The Interface of Intercultural Communication and Foreign Language Education (original) (raw)
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Language, Learning, and Globalization: Interdisciplinary Investigation of Foreign Language Learners
colorado.edu
Foreign language learning is of interest to scholars in a variety of subdisciplines, including applied linguistics, education, bilingualism, and educational anthropology. Furthermore, its “globalized” nature sometimes interests sociocultural anthropologists, ethnolinguists, and various critical scholars. How can a sociocultural linguist whose interests lie in linguistic anthropology and discourse analysis, but whose fieldwork involves foreign language learners, contribute to this broad interdisciplinary conversation? My current research combines participant observation and close analysis of discourse in order to investigate the ways that participants in “Hippo Family Club,” a transnational language-study group, (re)create discourses of what the club means and how it works. My own interests relate primarily to linguistic ideologies and the construction of identity. At the same time, though, the nature of the subjects and field sites makes the work of interest to various scholars and obliges me to consider diverse perspectives. This presentation, then, has two elements. First, I describe the practices of Hippo Family Club member-learners in the United States, Japan, and elsewhere. Special attention is given to the construction of an imagined, international “family” of users. Second, I reflect on my attempts to position this work, and on the uptake by scholars in various subdisciplines.
Cross-Cultural Communication: Perspectives from Translation Studies and Applied Linguistics
This paper has emerged out of the conviction that linguistic theory has more to offer to translation theory than is so far recognized and vice versa. One reason for the relative separation between the two fields is, perhaps, the domination of formal approaches to language study for a considerable period of time. But, with the spread of functional linguistics in the last three decades, there have been growing hopes for establishing links between linguistics and translation studies. Accordingly, the discussion, in the present study, proceeds primarily from the perspectives of “Translation Studies” and “Applied Linguistics”. One major goal is to show the interrelationships between linguistics and translation, and how they benefit from each other. The basic underlying theme, here, is that “inside or between languages, human communication equals translation. A study of translation is a study of language” (Bassnett-McGuire, 1980: 23). In addition, both translators and linguists deal with two linguistic systems, each with, perhaps, a different cultural system. So, if we agree that ‘all communicators are translators’ (Bell, 1994), we must remember that the role of the translator is different from that of the ‘normal communicator’: the translator is a bilingual mediating agent between monolingual communication participants in two different language communities. On the other hand, there has been a great focus on using English only as a medium of instruction in all courses taught in the UAE University. Accordingly, the second goal of this study is to try to answer the questions, “How much translation from L1 is permitted in FL teaching? and “What are the factors that determine the quantity to be used?”. The view adopted in the present study is that disregarding L2 learners’ mother-tongue and considering it “a bogey to be shunned at all costs” is a myth. And, providing maximum exposure to the foreign language may help in learning that language (Krashen, 1982, 1985), but, sometimes, at the expense of understanding and intelligibility.
Foreign language and intercultural development in the Japanese context a case study
Language and Intercultural Communication, 2020
Recently, the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has produced several internationalisation policies to develop their notion of guroubaru-jinzai (global human resources). However, a lack of clear direction regarding theories and approaches about how to achieve these initiatives has created a gap in the research. Therefore, this paper seeks to fill that gap by introducing an interdisciplinary approach towards creating a foreign language and intercultural development framework. A case study results suggest that the framework can be useful to encourage students’ attitudes and perceptions of foreign language and intercultural development towards developing global human resources.
Cambridge Open-Review Educational Research e-Journal (CORERJ), 2019
The issue of intercultural communication has garnered more attention than ever as the world changes with increasing mobility both physical and virtual. Such change not only transforms how we communicate but also foregrounds cultural differences and the implications of intercultural understanding. Scholarly debate on the nexus of language and culture has ignited considerable research effort to contextualise foreign language education to accommodate such changing landscape. This article reviews both this debate and empirical effort with two aims. First, it aims to explore theoretical debates on the nature of the relationship between language and culture to identify the theoretical underpinnings of educational practice. Second, it reviews relevant empirical research to reveal how the issue of language and culture has been addressed in foreign language classrooms. In the theoretical overview, three highlights in the language-culture nexus debate are summarised, followed by the proposed dual focus on language and culture in foreign language education. Particularly, a model of intercultural communicative competence (ICC) is reviewed in detail as the paradigmatic example of addressing both language and culture in foreign language education. In the empirical review, scholarly works inspired by the ICC model are synthesised into three different themes, namely "Developing ICC: The traditional classroom approach", "Developing ICC: The telecollaboration approach" and "Assessing ICC". Insights and limitations of previous studies are discussed and future research directions are proposed at the end.
