IALIC/Subject Centre Pedagogical Forum (16 Dec 2003)
Date: 16 December, 2003
Location: George Fox Building, Lancaster University
Event type: Conference
IALIC/Subject Centre Pedagogical Forum
Intercultural Lessons: locating the intercultural in an educational context
Programme | Abstracts and biographies | Event report
Past event summary
Affiliated to the 4th Annual Conference of IALIC (International Association for Languages and Intercultural Learning) this forum looked at intercultural education in general (where, when and how it is delivered) and explored specific issues relating to the learning, teaching and assessing of intercultural skills. It presented examples of practical approaches to intercultural teaching (tasks, tools and methods) and considered research findings on the impact/outcomes of intercultural learning. It also considered the role of the educator - (inter)cultural attitudes, values and being.
The forum was chaired by Mike Byram (University of Durham) and combined formal presentations and workshop/discussion sessions.
The event was sponsored/organised by the Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies (LLAS), which is a UK government funded body set up to support higher education learning and teaching relating to the three subject areas.
Details of the IALIC conference can be found at: www.ialic.org
Programme
George Fox Building, Lancaster University
| 14.00 – 15.10 | Setting the Context |
| Chair: Mike Byram (University of Durham, UK) Room: Lecture Theatre 1 |
A snapshot of intercultural communication courses: An international analysis Laura Lengel and Brigit Talkington (Bowling Green State University, USA) The intercultural narratives of language teachers: Identities, citizenship and values Hugh Starkey (University of Leicester, UK) |
| 15.10 – 15.20 | Tea |
| 15.20 – 16.40 | Parallel Workshop/Discussion Sessions |
| Panel A Materials for intercultural learning Chair: Brigit Talkington Room: Lecture Theatre 4 |
The intercultural narrative and the ELP Veronica Crosbie, Juliette Pechenart, Jennifer Bruen (Dublin City University) From the college to the community: Greater expectations for inter-cultural communication/education through a community partnership model Joanne Valerius and Janet Dahlem (College of St. Catherine, USA) Films as effective training tools Chisato Straumann (Inlingua International) Descriptions of Practice Vanessa Andreotti (University of Nottingham, UK) Margaret Oertig-Davidson (University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland) Lin Peachey, Ricarda Zoellner (Leeds Metropolitan University, UK) |
| Panel B Intercultureal teachers and learners Chair: Laura Lengel Room: Lecture Theatre 5 |
Who to narrate? Exchange students’ visual narratives of multicultural London Josef Müller and Elizabeth Allen (European Business School, UK) The educational and discursive question Cécile Deer (Oxford University, UK) Cultural diversity, schooling and the teacher Renée Hayes (University of Delaware, USA) Descriptions of Practice Jane Jackson (Chinese University of Hong Kong) Josef Müller (European Business School, UK) Jane Honka (University of Turku, Finland) Jane Woodin (University of Sheffield, UK) |
| Panel C Language, discourse and interculture Chair: Hugh Starkey Room: Lecture Theatre 6 |
The construction of identity of the L2 user through autobiographical narratives Cristina Ros I Solé (The Open University, UK) Orientation in narratives: Intercultural differences between native English and English-Chinese bilingual students Miranda Y.-P. Lee (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong) Deconstructing the metanarrative of TESOL: Impediments to intercultural learning Christopher Anderson (Canterbury Christ Church University College, UK) Descriptions of Practice Linda Apse (University of Latvia) Jessica Bohan (IES Lenguas Vivas “J.R.Fernández, Argentina) Patrick Boylan (University of Rome 111, Italy) |
| 16.40 - 17.00 | Closing Plenary |
| Room: Lecture Theatre 1 | Mike Byram (University of Durham, UK) |
Abstracts and biographies
A snapshot of intercultural communication courses: An international analysis
Brigit Talkington and Laura Lengel
Bowling Green State University, USA
btalkin@bgnet.bgsu.edu, lengell@bgnet.bgsu.edu
The study examines course outlines to determine the current status of curriculum development in Intercultural Communication throughout the U.S., its territories, Britain, and Western Europe. Nearly 1,000 queries were sent to course leaders for their course outline/syllabus and any narratives they would like to share about their experiences in teaching intercultural communication. At time of submission, 152 course outlines have been collected and analysed to examine trends in the field, stimulating pedagogical strategies, assignments and examples of how course leaders encourage their students to engage the material, in particular the course material focussing on language and intercultural communication.
