Exploring third spaces during pre-service teacher online intercultural conversations

We examined intercultural conversations in English between South African and Dutch pre-service teachers during a Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) project. Unlike traditional COIL research, which emphasizes good practices and professional development, our approach explored the significance of everyday conversations in finding common ground. Through video analysis, we explored instances when common ground fostered a third space—a hybrid, in-between space—with the potential to promote equity and inclusivity. Results highlight how intercultural, professional, and personal conversations created temporary moments of third space. The role of “connection” in a COIL project shows how specific snapshots of intercultural communication and personal and normative conversations give alternative insights into pre-service teacher professional development. These dynamics suggest the importance of a more humanistic approach through descriptions of small, everyday conversational snapshots. Results in this study confirm that a North-South COIL project using English as a lingua franca is an effective way to promote inclusion and mutual understanding.