Our Assistant Head of the School of Foreign Languages, Inst. Ü. Levent Değirmencioğlu, participated in the 9th International Conference on Theoretical and Applied Linguistics – Structure, Use, and Meaning, held in Brașov, Romania, from 24 to 26 September 2026, where he presented his research on an international academic platform.

Hosted by the Transilvania University of Brașov, this year’s conference was held under the theme “Language Unbound: Exploring Diversity, Innovation, and Connection.” Bringing together researchers from various fields of linguistics, the conference addressed current research on linguistic diversity, innovative forms of communication, language learning and teaching, intercultural interaction, and language use across different contexts.

During the conference, our instructor presented his study entitled “Exploring Intercultural Communicative Competence Development in Virtual Exchange-Based EFL Learning Environments.” The study examined the impact of telecollaboration practices, which bring students from different countries together through online communication and collaboration, on Turkish students’ foreign language learning processes and intercultural communicative competence.

The study focused on foreign language use as well as intercultural communication, participation, interaction, and students’ language learning experiences through online interactions among learners from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. The research highlights that the opportunities for online communication provided by technology can be considered in foreign language education not only in terms of linguistic development but also in terms of enabling students to interact with different cultures and engage in meaningful communicative experiences.