What is Asynchronous Video Communication

The chapter reports a Spanish-American intercultural exchange through which L2 learners used asynchronous video discussions to exchange cross-cultural perspectives. The study involved 37 university students who carried out CMC tasks over a 14-week period. Using quantitative and qualitative data collection, the study explored the affordances and challenges of using asynchronous video discussions for intercultural learning. Findings revealed that students demonstrated interpersonal communication skills and strategies to interact with their distant partners, and gained intercultural competence. The study suggests that a personal commitment to the online exchange is essential to maximize the potential of asynchronous CMC to promote active interaction. The study concludes with pedagogical implications for practitioners interested in implementing virtual exchange projects using video discussions to develop learners' interpersonal and intercultural communicative competence.