Taeko Namura, a Japanese Lecturer at the Department of World Languages & Cultures, has been awarded funding for Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 by the Virtual Exchange Initiative, which is administered by the Office of International Initiatives. The project aims to enable Japanese students to have meaningful conversations with their international counterparts from Kansai University (Fall 2023), and Osaka and Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka (Spring 2024) and explore their language choices. Additionally, the project aims to enhance students' language proficiency, intercultural competence, and digital communication skills through shared online platforms. Kansai University, Osaka. I plan to collaborate with Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka for Spring 2024.
Dr. Shuai Li, Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies at the Department of World Languages & Cultures; and Yali Feng, Ph.D. student in the Applied Linguistics program, also received the Virtual Exchange Initiative awarded funding from the Office of International Initiatives for a project to be implemented in the Chinese program in Spring 2024. The proposed virtual exchange project aims to enhance Chinese language and culture learning for undergraduate students at Georgia State University (GSU) by fostering intercultural interactions with students from Minzu University of China (MUC). The partnership with MUC, a renowned institution for ethnic studies and culture, will involve 20-30 MUC undergraduate students majoring in Teaching Chinese as an International Language and 55-75 GSU students enrolled in Chinese language classes in the Spring of 2024. Paired students from GSU and MUC will engage in 5 weeks of virtual interactions, focusing on language practice and cultural discussions. These interactions will be facilitated by GSU and MUC faculty.
These Virtual Exchange projects aim to develop Japanese and Chinese language proficiency, cultural fluency, and intercultural awareness among GSU students while providing professional experience to students in partner schools.