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ERIC Number: EJ935324
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0965-8416
EISSN: N/A
Intercultural Communicative Competence: Exploring English Language Teachers' Beliefs and Practices
Young, Tony Johnstone; Sachdev, Itesh
Language Awareness, v20 n2 p81-98 2011
This paper reports on an investigation into the beliefs and practices of experienced teachers in the USA, UK and France relating to the application of a model of intercultural communicative competence (ICC) to English language programmes. Broadly, "intercultural" approaches to language learning and teaching are strongly advocated in both the recent theoretical applied linguistics literature and in curricular guidance in frameworks such as the Council of Europe's "Common European framework of reference for languages". However, little prior empirical research has addressed the extent to which such approaches are actually operationalised. The investigation was multimethodological, combining diaries, focus groups, and questionnaires. Byram's language-pedagogical model of ICC was the specific focus. Findings indicated a general consensus across locations, with an apparent disparity between teachers' attitudes to and beliefs about ICC and their current classroom priorities. Most reported beliefs that supported the relevance of interculturality to their work and stressed that "good" learners and teachers tended to exhibit high intercultural competence. However, they also suggested that ICC was given relatively little emphasis in syllabi which were negotiated with learners. Participants also identified and discussed a lack of support, in testing, in textbooks, and in institutional syllabi, for effective and appropriate approaches to "culture learning" and interculturality. (Contains 2 tables.)
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A