| This case study explored the potential for implementing social studies content-based English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instruction in a Korean middle school facilitated by computer-mediated communication (CMC), guided by the research question, "Can English language learners better understand their own culture by presenting it to those in another country via CMC?" Lessons on the topic of stereotyping were taught, followed by the collection of data on students' online exchanges with their counterparts in another country about their respective cultures. Methods used to assess cultural understanding included analysis of online and face-to-face interaction, interviews, and a culture values survey. The instructor offered to scaffold student participants' language learning to help them ask questions, provide information, and express opinions in the target language. Findings show that some of the students from Korea better understood and developed a critical awareness of their own culture by participating in the study. |
