Abstract:

While the world continues, through the internet and other technologies, to develop into a global village, some universities in Hong Kong have observed with concern that their students’ viewpoint is decidedly local. This concern has led to a proliferation of initiatives such as exchange programs with partner institutions around the world, in an effort to foster a more international outlook in students.

This presentation will outline the features of a pilot cultural and language immersion project in which twenty under-graduate students from Hong Kong spent 4 weeks studying in an Australian university and participating in volunteer work. The aim of the project was to enhance students' ability to communicate effectively in English and to develop their awareness of, and sensitivity to, another culture. It will also summarise how the university in Hong Kong utilized the features of a learning management system to monitor both student progress and the input they were receiving during their time in Australia.