At the second ELLRA conference, held at the Autonoma Universidad de Barcelona from 3- 5 June, 2026, the INVITED consortium hosted the themed symposium “Implementing Virtual Exchange in the Early Language Learning Classroom”, convened by Kirsten Birsak de Jersey and Harriet Jeeves from the University of Education Freiburg (Germany). The symposium brought together research and practical perspectives on how Virtual Exchange (VE) can be successfully integrated into pre-primary and primary language education.
The three presentations explored different aspects of implementing VE with young learners, from designing effective tasks and understanding teachers’ experiences to addressing the particular challenges of working with pre-primary children.
The first presentation, “Task-Based VE for Young Learners: Research-Informed Design Guidelines and Pedagogical Insights”, was given by Shona Whyte (University of Nice, France), Ciara Wigham (University Clermont Auvergne, France), and Euline Cutrim Schmid (University of Education Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany).
The presentation explored how effective task design can support successful Virtual Exchange projects in primary schools. Well-designed tasks are particularly important when working with young learners, as they can help create meaningful opportunities for communication, collaboration, and language learning across classrooms.
The second presentation, “Teachers’ Experiences with Virtual Exchange in the Early Foreign Language Classroom”, was presented by Mateja Dagarin Fojkar and Tina Rozmanič (University of Ljubljana, Slovenia), together with Katarzyna Brzosko-Barratt and Paulina Marchlik (University of Warsaw, Poland).
Drawing on survey data, the researchers examined in-service teachers’ experiences with and attitudes towards Virtual Exchange. Understanding teachers’ perspectives is essential for identifying not only the potential of VE, but also the practical challenges teachers may encounter when integrating it into their everyday classroom practice.
The final presentation, “Pedagogical Challenges in Designing Virtual Exchange Activities for Pre-Primary EFL Education”, was given by Florentina Nicolás-Conesa, Yvette Coyle, Pedro Férez Mora, and Encarna Carrillo from the University of Murcia (Spain).
The presentation examined the challenges and possibilities of designing age-appropriate Virtual Exchange activities for very young learners. The researchers highlighted how international online collaboration can be adapted to meet the needs of children at the very beginning of their language learning journey.
