Journeys Towards Intercultural Capability in Language Classrooms: Voices from Students, Teachers and Researchers (Intercultural Communication and Language Education)

This open access book presents an account of five teacher educators who, over a two-year period, undertook a research project with five teachers of languages other than English in pre-secondary schools in New Zealand. Their collaborative aim was to develop students’ intercultural capability in the context of learning a new language. The school participants were typical of many in New Zealand’s pre-secondary sector; the teachers had limited language-teaching experience and limited prior knowledge of how to develop the intercultural dimension in their language classrooms, and the students were largely at the beginning stages of learning a new language. The book discusses the findings obtained using a range of data collection methods, including classroom observations, reflective interviews with teachers, and focus groups with students. It documents instances of breakthrough and growth for teachers and students and reveals the problems and tensions. Lastly, it reflects on thelessons learned in the course of this project and speculates on the roles that teacher education needs to play if the goal of intercultural capability is to be better achieved in language classrooms, both in New Zealand and internationally. Of interest to a wide range of stakeholders in the area of education, the book allows readers to gain an understanding of the opportunities of working with teachers through an action–research model, alongside the challenges that this brings and ways in which intercultural capability may be strengthened. Introduction and Acknowledgements References Contents 1 Beginning the Journeys Towards Intercultural Capability 1.1 Introduction 1.2 The Significance of Our Study 1.3 The Language–Culture Relationship 1.4 Communicative Competence 1.5 Communicative Language Teaching 1.5.1 Weak CLT 1.5.2 Presentation-Practice-Production 1.5.3 Strong CLT 1.5.4 Task-Based Language Teaching 1.6 What Has Been Lacking in CLT Approaches 1.7 Intercultural Communicative Competence 1.8 Intercultural Communicative Language Teaching 1.9 Challenges in Practice 1.10 Introducing the Present Study 1.10.1 The New Zealand Context for Language Teaching 1.10.2 Our Project 1.11 Presenting the Journeys 1.12 Conclusion References 2 Studies on the Intercultural Dimension Across the Globe 2.1 Introduction 2.2 The Intercultural Dimension 2.3 Intercultural Competence 2.4 Critiquing the Models of Intercultural Competence 2.5 Third Place Positioning 2.6 Interculturality in Curricula 2.6.1 Interculturality in Language Classrooms 2.6.2 Challenges for L2 Teachers 2.7 Studies into the Intercultural in L2 Teaching 2.7.1 Studies into the Intercultural with Young Learners 2.7.2 Embedding Intercultural Explorations in School Contexts 2.7.3 Collaborations Between Teachers and Teacher Educators/Researchers 2.7.4 Promoting Explicit Teaching and Scaffolding for Intercultural Learning 2.8 Conclusion References 3 The Intercultural Dimension in the New Zealand Language Teaching Context 3.1 Introduction 3.2 A History of Language Policy Development in New Zealand 3.3 New Zealand’s 2007 School Curriculum 3.4 Te reo Māori 3.5 Supporting Enactment of the Learning Languages Learning Area 3.5.1 The Ellis (2005) Report 3.5.2 The Newton et al. (2010) Report 3.6 Supporting Teachers with Enacting the Strands 3.7 Studies into the Intercultural in the New Zealand Context 3.8 Conclusion References 4 Introducing the Two-Year Study 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Background 4.3 Research Framework 4.3.1 Inquiry-Based Approaches 4.3.2 Inquiry Learning 4.3.3 Teaching as Inquiry 4.3.4 Collaborative Inquiry 4.4 Data Collection Methods 4.4.1 Student Data 4.4.2 Teacher Data 4.4.3 Researcher Data 4.5 Ethical Considerations 4.6 Teacher Participants 4.6.1 Lillian 4.6.2 Kelly 4.6.3 Kathryn 4.6.4 Mike 4.6.5 Tamara 4.7 Researchers 4.8 Research Procedures 4.8.1 Phase I (February 2016–June 2016) 4.8.2 Phase II (July 2016–December 2016) 4.8.3 Phase III (February 2017–September 2017) 4.8.4 Phase IV (September 2017–December 2017) 4.9 Data Analysis and Reporting 4.9.1 Data Source Identifiers References 5 Journeys Towards Intercultural Capability: The Students’ Voices 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Contextual Background 5.3 Lillian 5.3.1 Phase II Inquiry: Discovering Different Perspectives of School Sports 5.3.2 Phase III Inquiry: Using Senses and Feelings to Compare Schooling 5.4 Kelly 5.4.1 Phase II Inquiry: Exploring