Further reading:
Download: abstract in full (rtf 139Kb)
Article in full: A snapshot of intercultural communication courses: An international analysis
Biographies
Brigit is a doctoral student and Research and Teaching Assistant in the School of Communication Studies at BGSU. She demonstrated Western Style Debate at Moscow State University, has four publications and has presented her research at several academic conventions. She served as Academic Director for Park University and was the Adjunct Faculty Development Coordinator for Drury University. She has taught Interpersonal Communication, Interpersonal Conflict Management, The Art of Human Communication, Public Speaking, Business and Professional Communication and Intro to Mass Communication. Brigit earned her BA in Speech, Theater and Dance and her MA in Rhetoric and Communication from Kansas State University (KSU). She was active for Kansas State U. and St. Mary’s University in the International Circuit of Forensics. Perhaps most importantly, Brigit is mom to 5 future scholars.
Laura is an Associate Professor in Communication and Culture in the School of Communication Studies at Bowling Green State University, following 7 years at Richmond American International U. in London. Her books are Computer Mediated Communication: A Critical Exploration of Social Interaction Online (Thurlow, Lengel and Tomic, Sage, in press, 2004), Culture and Technology in the New Europe (Lengel, ed., Ablex, 2000), Intercultural Communication and Creative Practice (Lengel, ed., Ablex, forthcoming), Casting Gender: Women and Performance in Global Contexts (Lengel and Warren, eds., forthcoming). Her peer-reviewed articles, which have appeared in, among others, the UNESCO Encyclopedia of Life Support Sciences, Journal of Communication Inquiry, Convergence: The Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, focus on technology in international and intercultural communication.
The intercultural narratives of language teachers: Identities, citizenship and values
Hugh Starkey
University of Leicester, UK
H.W.Starkey@le.ac.uk
This paper explores ways in which personal biographies impact on practice. In narrating the values and experiences that they bring to their professional role, teachers reveal that purely instrumental purposes are often subservient to wider humanistic and pedagogical agendas. Many will use metaphors such as ‘opening minds’ and ‘broadening horizons’. They describe themselves as successful intercultural learners and explore their complex identities as citizens. A common intention is to help their students follow this example and espouse values of tolerance and equality. The resistance they encounter is a source of great frustration. This tension raises issues at the heart of intercultural communication.
Further reading: abstract in full (rtf 136Kb)
Biography
Hugh Starkey is Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Citizenship Studies in Education, University of Leicester. He is author of a study for the Council of Europe (2002) Democratic Citizenship, Languages, Diversity and Human Rights and contributor to Developing the Intercultural Dimension in Language Teaching: a practical introduction for teachers (Council of Europe, 2002). From 1996 – 2002 he was Senior Lecturer with responsibilities for language teaching at the Open University.
The intercultural narrative and the ELP
Veronica Crosbie, Juliette Pechenart, Jennifer Bruen
Dublin City University
Veronica.Crosbie@dcu.ie
We will present tasks designed to generate “intercultural encounters”. i.e. encounters between students from different cultural backgrounds at university level. They involve both sides engaging in reflection on their own culture and identity and subsequently describing the encounter in narrative forms. This exercise will take place within the framework of the European Language Portfolio. The narrative produced will be analysed from content and linguistic perspectives. We will present our findings and consider their implications for the development of the intercultural persona.
Further reading: abstract in full (rtf 138Kb)
Biography
Veronica Crosbie is a lecturer in English and Intercultural Studies in the School of Applied Language and Intercultural Studies at Dublin City University. Her research interests include in particular the European Language Portfolio as well as key issues in the field of intercultural studies and the teaching of English as a Foreign Language.
