Unexpected affordances of virtual exchange as teacher education: learning about, with, and from students in a conflict country

Virtual exchange projects with participants in countries conflict can challenge future teachers to examine previous assumptions and prepare them better meet the needs of others whose daily lives may be punctuated by violence. Through virtual exchange, are pushed out their comfort zones through interactions geographic, sociocultural, sociolinguistic backgrounds different from own. such projects, gain both techno-semio-pedagogic knowledge intercultural needed take an asset-based approach toward cultural linguistic difference. This article explores perspectives graduate students TESOL who were paired adult learners English Afghanistan for ten 90-minute synchronous online tutoring sessions. Data, form written reflections submitted as a part coursework, offer evidence shifts participants’ descriptions difference, about Afghanistan, content knowledge, teaching online. These data suggest that invaluable professional experience support live places where they do not feel safe, have been forced leave homes, witnessed or experienced violence themselves.