Using remote communication tools to facilitate student engagement, language learning, and cross-disciplinary professional development before, during, and after the pandemic: the Newcastle Calls project 2020 as a case study

Abstract

Aimed at fostering student engagement using remote communication tools to restructure language teaching, the Newcastle Calls project was piloted in early 2020, providing Newcastle University’s Italian language students at intermediate level with a chance to be involved in the production of authentic material. Thanks to technology, they crossed space barriers, interviewed Italian researchers in the Antarctic and an Italian theatre actor virtually, discussing the researchers’ life, climate change, acting, and the effects of Italy’s COVID-19 lockdown. One of these interviews was made into a pilot documentary with Italian and English subtitles with the collaboration of Master of Arts (MA) translation and film students. This chapter explores how students benefitted from the experience, evaluates the project’s potential to facilitate students’ transition to professional life after university, and the facilitators’ experience using remote communication tools before and during COVID-19, reflecting on the advantages and challenges of implementing the use of up-to-date technology in language learning.