From the college to the community: Greater expectations for inter-cultural communication/education through a community partnership model
Joanne Valerius and Janet Dahlem
College of St Catherine, Minneapolis, USA
jdvalerius@stkate.edu, jldahlem@stkate.edu
A community partnership model for increasing intercultural communication/education expands the pedagogy of the teaching/learning environment from a conventional college classroom to cultural community settings. Learning from the wisdom of elders and healers in community settings provide ways to rethink teaching/learning outcome expectations for students throughout the curriculum. In addition, the methodology of biblio/poetry including written word, music, and other multimedia forms to enhance intercultural communication within the educational process will be discussed.
Further reading: abstract in full (rtf 137Kb)
Biographies
Janet Dahlem, MA: Director, Master of Arts Holistic Health Studies, College of St. Catherine since 1990. She is a long-time community activist and outstanding leader in creating intercultural community partnerships at the college. She had presented locally and nationally on a variety of holistic health and cross-cultural subjects and has served as a consultant to a variety of health-care institutions. Because of her recognized leadership, she was invited to offer testimony to the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
Joanne Valerius, MPH: Director, Health Information Management programs, College of St Catherine. Staff consultant to the International Institute of Interracial Interaction. Spoken at the International Health Records Congress, Munich, Germany, and Melbourne, Australia on topics related to management, diversity, and cultural difference.
Films as effective training tools
Chisato Straumann
Inlingua International
straumann@inlingua.com
Films are not only entertaining, but also excellent mediums for cross-cultural training. They provide alternative experience, highlight the points, and support the concepts which are covered during the training sessions. We will be watching several short movie clips which depict the important issues of communicating with the Japanese; such as non-verbal communication, their behavior, and the use of silence. Then we will also examine types of films we can use, the benefits of using films in training, and the methods or techniques of how to use them.
Further reading: abstract in full (rtf 137Kb)
Biography
Chisato Straumann is an independent intercultural trainer and consultant who has many years of experience in language and teacher training and program development in which she brings over fifteen years of international experience, including living, working, and studying in such places as Japan, USA, and Switzerland. She has co-ordinated many in-company language and intercultural training programs, which have opened her eyes to the importance of the language and culture and have since been a force in her professional career. Her specialties include: cultural awareness; multi-cultural team building; country specific (Japan/East Asia, USA, and Switzerland/Germany), and relocation training. She holds an MA in Linguistics from Ohio University and the Intercultural Foundations Certificate from the Intercultural Communication Institute, Portland, Oregon.
Parana ELT curriculum proposal project
Vanessa Andreotti
Nottingham University, UK
taxvoa@nottingham.ac.uk
In this presentation I intend to provide my narrative (as the project coordinator) of the learning experience of a group of Brazilian English language teachers in a government project originally set up to discuss a curricular proposal for English language tuition for secondary schools in their State. As the discussions progressed, the ideological nature of education became the main focus and issues related to the construction of knowledge, worldviews and identities became central in our debates. At this point, the original objective was abandoned and the need to understand 'cultural translations' and to find ways to negotiate power relations in a 'transnational' world through English language education became the main drivers of the collective learning process.
Further reading: abstract in full (rtf 140Kb)
Biography
Vanessa Andreotti is a Brazilian educator with experience in the fields of English language education in Brazil and development and citizenship education both in the UK and in Brazil. She is currently doing a Ph.D. with the schools of Education and Critical Theory at the University of Nottingham on the construction of ontological assumptions of 'difference' and 'agency' in education and the possibilities for the development of 'transnational literacy'
Cross-cultural communication: advertising presentations
Margaret Oertig-Davidson
University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland
margaret.oertig@bluewin.ch
A class of international business students from France, Germany and Switzerland prepared a presentation on cross cultural advertising in mixed nationality teams of 3 - 4. They aimed to access deeper cultural values by examining ‘superficial’ symbols from the world of advertising. Advertisements were mostly taken from the media of the three countries. Students examined how the same or similar products were presented and communicated in different countries (linguistic and visual codification) and tapped into the resources within their multi-cultural group by using their classmates as informants. They made new discoveries about their classmates’ cultural assumptions, e.g. many thought the advertisements of their country were the most professional.
