Connecting cultures and participation through WhatsApp: assessing students’ perception in the ClerKing telecollaborative project

Abstract

Mobile Instant Messaging (MIM) has become very trendy in the field of language learning; however, while there are many studies that include WhatsApp, used here to connect cultures and/or widen participation, very few articulate how students view it or its impact in acquiring and developing linguistic, cultural, and intercultural competencies. This paper reports on ClerKing, a Franco-Jamaican telecollaborative project, which occurred in two phases between Applied Foreign Languages (AFL) students from University Clermont Auvergne (UCA), France, and Modern Languages students of French from Shortwood Teachers’ College (STC), Jamaica. WhatsApp was used in both phases. Using the exploratory approach, this study seeks to provide insight into students’ perception of the use of WhatsApp in the project, as well as possible moments of knowledge acquisition. Preliminary findings show that WhatsApp is considered to be practical, popular, and preferable. Students acquired knowledge about religion and homosexuality, improved on expressions, and strengthened their grammar.