‘It was sort of a linguistic shower over my students': a longitudinal analysis of teacher competence development for integrating plurilingual virtual exchanges into EFL education

Recent literature indicates that virtual exchanges remain largely shaped by monolingual paradigms, despite recommendations to incorporate plurilingual and pluricultural components into language education. Although plurilingual practices often emerge organically in lingua franca settings, they are rarely acknowledged or leveraged pedagogically, and are frequently overlooked in both research and practice. Addressing this gap, teacher education is identified as a key factor. This study, part of the Erasmus Plus-funded TEMPLATE project (2020-2023), examines the professional development of two primary EFL teachers as they designed and implemented plurilingual virtual exchanges (PVEs) over two academic years. Using a longitudinal case study approach, the research followed the teachers’ evolving understanding of PVEs. Data were collected through classroom observations, reflective activities, in-depth teacher interviews, as well as teaching materials and learner outputs. Thematic analysis identified three key competencies developed by the teachers: (a) designing VE projects with structured, collaborative tasks, (b) integrating relevant and engaging plurilingual elements into task design, and (c) empowering learners to take ownership of PVE activities. The article concludes by discussing the implications of these findings for professional development programmes, emphasising the need for sustained, reflective engagement to equip language teachers with the skills to integrate PVEs effectively into their classrooms.