Further reading: abstract in full (rtf 139Kb)
Biography
Margaret Oertig-Davidson is Scottish, and has a Master of Arts degree in Linguistics and French from Glasgow University. She has worked in Belgium and France (as an assistante) and has lived and worked in Switzerland since 1987. She speaks fluent High German, Swiss German and French. From 1991 until 1998 she worked for Hoffmann-La Roche in Basel as a business English and cross-cultural trainer. She then went on to deliver training programmes to various clients in industry and give talks on cultural issues at Swiss universities and institutions. Since 2002 she has held a position as a part time lecturer in intercultural competence at the University of Applied Sciences in Basel (FHBB) in the cross-border degree programme, International Business Management. www.ibm.fhbb.ch Margaret Oertig has written the book ‘Beyond chocolate – understanding Swiss culture’ (2002, Bergli Books).
Professional language studies: Ethnography
Lin Peachey and Ricarda Zoellner
Leeds Metropolitan University, UK
l.peachey@lmu.ac.uk, r.zoellner@lmu.ac.uk
The Ethnography Programme at LMU was developed during the 2002/2003 academic year with the aim of preparing students for their language study year abroad. Pedagogical developments include teaching methodologies and assessment procedures that give the students a voice.
Further reading:
Download: abstract in full (rtf 136Kb)
Article in full: Intercultural Learning and Ethnography: Observing Culture at Leeds Metropolitan University
Biographies
Lin Peachey is a Research and English specialist and Ricarda Zoellner is a German specialist. They jointly developed the Ethnography Programme during the last academic year.
Who to narrate? Exchange students' visual narratives of multicultural London
Josef Müller and Elizabeth Allen
European Business School, London
muellerj@regents.ac.uk, allene@regents.ac.uk
The presentation shows the results of a project in which international exchange students are recording their impressions and experience of living in London. The students have been asked to visually document their new cultural environment with the help of single use cameras. It attempts to analyze how they build a narrative around the way they experience their new setting. The multicultural nature of the city which encompasses many cultural identities makes the construction of a narrative as a sense-making exercise a complex undertaking.
Further reading: abstract in full (rtf 135Kb)
The educational and discursive question
Cecile Deer
Oxford University, UK
cecile.deer@balliol.ox.ac.uk
Synchronic Intercultural Narratives in the teaching of a foreign language
This paper will address and formalise some of the issues faced by the academic practitioner (teacher/researcher) in tackling the intercultural in a a contemporary perspective (i.e. synchronic intercultural narratives).
In a first part, I will discuss the difficulties the professional has in navigating between the Charybdis of cultural studies and Scylla of multidisciplinarity.
In a second part, I will describe the process through which one can start to face this situation by moving from culture to structure and back. (i.e. from the Image d’Epinal to ‘cool’ social rationalism and back to a deeper less familiar understanding of culture). I will develop more particularly the epistemological difficulties of the comparative dimension that pervade the exercise.
In a third part, I will consider the intercultural/intracultural tensions both for the teachers and for the learners and in particular the necessity and the limits of the narratives in the process.
Finally, I will address how the debate surrounding ‘the intercultural’ affects the Oxford curriculum, notably in relation to language learning and the types of accepted narratives and ‘inappropriate’ ones (diachronic intercultural narratives vs synchronic intercultural narratives) and their use in keeping at bay new ways of learning.
Further reading: abstract in full (rtf 135Kb)
Cultural diversity, schooling, and the teacher
Renée Hayes
University of Delaware, USA
rhayes@udel.edu
The class is designed to prepare elementary education students for working with children from diverse backgrounds. Based on Bakhtins’ principle of dialogicity, I try to enable students to engage in dialogue with real and imagined others (other class members, authors, videos, and myself). Bakhtin argued that relativism renders argumentation and authentic dialogue irrelevant, while dogmatism renders them unnecessary. This class mainly consists of the challenge of creating genuine dialogue without succumbing to institutional constraints that foster monologic imposition of one “true” view or to the temptation to sterilize the classroom from the hegemonic view of the teacher and other authorities.
