Hello, everyone!
We are the WorldClassroom team of HelloWorld Inc.
We recently held an online cross-cultural exchange class using WorldClassroom at Koza High School in Okinawa Prefecture! About 30 students from Koza High School and 20 students from the Indonesian school participated for this session.
Before the exchange program began, we shared a video explaining important rules when interacting. The video was full of tips on how to have a smooth conversation in English, such as “use gestures” and “speak clearly!”
Every time in WorldClassroom class, we have an icebreaker activity before the cultural exchange to relieve students’ tension and ease the atmosphere.
The students were asked to answer a question, “If you could have any pet of your choice, what would it be?” Using reaction buttons on their screen, they shared answers.
All students seemed to enjoy participating in this activity!
After the icebreaker activity, the participants were divided into 10 small groups and WorldClassroom’s main activity has officially begun!
Students discussed various topics such as Japanese comic books (manga), Japanese animation (anime), favorite food, favorite singers, and more. Whenever a common hobby or interest was found, they cheerfully exclaimed in unison, and continued their conversations with excitement.
The discussion about anime was particularly lively. Many students responded to their peers passionately.
The students communicated enthusiastically using gestures and images on their smartphones. Some even took notes of what other peers said, showing keen interest in discussed topics.
Time flew by, and the cultural exchange came to a concluding phase.
Representing their classes, one student from each Japanese and Indonesian school delivered a speech expressing gratitude. The Japanese student said with a bright smile, “I am very glad to have learned many things about Indonesia. I would love to talk to you again if there is an opportunity!”
At the end of the event, we took a photo together to capture the wonderful memories students made that day!
WorldClassroom allows students to connect with their peers from around the world and engage in international cultural exchange as if they were visiting a classroom next door.
Just like other classes we had in the past, this international exchange between schools from Japan and Indonesia turned out to be a wonderful session filled with everyone’s smiles.
In just under an hour, students were able to communicate beyond language barriers, explore each other’s culture, and make new friends! We were able to tell from their smiles that they had a very fulfilling time☺︎
How did you feel about using WorldClassroom for international exchange?
“I had a lot of fun interacting with people from another country. I would love to do it again sometime!”
“I was not confident in my English at first, however, little by little, I was able to speak with other students, and I was very happy about it. I was impressed by how I was able to communicate with students from overseas using English.”
“Although I did not fully understand what other students were saying, I was able to tell about myself and my culture. It was so fun to be able to talk about common topics with my peers!”
What benefits can you think of from continuing to use WorldClassroom?
“I can make friends from all over the world!”
“I will be more motivated to learn English and will be able to take an initiative in learning English.”
“I think it will help me develop independent thinking skills instead of relying on my teacher.”
“It will help me successfully pass my English exams in the future!”
What is WorldClassroom?
It is an online cross-cultural exchange & English education platform that is widely used in public schools in Japan and schools abroad. We aim to encourage students’ language acquisition and international cultural exchange through the use of technology, while at the same time reducing teacher’s burdens by using an automated evaluation system.
WorldClassroom enables students to use English as a lingua franca in today’s world! Why don’t you provide great, real-life English learning opportunities for your students through online cross-cultural exchange, which they cannot experience just by sitting in front of their desks?
We look forward to hearing from you!
To contact us, please click here.