Supplementary_1_Brutt-Griffler_2006_Language_and_globalisation_Myths_and_realities_EF69
This article examines the cultural and linguistic foundations of evolving ecologies of communication in which intercultural learning and teaching will play out in the twenty-first century. A number of forces in modern society have combined to thrust the importance of culture, intercultural understanding, and the learning of modern foreign languages onto center stage. In particular, the economic and geopolitical imperatives of globalisation (GNUTZMANN/INTEMANN 2005) have created a renewed interest in the fate of cultures and languages and in the necessity of promoting advanced levels of proficiency in modern languages (cf. KRAMSCH 2005).
ENGLISH IN AN INTERCULTURAL WORLD Mastering Advanced Communication Skills for Global Interaction
ENGLISH IN AN INTERCULTURAL WORLD Mastering Advanced Communication Skills for Global Interaction, 2024
This book offers a proposal to analyze the processes that occur in intercultural encounters at an international level, as well as to intervene in them. The structure is divided into two parts: It begins with an attempt to define the concept of culture, considering the particularities of the diverse cultural expressions. Secondly, systemic theory focused on people is applied to analyze and act on the processes that occur in intercultural encounters. Systems thinking is used to relate intercultural experiences, which are sometimes problematic. To specify the reflections, the meaning of a change towards a new social system is analyzed, a situation that is experienced in times of globalization (Soto-Molina, 2019). In a study on the limits and scope of bilingualism in Colombia, the authors conclude that the faculties of education needed modernization in keeping with the times and advances in science and technology. But they also maintain that it was the only way to ensure that degree programs met minimum quality requirements. (Soto, & Heredia, 2018)
The Journal of AsiaTEFL, 2020
Learning a second language (L2) provides a pathway to explore other worldviews and cultural values. However, most L2 learners cannot reach high levels of proficiency due to the lack of opportunities to reinforce what they have learned. Previous L2 studies have shown that if students have no opportunity to apply their knowledge, they forget over 50% of what they have learned within the first 24 hours, and 80% after a week (Gallon, 2016). Even those who achieve high scores in language assessment may not be fluent enough for intercultural communications, because most language textbooks focus on linguistic accuracy, rather than sociolinguistic rules. The gap between textbook discourse and authentic conversation prevents many students from applying what they have learned into practice (Gilmore, 2007). Addressing the above concerns, in this edited collection, Romanowski and Bandura adopted a sociocultural approach to learn and acquire L2 in multifaceted contexts through exploring different topics, such as L2 learning in multicultural classrooms, teacher education, L2 and telecommunication and virtual collaboration platforms. The learning cultures are highlighted as a key for linking L2 learning to practice. The book is comprised of 12 chapters written by language researchers based on their empirical research or first-hand professional experience. The authors not only come from English-speaking countries, but also from Eastern Europe, South America and East Asia. Their diverse backgrounds and experiences offer a global view of second/foreign language learning and addresses the concerns from both the teacher's and learner's perspectives. The chapters are organized in three sections. Section 1, titled "Challenges of Intercultural Encounters and Foreign Language Education", begins with a chapter by Éva Csillik, who shares her English teaching experience in a multicultural/multilingual classroom where a lingua franca is necessary to enable classroom communication. Chapter 2 provides a student's perspective through examining the L2 learning processes of 258 Syrian refugees in Turkey. The role of L2 learning is highlighted as the key to successful sociocultural adjustment, which brings benefits to both asylum seekers and the host community. Chapter 3 also focuses on the learner's view by examining how students dealt with intercultural clashes in their online communication. This chapter reveals the language differences in perceived norms of politeness between university staff and students. A seldom-researched issue, the gap between textbook language and authentic conversations in daily life, is also highlighted. The fourth chapter takes a more comprehensive view by explaining how culturally-based factors affect students' cross-/intercultural communication in different contexts. The author also makes profound suggestions about how students and teachers can develop cultural awareness. Section 2 focuses on curriculum development and gives suggestions for improving L2 intercultural learning. This section begins with Chapter 5, "Intercultural Language Teaching in an Era of Internationalization," which explains the conceptual difference between internationalization and internationalism. The author argues that L2 learning in university is not simply for seeking better career opportunities, but also for receiving an education in global values. It encourages students to have more international interactions to develop their intercultural competence. Chapter 6 uses a narrative approach