We created an eight-week virtual exchange (VE) programme called the Virtual Culture Trip which enabled 68 students from seven countries to engage in online intercultural interaction under the guidance of educators. This study investigated participants' perceived language skill improvement and intercultural competence (IC) after the programme, the…

As an inquiry based model, Lesson Study highlights teacher professional development in the field of English language teaching by giving teachers the role of researchers in classrooms. Gaining widespread popularity in different educational contexts and holding a great promise as a model of professional development, the Lesson Study model forms a…

Academic writing is a critical aspect of any doctoral program; yet the majority of graduate-level students do not possess adequate writing skills. This issue is especially problematic for non-native English-speaking (NNES) Ph.D. candidates who are required to present their dissertations in the English language. This study was designed as an action…

Focusing on the reflective exchanges of four test writers at an intensive language school within a public university, this study explored the effectiveness of a "lesson study" model on their professional development as test writers. Lesson study is a powerful tool for teachers' professional development and a modified version of it--a…