scholarly journals Virtual exchange contributions to the development of intercultural competence: A Brazilian higher education institutions’ perspective

2022 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-23
Author(s):  
Lourdes Evangelina Zilberberg Oviedo ◽  
Jan Krimphove
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Exchange Programs ◽  
Internationalization At Home ◽  
At Home

This article presents the results of a study conducted in the Brazilian higher education system aiming at analyzing the contributions of virtual exchange programs to the development of intercultural competence in students. The unprecedented study assists to enrich the limited body of knowledge about virtual exchanges in Brazil. The units of analysis consisted of member institutions of the Brazilian Association for International Education (FAUBAI) that were already running virtual exchange programs in 2020. The study follows an exploratory qualitative research approach based on semi-structured interviews with international office administrators of the institutions analyzed. What stands out among the study’s main findings is the fact that, Brazilian international office administrators consider virtual exchanges as an important tool for Internationalization at Home, and thus, a path toward a more inclusive internationalization model. Even with all the difficulties, such as: major technical issues, low level of language proficiency in faculty and students, lack of commitment and the disadvantages deriving from lack of a deeper and more intense cultural immersion when compared to real-life experiences, there is a consensus that virtual exchanges do contribute toward the development of intercultural competence in students. Therefore, it seems important to promote more Internationalization at Home initiatives to create more circumstances of proximity with other cultures and second-language learning opportunities.  

scholarly journals Development of Intercultural Competence as a Result of Internationalization-at-Home Initiatives in Japan's Top Global Universities

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (Winter) ◽  
pp. 114-117
Author(s):  
Ana Sofia Hofmeyr
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
International Students ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Domestic Students ◽  
Japanese Students ◽  
Internationalization At Home ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Meaningful Interaction ◽  
At Home

The internationalization of higher education institutions has grown parallel to an increasing need to foster an interculturally competent workforce. In Japan, efforts to internationalize have focused primarily on mobility programmes, often neglecting the impact of internationalization-at-home initiatives. Yet, while numbers of incoming international students continue to increase, the number of Japanese students going abroad in mid- to long-term programs is decreasing. This article describes a PhD project aiming to address gaps in the literature by investigating the impact of at-home strategies on domestic students’ intercultural competence, ultimately contributing to the optimization of programs that promote meaningful interaction between domestic and international students.

scholarly journals Online Foreign Language Learning in Higher Education and Its Correlates during the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 781
Author(s):  
Maria-Anca Maican ◽  
Elena Cocoradă
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Protective Role ◽  
Teacher Student ◽  
Quantitative Results ◽  
Mixed Approach ◽  
Student Relationship

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the online learning of foreign languages at higher education level has represented a way to adapt to the restrictions imposed worldwide. The aim of the present article is to analyse university students’ behaviours, emotions and perceptions associated to online foreign language learning during the pandemic and their correlates by using a mixed approach. The research used the Foreign Language Enjoyment (FLE) scale and tools developed by the authors, focusing on task value, self-perceived foreign language proficiency, stressors and responses in online foreign language learning during the pandemic. Some of the results, such as the negative association between anxiety and FLE, are consistent with those revealed in studies conducted in normal times. Other results are novel, such as the protective role of retrospective enjoyment in trying times or the higher level of enjoyment with lower-achieving students. Reference is made to students’ preferences for certain online resources during the pandemic (e.g., preference for PowerPoint presentations) and to their opinions regarding the use of entirely or partially online foreign language teaching in the post-COVID period. The quantitative results are fostered by the respondents’ voices in the qualitative research. The consequences of these results are discussed with respect to the teacher-student relationship in the online environment and to the implications for sustainable online foreign language learning.

scholarly journals Arab English Language Teaching Candidates Climbing the IELTS Mountain: A Qualitatively Driven Hermeneutic Phenomenology Study

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Al-Issa ◽  
Ali Al-Bulushi ◽  
Rima Al-Zadjali
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Hermeneutic Phenomenology ◽  
Critical Discussion ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Structured Interviews

As a high-stakes international language proficiency benchmark, the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) requires different and special Language Learning Strategies (LLS), which pose numerous challenges to its takers. Some Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) majoring in English Language Teaching (ELT), have therefore, failed to achieve an overall score of Band 6 on the IELTS as a language proficiency requirement and a condition mandated by the Ministry of Education for selecting English language teachers among. This qualitatively driven hermeneutic phenomenology study, hence, discusses this issue from an ideological perspective. The study triangulates data from semi-structured interviews made with six fourth-year ELT Student Teachers (STs) at SQU and the pertinent literature. The critical discussion revealed various ideologies about the powerful impact of the IELTS on the STs’ English language development. The findings have important implications for the practices of the teachers in the Omani ELT school system and elsewhere.

