Optimising Study Abroad through Virtual Exchange

Erscheinungsjahr 2026
ISBN: 978-3-032-27775-6
Verlag: Palgrave Macmillan

Buch, Englisch, 337 Seiten, Format (B × H): 148 mm x 210 mm

Reihe: New Language Learning and Teaching Environments

This book is designed to help educators equip students to navigate the cultural, linguistic and academic challenges of studying abroad. By addressing the common barriers to meeting learning outcomes when studying a foreign language abroad, the author demonstrates how successful interventions using the  Virtual Exchange have enabled students to collaborate online before embarking on mobility programmes. With a firm basis in the research literature, the book aims to stimulate innovation in study abroad programmes’ curriculum and structure to optimise learning, and to broaden accessibility to international education in general. The rigorous analysis in each chapter is supported by a comprehensive set of guidelines on implementing study abroad preparation, as well as a supplementary task dossier, student handbook, reflective e-portfolio, and video. It will be of interest to researchers and practitioners in foreign language education and virtual exchange (or computer-assisted language learning) as well as study abroad and the internationalisation of higher education.

Zielgruppe

Research

Autoren/Hrsg.

Alonso Morais, Ángela M.

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Pädagogik Schulen, Schulleitung Universitäten, Hochschulen
• Geisteswissenschaften Sprachwissenschaft Spracherwerb, Sprachentwicklung
• Geisteswissenschaften Sprachwissenschaft Fremdsprachenerwerb und -didaktik
• Sozialwissenschaften Pädagogik Berufliche Bildung Wissenschaftliches Arbeiten, Studientechnik

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Chapter 1: Introduction.- Chapter 2: The Intersection Between Study Abroad and Virtual Exchange.- Chapter 3: The GearUp Model of Virtual Exchange.- Chapter 4: Research Methodology: Investigating Virtual Exchange in Context.- Chapter 5: The Impact of Pre-Mobility Virtual Exchange.- Chapter 6: From Research to Practice: Designing a Pre-Mobility Virtual Exchange.- Chapter 7: Conclusions and Future Research.

Über Autor(innen)

Ángela M. Alonso Morais is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English Studies at Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), Spain. She obtained her PhD in English Studies in 2025 from the University of León (ULE), where she held a research fellowship from 2021 to 2026. She holds a BA in Modern Languages (ULE, 2019) and an MA in Teacher Training for Secondary Education, Baccalaureate, Vocational Training and Language Teaching (ULE, 2021). She has experience teaching English for Specific Purposes (ESP) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Her research primarily focuses on Virtual Exchange, exploring how this pedagogical approach can prepare students for the challenges of studying abroad. She collaborated on the Erasmus+ European Policy Experiment (VALIANT, 2021–2024). Her main research interests lie in the areas of pre-mobility Virtual Exchange, Study Abroad, task-based language teaching, intercultural learning, and the development of foreign language teaching and learning materials.