Concepts of Family Through Language and Culture 5.4.2 Phase III Inquiry: Comparing Values and Beliefs Reflected in Colours and Clothing 5.5 Kathryn 5.5.1 Phase II Inquiry: Noticing Similarities and Differences in the Use of Time 5.5.2 Phase III Inquiry: Using Student Inquiries About Food for Intercultural Exploration 5.6 Mike 5.6.1 Phase II Inquiry: Challenging Notions of “Normal” Through Food and Drink 5.6.2 Phase III Inquiry: Reflecting on School Systems 5.7 Tamara 5.7.1 Phase II Inquiry: Making Connections Through Movement 5.8 The Students’ Journeys: Emergent Intercultural Growth 5.8.1 Facts About the Target Cultures 5.8.2 Noticing Differences 5.8.3 Openness to Difference 5.8.4 Comfortableness with Difference 5.8.5 “Third Place” Positioning 5.9 Teachers’ Perceptions of Students’ Intercultural Learning Gains 5.10 Unanticipated Outcomes 5.10.1 Increased Engagement 5.10.2 Greater Use of the Target Language 5.10.3 Heightened Motivation for Future Language Use and Language Learning 5.11 Reflections on the Outcomes 5.11.1 The Issue of Age 5.11.2 Affective Impacts 5.12 Conclusion References 6 Journeys Towards Intercultural Capability: The Teachers’ Voices 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Contextual Background 6.3 The Participating Teachers 6.4 Preparing Teachers for Their Inquiry Cycles 6.5 Initial Reflections 6.6 Challenges Encountered in Practice 6.7 Pedagogical Approaches 6.8 Addressing Stereotypes 6.9 The Language–Culture Interface 6.10 Time Constraints 6.11 Teachers’ Reflections and Learnings from the Project 6.12 Realisations About the Teaching Approach 6.13 Self-Reflection and Critical Thinking 6.14 Benefits of the Project 6.14.1 Motivation and Student Engagement 6.14.2 Increased Critical Reflection 6.14.3 Additional Realisations 6.14.4 The Broader Context 6.15 Conclusion References 7 Journeys Towards Intercultural Capability: The Researchers’ Voices 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Contextual Background 7.3 Beginning the Journey 7.4 Phase I 7.5 Phase II 7.5.1 Critical Friend Conversations 7.5.2 Promoting Reflective Practices 7.6 Phase III 7.6.1 Challenges Emerging from the Inquiry Cycles 7.7 Phase IV 7.8 Conclusion References 8 Journeys Towards Intercultural Capability: Retrospective Reflections 8.1 Introduction 8.2 What We Found 8.2.1 Students’ Journeys: Developing Intercultural Capability 8.2.2 Teachers’ Journeys: Developing Intercultural Teaching and Learning 8.2.3 Researchers’ Journeys: Uncovering What Is Feasible 8.3 Language Teaching and Learning: Theoretical Considerations 8.3.1 Target Language or First Language Use? 8.3.2 Isolated or Integrated? 8.4 Implications for Language Education 8.4.1 Planning 8.4.2 Teaching 8.4.3 Reflecting 8.5 Further Implications for Language Education 8.5.1 Implications for the L2 Classroom—Integrating Culture and Language 8.5.2 Implications Beyond the L2 Classroom—Isolating Culture from Language 8.5.3 Reconciling the Language–Culture Interface in the New Zealand Context 8.6 Limitations and Directions for Further Research 8.7 Conclusion References This open access book presents an account of five teacher educators who, over a two-year period, undertook a research project with five teachers of languages other than English in pre-secondary schools in New Zealand. Their collaborative aim was to develop students' intercultural capability in the context of learning a new language. The school participants were typical of many in New Zealand's pre-secondary sector; the teachers had limited language-teaching experience and limited prior knowledge of how to develop the intercultural dimension in their language classrooms, and the students were largely at the beginning stages of learning a new language. The book discusses the findings obtained using a range of data collection methods, including classroom observations, reflective interviews with teachers, and focus groups with students. It documents instances of breakthrough and growth for teachers and students and reveals the problems and tensions. Lastly, it reflects on the lessons learned in the course of this project and speculates on the roles that teacher education needs to play if the goal of intercultural capability is to be better achieved in language classrooms, both in New Zealand and internationally. Of interest to a wide range of stakeholders in the area of education, the book allows readers to gain an understanding of the opportunities of working with teachers through an action-research model, alongside the challenges that this brings and ways in which intercultural capability may be strengthened