Banal nationalism and conversational cosmopolitanism: the potential of online language education for intercultural communication

ABSTRACT

This article considers the potential of language-focused online teaching platforms (OTPs) for fostering intercultural communication among their users. Drawing on interviews alongside an analysis of two OTPs websites, I argue that OTPs' webpages (re)produce banal nationalism grounded in nation-language congruence and instrumentalist language ideologies that conceive of language learning in terms of potential socioeconomic gains. However, I also find that: (1) learners' experiences can result in them questioning essentialist language ideologies; and (2) many users embrace a language ideology of conversational cosmopolitanism, which is premised on open-minded interaction with others and is consistent with the goals of intercultural communication educators.

日常民族主义与对话式的世界主义：网络外语教学对跨文化交流的挑战与愿景

该论文讨论网络外语教学平台推动其使用者进行跨文化交流的潜在作用。通过分析两个网络外语教学平台的页面设置以及对平台使用者进行访谈，笔者发现，网络外语教学平台正在输出基于“民族语言”的日常民族主义价值观以及工具主义式的语言意识形态。该种工具主义式的语言意识形态宣扬外语学习的意义在于潜在的社会经济收益。然而，笔者亦发现：1）部分学生的学习经验鼓励他们质疑本质主义式的“民族语言”观念；2）不少使用者拥抱一种笔者称之为“对话式的世界主义”的语言意识形态，这种进步的语言意识形态倡导不同文化之间的开放交流，并且与跨文化交流的教育主旨相一致。

关键词：跨文化交流，网络外语教学平台，日常民族主义，世界主义，网络外语学习

KEYWORDS:

• Intercultural communication
• online teaching platforms
• banal nationalism
• cosmopolitanism
• online language learning

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Nathaniel Ming Curran

Nathaniel Ming Curran is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English and Communication at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He is affiliated with the university’s Research Centre for Professional Communication in English (RCPCE). His work on the topic of online language learning/teaching platforms appears in a number of leading journals, including Applied Linguistics, Computer-Assisted Language Learning, Information, Communication & Society, and Language & Education.