Translating intercultural experiences into pedagogic insights: shifts in language teachers’ perceptions of English as a language for intercultural communication

Abstract

These days, many pre-service and in-service language English language teachers now complete at least part of their professional training overseas. There is, thus, an important question concerning the impact of intercultural encounters on teachers’ perspectives towards the English language and the teaching of English. This paper reports on a study of how a small group of in-service teachers interpreted their experiences of intercultural communication in the UK whilst completing an MA TESOL degree, illuminating the nature of teachers’ perceptions of language and culture and how teachers translated insights derived from reflection on experience into pedagogic insights for the teaching of English as a global language. The findings reveal that participants’ views shifted away from highly normative conceptions of English language use as they recognised the variability and fluidity of communication in real-life intercultural encounters. Based on critical moments in their communication experiences, teachers articulate the importance of broadening their own learners’ perspectives on diversity within the English language and helping them develop cognitive and attitudinal tools to interact appropriately with diverse others. The paper contributes to understanding of the facilitative potential of teachers’ reflections on their own experiences of linguistic and cultural diversity in coming to formulate pedagogical ideals and concrete methodological possibilities.

Keywords:

• Intercultural
• language
• teacher
• awareness
• experience

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Yipei Chen

Yipei Chen is a high school English teacher in Taiwan. She has an MA degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from the University of Warwick, UK. Her research interests cover intercultural communication and interaction. She is particularly interested in understanding how learners develop intercultural capabilities and understandings through English language learning, and how educators promote these competencies in class.

Troy McConachy

Troy McConachy is Associate Professor in Applied Linguistics at the University of Warwick. His work focuses on intercultural learning within a variety of educational contexts such as classroom-based language learning, study abroad, and internationalised higher education environments. In addition to various journal articles and book chapters, he is the author of the monograph Developing Intercultural Perspectives on Language Use: Exploring Pragmatics and Culture in Foreign Language learning. He is also Editor-in-Chief of the international journal Intercultural Communication Education (Castledown Publishers).