Collaborative online international learning among peers as a means to improve English proficiency : a perception study of Hong Kong students

Abstract

Peer collaborative learning has been proven effective in improving learners’ English language proficiency when English is the medium of communication between peers. This paper reports a cross-institutional project between Hong Kong (HK) and the United Kingdom (UK) during the pandemic in which peer collaborations between students from these two places occurred completely online. Using learners’ perceptions as the research methodology, this study collected data from three channels: questionnaire surveys, interviews, and students’ written feedback. The initial findings of this study suggested that overall, the students perceive an increase in their English language proficiency after the peer collaboration.