A Review of Research on Telecollaboration in English as a Foreign and Second Language Learning Contexts

Abstract

This review intends to classify features, research purposes, methodologies, impacts, and limitations concerning telecollaboration in English as a foreign and second language education. The preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) method was utilized for the review. The main conclusions drawn from the analysis of the results showed that telecollaboration projects primarily involved bicultural groups of participants, the majority of the studies were conducted with the participation of language users at the tertiary level, the scope of research in most of the studies was based on the investigation of cultural awareness and the development of intercultural communicative competence, the methodology sections of the studies mostly involved qualitative research methods, the communication mode between/among the participants was asynchronous in most of the research, and telecollaboration projects present various benefits in EFL and ESL settings.