Further reading:
Download: abstract in full (rtf 136Kb)
Article in full: Teaching Challenge: Fostering 'Polyphonic Dialogism' in the Diversity Classroom
Biography
I graduated from the University of Delaware in December of 2002 with a doctorate in Education, and am currently working on a one-year faculty appointment at the University of Delaware, where I teach Cultural Diversity courses in the Elementary Education program. I am especially interested in improving practice in the education of children who have traditionally been underserved by the education system, particularly language minority and immigrant children.
Communication across cultures
Jane Jackson
Chinese University of Hong Kong
jjackson@cuhk.edu.hk
This experiential course emphasizes the application of intercultural communication theories to practical communication problems between people of different cultures. By understanding how differences in culture, attitudes, and values affect behavior, students can use English more effectively across cultures. Topics include communication and culture, cultural diversity in perception and world view, language, thought, and culture, cultural variations in language expressions and communication styles, nonverbal communication, and cultural influences on interaction in a variety of contexts. This interactive course consists of the analysis of videotapes, discussions, simulations, cases/ critical incidents, journal-keeping, a cultural identity assignment (narrtive), and a critical incident development project.
Further reading: abstract in full (rtf 140Kb)
Biography
Jane Jackson is Professor in the English Department at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) where she teaches undergraduate and postgraduate courses in intercultural communication and applied linguistics. She obtained her Ph.D. from the University of Toronto (Ontario Institute for Studies in Education), where she specialized in cross-cultural communication. She has taught intercultural communication courses in Canada, the U.S., the Middle East, and China and is a fellow of the International Academy for Intercultural Research. Her research and publications focus on intercultural and cross-cultural communication and case-based teaching and learning in diverse cultural settings. She is coordinator of a study and residence abroad program for English majors at CUHK; several competitive research grants have supported her investigations of their sojourn experience in England.
Introduction to cross-cultural studies
Josef Müller
European Business School London
muellerj@regents.ac.uk
An initial discussion of the role and different understandings of the term ‘culture’ is followed by an investigation of the self and the ways in which cultural identities are formed. This is the point where students reflect on their own identity and values. This reflection is maintained in bi-weekly learning diaries. A central element of the course is the interrelationship between language and culture. The main concept in this respect are communication styles. The problems around investigating culture are dealt with in a unit that deals with some basic concepts of social research and ethnographic methods.
Further reading: abstract in full (rtf 139Kb)
Intercultural communication
Jane Honka
University of Turku, Finland
jahonka@utu.fi
The objective of this short university-level English Communication Skills course for pre-mid- and post-international exchange students (Finnish and visiting) is to raise students' critical awareness, through discussion, of themselves as multicultural beings in changing global, national, social and individual realities. The dialectical approach of Martin and Nakayama forms the framework for the course with additional material from other intercultural communication literature, literary texts and media extracts. Culture, communication, context and power are of special interest, with discussion on other topics such as histories, cultural values, identity (identities), nonverbal codes and cultural space, understanding intercultural transitions and conflict.
Further reading: abstract in full (rtf 139Kb)
Biography
Jane Honka is lecturer in English Communication Skills at the Language Centre, University of Turku, where she has worked since 1984. Born and educated in England, she has lived for more than 25 years in Finland and feels at home in both countries. Her main teaching and research interests are in learner autonomy, experiential learning and critical pedagogy. Working with an increasingly multicultural constituency of learners has proved a valuable springboard for finding new ways of exploiting the rich potential found in the university foreign language classroom.
MA in intercultural communication
Jane Woodin
University of Sheffield, UK
j.woodin@sheffield.ac.uk
This Taught Postgraduate Masters’ Course was set up in 2002 for graduate students of any discipline (normally Arts or Social Sciences), who have knowledge of a second language/culture and who understand the importance of language, communication and intercultural awareness in today’s world. It is hoped it will be of interest to those wishing to pursue careers in international management, community and international development; it is also of interest to those who wish to become more effective communicators in other professions and/or cultural consultants.
