Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) for Creating One-person Comedy in an L2
Publication Date
Fall 2025
Document Type
Article
Publication Title
Connections: A Journal for Language Educators
Volume
13
First Page
99
Last Page
118
Abstract
Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) is a form of virtual exchange that provides students in partner classes from different countries with the opportunity to work together toward a shared educational goal. This paper introduces a COIL module in which students learned to write and perform one-person comedic storytelling in their second language (L2): a kobanashi [short story] in the Japanese rakugo tradition for American students and American stand-up comedy for Japanese students. It explains the pedagogical rationale and the design of the module and details the progression of synchronous activities and assignments arranged for a group project of creating a vaudeville video. Beyond polishing language and renewing cultural assumptions for communicating humor, COIL fostered students’ skills and collaborative attitudes necessary for teamwork.
Keywords
COIL, Rakugo, One-person comedic storytelling, Pedagogy, Intercultural communication
Department
World Languages and Literatures
Recommended Citation
Midori Ishida. "Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) for Creating One-person Comedy in an L2" Connections: A Journal for Language Educators (2025): 99-118.
