Public Internet discussion forums offer vast possibilities for interaction with speakers of other languages, with newspaper websites from many countries proposing forums on a smorgasbord of topics from travel to tertiary education to techno music. These sites provide opportunities both for authentic foreign language practice, and for developing intercultural competence. Currently, however, public forums are largely ignored by language educators in favour of purpose-built exchanges between learners.

The authors investigate the untapped pedagogical potential of these forums. Drawing on examples from English- and French-language media websites, they explore cultural differences in public forum discussion, and propose guidelines for participating effectively and maximising the learning opportunities. Case studies highlight the skills needed to venture beyond learner-to-learner interaction and engage with another culture autonomously, in roles other than that of student.

The emphasis on strategies for successful and culturally sensitive interaction in authentic contexts makes the book a valuable tool for teachers and learners of any language.

List of Tables and Figures
Acknowledgements
Note on Quotations From Internet Forums
Introduction
PART I: CULTURAL DIFFERENCES ONLINE
Culture and Online Communication
Debate or Conversation? French and British Public Internet Discussion
Plus ça change…: Are Online Cultural Differences Fading Over Time?
PART II: LANGUAGE LEARNERS AND INTERCULTURAL INTERNET DISCUSSION
Public Discussion Forums as a Tool for Language Learning
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: Learners' Participation Strategies
Face Off: Identity in Online Debate
Towards Intercultural Discussion: Getting off on the Right Foot(Ing)
Case Study: Using Public Internet Forums to Develop French Argumentation Skills
Forums for Learning: Language, Culture and Identity
Notes
References
Internet Forums and Other Websites Cited
Index

BARBARA E. HANNA is a Senior Lecturer in French at the University of Queensland, Australia. She is particularly interested in teaching French as intercultural communication and has published in the fields of computer mediated communication, intercultural narratives and intercultural communication.
 
JULIANA de NOOY is a Senior Lecturer in French at the University of Queensland, Australia. She teaches across the fields of French language, intercultural communication, and cultural studies, and her research projects focus on questions of identity and difference as they arise in these disciplines.