Further reading: abstract in full (rtf 139Kb)
Biography
I have worked at the Modern Languages Teaching Centre since 1993, first as Spanish Co-ordinator, then also (since 2001) as Deputy Director. I am also responsible for the MA in Intercultural Communication.
My interests are learning and teaching of languages, teaching and assessment of intercultural communicative competence, and I am working towards a PhD on cultural aspects of language learning in Spanish-English tandem learners. Other interests include teacher education, in particular collaborative staff development.
The construction of identity of the L2 user through autobiographical narratives
Cristina Ros I Solé
Open University, UK
c.ros@open.ac.uk
This paper investigates literary autobiographies to explore intercultural experiences and the relationship between the perception of the self and language learning. The analysis will follow a post-structuralist view of language learning where L2 users have identities that are multiple and that are subject to change over time (Norton 2000; Pavlenko 2002). Extracts from autobiographies of L2 writers are used to demonstrate that language learning takes place by socialization, i.e. by appropriation and internalization of voices around us (Pavlenko 1998) and by having the power to impose reception on others (Bordieu, 1991). Different sub-themes will be investigated to support this; e.g. other identity markers ( i.e. social, cultural, gender and ethnic identities); concepts of public and private spaces, subjective or objective perspectives; and emotions (Pavlenko 2002). We will conclude by discussing to what extent language learners re-invent their identities.
Further reading:
Download: abstract in full (rtf 138Kb)
Article in full: The construction of second language identity in two Chicano autobiographies
References
Norton, B. (2000). Identity and Language Learning: Gender, Ethnicity, and Educational Change. London: Longman.
Pavlenko, A. (2002). Poststructuralist Approaches to the Study of Social Factors in L2. In V.Cook (ed.) Portraits of the L2 User. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.(pp. 277-302)
Pavlenko, A. (1998) Second language learning by adults: Testimonies of bilingual writers. Issues in Applied Linguistics 9 (1) pp.3-14.
Bordieu, P. (1991). Language and symbolic power. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Pavlenko, A. (2002). Bilingualism and emotions. Multilingua 21 (pp. 45-78).
Biography
Cristina Ros i Solé has taught Spanish in several universities in the UK for the last 13 years. She is now Head of Spanish at the Open University, where she has worked on a number of multimedia and on-line language courses for undergraduate students since 1996. Her research interests and publications are in the area of Task-based learning, Collaborative Feedback and Intercultural Studies.
Orientation in narratives: Intercultural differences between native English and Chinese-English bilingual students
Miranda Y.-P. Lee
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
ctmyplee@polyu.edu.hk
This paper aims to explore differences in presenting picture-based narratives of two distinct language and cultural groups -- native English students (ES) and native Chinese students (CS) whose L2 is English. It compares narratives in English L1, English L2 and Chinese L1.
The degree of specificity and elaboration of ES and CS texts differs significantly in various aspects of orientation. For instance, ES texts are more specific in character identification, whereas CS texts are more specific in time orientation. The differences reflect the influence of L1 culture. Findings help raise writer’s awareness of areas of differences when writing for readers of different cultures.
Further reading:
Download: abstract in full (rtf 143Kb)
Article in full: Orientation in narratives: Intercultural differences between native English and Chinese-English bilingual students
Biography
Miranda Y. P. Lee is currently teaching subjects of bilingual studies and bilingual communication in The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. She obtained her B.A. from the University of Hong Kong, her first M.A. in Translation from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and her second M. A. in Linguistics from University College London, England. Her PhD study concerns contrastive rhetoric of narratives. Her research interests include narratives of English L1 and L2 writers, contrastive rhetoric between English and Chinese, and bilingual communication in the business context. She has several publications in international journals including TEXT, Journal of Discourse and Cognition, and Journal Nordlyd.
