13 Employing Online Chat to Resolve Task-Based Activities: Using Online Chat to Promote Cultural Language Exchange between Japanese and Taiwanese Learners Mark R. Freiermuth Hsin-chou Huang Summary In this chapter, we discuss student descriptions of a task-based English language learning activity that was resolved using online chat. Chinese-speaking university students in Taiwan and Japanese-speaking university students in Japan were mixed together in nine small groups and chatted online in English to address the provided task. Data obtained from a post-task questionnaire indicated that the students enjoyed chat because they could communicate and learn about their overseas counterparts whose language and culture were different from their own. The task proved to be highly motivating to them, and although they recognized differences across cultures, it actually sparked their communication. The implication for teachers is that well-developed online chat tasks have the potential to open doors for realistic and motivating interaction in the target language (TL) as well as to encourage positive cultural exchanges. 28790.indb 211 28790.indb 211 01/08/2014 14:49 01/08/2014 14:49