Communication Skills, Cultural Sensitivity, and Collaboration in an Experiential Language Village Simulation

Abstract

This article discusses five college students' experiences in a simulated full‐immersion, Arabic‐speaking language village and the impact of that experience on learners' beliefs about the power of collaborative learning, the critical importance of cultural awareness, the efficacy of learning languages within a functioning community of practice, and the utility of role play and experiential learning. The article also shares students' insights into the value of both classroom and unstructured language learning opportunities and the contribution that such immersion scenarios can make as a stepping‐stone into a full‐immersion, long‐term study abroad experience.

Lived Experiences of Student Leaders

“…Moreover, in gathering first-hand data on the lived experiences of the participants, the researchers made use of open-ended questions for their written narrative essays that were substantiated with interviews. Data analysis procedure was partly adapted from the research procedure of [7] recorded interviews, transcription, reduction, and regrouping and coding.…”