Deconstructing the metanarrative of TESOL: Impediments to intercultural learning
Christopher Anderson
Canterbury Christ Church University College, UK
cma2@cant.ac.uk
Teaching English to speakers of other languages is dominated by Anglo-Saxon education and ‘industry’ which has a powerful discourse of pedagogical norms. A key aspect of this is its metanarrative of being engaged in the progressive search for the perfect ‘methodology’ which promotes a pedagogy that in theory is ‘scientific’, ‘universal’ and the most effective, but in practice is often inappropriate and contradictory. It results in an otherising of both students and the users of the target language/culture which impedes intercultural understanding and communication. There is, however, the potential for a resistant pedagogy that can take account of intercultural learning.
Further reading: abstract in full (rtf 138Kb)
Biography
Dr Christopher Anderson was recently appointed Senior Lecturer in Language Studies at Canterbury Christ Church University College in the United Kingdom. He gained his PhD thesis exploring the professional discourse of TESOL this year. In his new post, he will be involved in the teaching of Master Degrees in both TESOL and TEAL, and the recently developed joint honours degree in English for International Communication. He will also teach on Cross-Cultural Studies for Erasmus students. Dr Anderson’s research interests include professionalism in language education, appropriate second language pedagogy, critical discourse analysis, cross-cultural pragmatics, and intercultural communication.
Lexical and syntactical patterns in English discourse
Linda Apse
University of Latvia
linda_apse@hotmail.com
The basis for the structure of my practice is an observation that interpretation of a narrative requires knowledge and understanding of how meaning is manifested through patterns of lexis and syntax. Such lexical and syntactical structures include collocations, idioms, active/passive transformations, inverted word order, omission of the agent, use of link words, clause patterns and others. Students are asked to identify lexical and syntactical patterns in 2 to 3-page extracts of texts and to describe how the respective patterns contribute to the style and meaning. This approach increases depth of interpretation by adding the dimension of culture and author-specific language form.
Further reading: abstract in full (rtf 140Kb)
Biography
In 1986 I graduated from the University of Latvia with a degree in English Philology and in 2000 obtained an MPhil degree in English and Applied Linguistics from the University of Cambridge. Since my graduation I have had an appointment as a lecturer at the faculty of Modern Languages, University of Latvia, where I am reading courses in morpho-syntax and semantics as well as teaching lexical aspects of English to advanced proficiency level students. My principal interests are semantic and morpho-syntactic aspects of lexis.
Intercultural insight for translators
Jessica Bohan
IES Lenguas Vivas “J. R. Fernández”, Argentina
Jessica598@ciudad.com.ar
History I: The course aims at providing background knowledge about the development of British society so that students from translation courses may gain insight into a foreign culture and the diachronic change of the target language to be translated into Spanish.
TEFL Degree IES Lenguas Vivas “J. R. Fernández”, Buenos Aires Argentina. Cambridge ESOL Oral Examiner. Diplôme d’ Hautes Études Françaises-Option Littérature- Alliance Française Paris, France. MA. in Comparative Education and Cultural Studies (Award with Distinction) Institute of Education, University of London.
Further reading: abstract in full (rtf 139Kb)
Seeing and saying things in English
Patrick Boylan
University of Rome III, Italy
patrick@boylan.it
Aims and Learning Objectives: To see the relativity of the concept of "English", the subtle relationship between 'language' and 'thought' (or rather between 'language' and 'existential stances'), and what all this implies for intercultural communication using English today. Students are taught to introject various "alter egos" (taken from English language films) who speak different national, regional, ethnic and class-distinctive varieties of English.
Brief description: Using feature films, students identify with members of various English-speaking cultures and thereby grasp how particular modes of being translate into ways of speaking. They then inventory each "English" used to test the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis.
Further reading:
Download: abstract in full (rtf 139Kb)
Article in full: Seeing and saying things in English
Biography
Irish-American; degrees in English (Saint Mary's College, California), literary stylistics (Sorbonne), and language teaching methodology (CREDIF/St. Cloud); lecturer for 30 years in Rome; first chair in Italy in English for Intercultural Communication. Full profile, research papers and teaching materials used are on the web at: www.boylan.it
