Abstract:

The Bar-Ilan University population mirrors the diversity in Israeli society across language, culture, ethnicity, nationality, and religion. Thus, there is a constant need for teachers to address the challenges created by this reality on campus. This paper describes the Bar-Ilan University English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Gvanim ("shades of color") project, and the role of technology in facilitating its implementation during the COVID-19 outbreak. The project aims to promote multicultural awareness and sensitivity in the classroom among students participating in EFL courses, using the four modalities of language learning (reading, writing, speaking, and listening). For the purposes of the project, instructional resources, including academic texts, video clips, TED talks, and interactive activities were compiled, focusing on the topics of music and food. These topics were chosen for their universal appeal, richness of cultural content, and opportunity for conflict-free interaction in the classroom. Despite students' diverse linguistic, ethno-cultural, national, and religious backgrounds, they learned to communicate successfully, and engage in collaborative projects in a safe and non-threatening manner.

COVID-19 introduced a new challenge: an added dimension of social distancing. Not only was there cultural distance among students, there was physical distance as well. COVID-19 altered the traditional classroom environment as the university moved to fully online learning and interaction. Consequently, redesigning the unit became imperative to make it suitable for synchronous online language learning and there was concern that the project may be compromised. In fact, the various technological tools used on Zoom enhanced the project's goals and created connections in the multicultural classroom. Digital tools, such as Padlet, Thinglink, Wakelet, and Sutori, enabled collaborative work using the various language modalities. Through these digital interfaces, students negotiated the meanings of texts and produced written and oral materials reflecting various aspects of their cultural experiences and their understanding of cultural diversity. Indeed, technology mitigated both aspects of social distance.

Keywords:

EFL, multicultural sensitivity, social distancing, digital interfaces, tertiary education