We are excited to share some fresh insights from the recent 43rd International Congress of the Spanish Association of Applied Linguistics (AESLA), held in Granada on April 16, 2026.
Azahara Cuesta García presented a fascinating study as part of the INTERACTIC project, which looks at a major transition for language students: moving from traditional face-to-face speaking activities to autonomous online interactions.
The research followed 14 B1-level Spanish as a Second Language (L2) learners at a Spanish university who had previously only experienced in-person oral activities. To test the waters of online learning, the students used our videoconferencing tool called Tandem. This specific platform allows students to interact in pairs completely autonomously because there was no teacher present in the virtual room.
By using a mix of pre- and post-task questionnaires to understand student perceptions, alongside video recordings of their interactions, the researchers utilized conversation analysis to see how the students handled their newfound independence.
Despite the initial learning curve, the students reported real benefits! Most notably, they highlighted how easy and smooth it was to transition between different online activities.