Target Audience: Secondary, tertiary.

Language Proficiency: High intermediate to advanced.

Learning Focus: Reading, writing.

Technology Needed: Web browser software and access to a bulletin board or web-based conferencing site.

Instructions:

It is usually not possible to visit personally with as many real-world business experts or informants as may be desirable. As an alternative, ask an international business associate to be available online for to check in and post responses to learner questions related to international business topics or issues in cross-cultural communication. This can be done through a chat room or videoconferencing session (in real time) or through a bulletin board or discussion forum (asynchronously).

Expanded Options:

• Invite two or more visitors with differing viewpoints to join the online discussion, e.g. male and female, or French and German, or European and Asian, or economist and broker.
  
  
• Invite a visitor "mystery guest" and do not give an introduction of any kind. Students interview the person and gather as much information as possible about who s/he is and what kind of work the s/he does.
  
  
• Invite guests with opposing views on a topic to help lead a debate on a given topic. Note: This works well in small groups. If the class has more than 10 people, then learners may need to form multiple teams.

Kay Westerfield, Global Communication Consulting,kwesterf@uoregon.edu