultural communicative competence and online exchanges: A systematic review. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 31(8), 819–853. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2018.1455713

Baker, W. (2015). Culture and identity through English as a lingua franca: Rethinking concepts and goals in intercultural communication. De Gruyter Mouton.

Canagarajah, S. (2007). Lingua franca English, multilingual communities, and language acquisition. The Modern Language Journal, 91(s1), 923–939. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.2007.00678.x

Canals, L. (2022). The role of the language of interaction and translanguaging on attention to interactional feedback in virtual exchanges. System, 105, Article 102721. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2022.102721

Cogo, A. (2009). Accommodating difference in ELF conversations: A study of pragmatic strategies. In A. Mauranen & E. Ranta (Eds.), English as a lingua franca: Studies and findings (pp. 254–273). Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

Ennis, M. J., Verzella, M., Montanari, S., Sendur, A. M., Simeonova Pissarro, M., Kaiser, S., & Wimhurst, A. (2021). A telecollaboration project on giving online peer feedback: Implementing a multilateral virtual exchange during a pandemic. Journal of Language and Education, 7(4), 66–82. https://doi.org/10.17323/jle.2021.11914

Fuchs, C. (2020). “Soy estudiante de inglés :)”: A telecollaborative approach to intercultural and ethnographic engagement in a Hong Kong university course. The JALT CALL Journal, 16(1), 39–56. https://doi.org/10.29140/jaltcall.v16n1.290

Helm, F. (2015). The practices and challenges of telecollaboration in higher education in Europe. Language Learning & Technology, 19(2), 197–217.

Higgins, J. (2024). Virtual bridges to global competence: Cultivating undergraduates’ English communication and intercultural skills through online exchange. Journal of International Students, 14(4), 862–882. https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v14i4.6545

Huang, Y., & Lanford, M. (2024). Framing the barriers to collaborative online international learning implementation: The impact of political, infrastructural, temporal, and experiential factors. Globalisation, Societies and Education, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767724.2024.2302821

Ishihara, N., & Prado, M. C. de A. (2021). The negotiation of meaning in aviation English as a lingua franca: A corpus-informed discursive approach. The Modern Language Journal, 105(3), 639–654. https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12718

Jenkins, J. (2015). Global Englishes: A resource book for students (3rd ed.). Routledge.

Matsumoto, Y. (2011). Successful ELF communications and implications for ELT: Sequential analysis of ELF pronunciation negotiation strategies. The Modern Language Journal, 95(1), 97–114. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.2011.01172.x

Muthumaniraja, S., Shilaja, C. J., Vashisth, D., & Khurana, P. (2025). Empowering women through English: A phenomenological case study of cross-cultural virtual exchange between Indian and Japanese university students. In Proceedings of the International English Language Teaching Conference (iELT-Con 2025) (pp. 67–86).

O’Dowd, R. (2018). From telecollaboration to virtual exchange: State-of-the-art and the role of UNICollaboration in moving forward. Journal of Virtual Exchange, 1, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.14705/rpnet.2018.jve.1

O’Dowd, R. (2021). Virtual exchange: Moving forward into the next decade. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 34(3), 209–224. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2021.1902201

O’Dowd, R., & Dooly, M. (2020). Intercultural communicative competence development through telecollaboration and virtual exchange. In J. Jackson (Ed.), The Routledge handbook of language and intercultural communication (2nd ed., pp. 361–375). Routledge.

O’Dowd, R., Sauro, S., & Spector-Cohen, E. (2020). The role of pedagogical mentoring in virtual exchange. TESOL Quarterly, 54(1), 146–172. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.543

Seidlhofer, B. (2011). Understanding English as a lingua franca. Oxford University Press.

Taguchi, N., & Caprario, M. (2026). English as a lingua franca and communication strategies. In K. Bolton (Ed.), The Wiley Blackwell encyclopedia of world Englishes. Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119518297.eowe00094

Vettorel, P. (2018). ELF and communication strategies: Are they taken into account in ELT materials? RELC Journal, 49(1), 58–73. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688217746204

Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications: Design and methods (6th ed.). SAGE Publications.

Downloads

Published

2026-07-30

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 3: July-September 2026

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 International Journal of Educational Innovations and Research

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.