Intercultural Competences As a Bridge Between Foreign Language Education And Citizenship Education

Author(s):

Leena Lestinen(presenting / submitting)

Conference:

ECER 2014

Network:

20. Research in Innovative Intercultural Learning Environments

Format:

Paper

Session Information

20 SES 08 A, Intercultural Methodology and Competencies

Paper Session

Time:

2014-09-04

09:00-10:30

Room:

B322 Sala de Aulas

Chair:

Carmen Carmona Rodriguez

Contribution

Increasing mobility, diversity, and globalisation are challenging formal education in many ways in nation-states. Recent societal developments have drawn attention to a need to provide students with intercultural competences in addition to linguistic competences in foreign language education. Intercultural competences are also a more and more relevant issue in citizenship education extending the conception of a goal of education from traditional nation-state-based citizenship towards global citizenship. Interdisciplinary connections and conceptualisations of foreign language education and citizenship education are presented and discussed quite widely (e.g. Alred et al. 2006; Byram 2008; Guilherme 2002; Osler & Starkey 2005) in literature. The aim of this study is to use some generally accepted components of intercultural competences to examine their interdisciplinary potentiality in an empirical research context. The attempt here is to identify realisation of the chosen components, i.e. critical cultural awareness, cultural sensitivity, and skills to analyse, interpret and relate cultural products, in a natural university-level setting of teaching and learning foreign language and culture. The research was guided by the following question: how do the students perceive and reflect on the relation and cultural difference of a foreign culture and their home culture?

Method

The research design bases on qualitative methodology drawing from socio-constructivist and socio-cultural theoretical perspectives. These perspectives were also applied to teaching a university course on culture in foreign language learning that was a setting for conducting the research project. Research materials were gathered in the connection of a course assignment requiring the students in small groups to write an analytical report after reading texts and watching movies from a target culture. The participants of small-groups were students of Russian language and culture with either mono-cultural (Finnish) or bi-cultural backgrounds (Russian-Finnish). Working sessions of all small-groups including the participants´ interpretative and negotiative discussions were tape-recorded. The transcriptions were analyzed through content analysis.

Expected Outcomes

An expected major outcome of the research is gaining experience from an attempt to use conceptions of both language education and citizenship education in the same empirical small-case research context. The outcomes may provide some insights for further research on the mutual fruitfulness of conceptualisations in foreign language education and (intercultural, global) citizenship education as well as some practical ideas for their pedagogical development.

References

References: Alred, G. Byram, M. Fleming, M. (eds.) 2006. Education for intercultural citizenship: concepts and comparisons. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters. Byram, M. 2002. Foreign language education as political and moral education – an essay. Language Learning Journal 26: 43-47. Byram, M. 2008. From foreign language education to education for intercultural citizenship. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters. Byram, M. 2003. Intercultural competence. Strasbourg: Council of Europe. Guilherme, M. 2002. Critical citizens for an intercultural world: foreign language educations as cultural politics. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters. Kaikkonen, P. 2001. Intercultural learning through language education. In V. Kohonen, R. Jaatinen, P. Kaikkonen & J. Lehtovaara, Experiential learning in foreign language education. London: Pearson Education, 61-105. Kramsch, C.J. 1993. Context and culture in language teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Ojanen, S. 1993 Reflektiivisyys opetuksessa ja ohjauksessa [Reflection in teaching and advising]. In S. Ojanen (ed.) Tutkiva opettaja. Opetus 21. vuosisadan ammattina. Helsingin yliopiston Lahden koulutus- ja tutkimuskeskus,125-147. Osler, A. & Starkey, H. 2005. Citizenship and language learning: international perspectives. Stoke on Trent: Trentham Books. Peters, M. A., Britton, A. & Blee, H. (eds.) 2008. Global citizenship education. Rotterdam: Sense. Rauste-von Wrigt, M., von Wright, J. & Soini, T. 2003. Oppiminen ja koulutus [Learning and schooling]. 9., rev. ed. Helsinki: WSOY. Schön, D.A. 1983. Reflective practitioner. How professionals think in action. New York: Basic Books. Schön, D.A. 1987. Educating the reflective practitioner. London: Jossey Bass. Tuomi, J. & Sarajärvi, A. 2011. Laadulllinen tutkimus ja sisällönanalyysi [Qualitative research and content analysis]. Helsinki: Tammi. Tynjälä, P. 1999. Oppiminen tiedon rakentamisena. Konstruktivistisen tiedonkäsityksen perusteita [Learning as construction. Foundations for a construtivist conception of konwledge]. Helsinki: Kirjayhtymä.

Author Information

Leena Lestinen (presenting / submitting)

University of Jyväskylä

Jyväskylä

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