Internationalization of higher education in Vietnam: current situations, policies, and challenges

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jung Hyun Ryu ◽  
Anh Thuy Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
National Level ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
Policy Framework ◽  
Internationalization Of Higher Education ◽  
Education Reforms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Higher Education Reforms ◽  
Internationalization At Home ◽  
At Home

PurposeThe research aims to provide the basis for a better understanding of the internationalization of higher education in Vietnam. First, it examines Vietnam's higher education reforms and policy/ legal frameworks for the promotion of internationalization since the implementation of Doi Moi in 1986. Secondly, it analyzes the internationalization activities at the national and institutional levels. At both levels, the internationalization activities are categorized into internationalization at home and cross borders (Knight, 2012). Finally, the paper discusses the challenges Vietnamese HE is facing and presents policy directions.Design/methodology/approachThis study employs a case study research strategy to examine and gain understanding of internationalization of higher education in Vietnam as a phenomenon. The study collected detailed information using a variety of data collection procedures over a period of time. First, it analyzes Vietnam's higher education reforms as well as policy and legal framework for the promotion of internationalization. Then, using Knight's framework, the study analyzed the internationalization at home and crossborder educational activities at the national and institutional levels. At the national level, strategic policy goals and programs were explored. Then, it chose Vietnam National University- Hanoi as a institutional case to learn its institutional strategies on cross border programs and mobility, reputation building, research cooperation.FindingsVietnam has continuously reformed its legal and policy framework of higher education to better integrate into the global higher education market and also to meet the national demand for economic development. Predominant rationale for Vietnam to engage in crossborder programs is for brain development, specifically in the academics and public sector. Meanwhile internationalization at home is driven by (1) international programs and universities and (2) initiative to enhance competitiveness of its higher education institutes. Vietnam hosts different models of international universities, including classical, satellite and co-founded. However, issues and challenges remain, such as poor lack of systematic cooperation and coordination at the governmental level, retaining talents, and finally finances.Originality/valueWritten for the special edition on Internationalization of Higher Education in the Era of SDGs: Asia–Pacific Perspective, the study aims to provide a basis for understanding the current situation of internationalization higher education in Vietnam and how it compares to its partners in the region. This study is unique as it provides a two-layer analysis, at the national and institutional levels capturing macro and micro perspectives in one scene. In addition, this study includes rich empirical data, which was rare in previous literature due to limited access.

Exploring the Difficulties Encountered by the Non-English Department Students in Learning the English Language: A Study on the Tertiary Level of Education in Bangladesh

2021 ◽  
pp. 47-55
Author(s):  
Md. Musrifur Jelane
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
English Language ◽  
Tertiary Level ◽  
English Department ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Level Of Education ◽  
English Departments

Most of the non-English departments at the tertiary level of education in Bangladesh conduct the English language course for the development of English language skills of the non-English department students. However, the non-English department students at the tertiary level of education in Bangladesh face many troubles in learning the English language efficiently. The purpose of this study was to explore the difficulties encountered by the non-English department students at the tertiary level of education in Bangladesh in learning the English language. This study followed a quantitative research approach. Data collected from 100 non-English department students both from public and private universities of Bangladesh through survey questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The findings of this study disclosed that the non-English department students face the most difficulty in productive skills (speaking and writing). Moreover, duration of the class and semester, syllabus design, needs analysis, classroom techniques, and methods are the significant factors that affect the English language learning of the non-English department students.

scholarly journals Internationalization at home: internationalizing the university experience of staff and students

Educação ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sue Robson
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Staff Development ◽  
Knowledge Exchange ◽  
Professional Service ◽  
Strategic Partnerships ◽  
Quality Of Higher Education ◽  
Internationalization At Home ◽  
University Experience ◽  
The University ◽  
At Home

Internationalization has become a key strategic priority of many universities around the world. It is frequently regarded as a means to enhance the quality of higher education through strategic partnerships, collaborative research and teaching initiatives, for knowledge exchange and creation. Higher education internationalization often focuses primarily on the mobility of both staff and students as a means to improve their international outlook and intercultural capabilities. However, this paper argues that if universities are to become truly ‘international’, they should start ‘at home’. It considers how a review of current internationalization practices, involving educators, students, staff development and professional service units, and those in leadership positions, can help higher education institutions to move towards a more values-based and ethical approach to internationaliza ***Internacionalização em casa: internacionalização da experiência universitária de funcionários e estudantes***A internacionalização tornou-se prioridade estratégica para muitas universidades ao redor do mundo. É comumente considerada uma forma de ampliar a qualidade da Educação Superior, através de parcerias estratégicas, pesquisas colaborativas e iniciativas de ensino, bem como na troca e produção de conhecimento. Em geral, a Internacionalização da Educação Superior se concentra na mobilidade de pessoal e estudantes, de modo a melhorar suas perspectivas internacionais e capacidades interculturais. No entanto, este artigo argumenta que, se as universidades querem ser verdadeiramente “internacionais”, elas devem começar “em casa”. Para tanto, faz-se necessário realizar uma revisão das atuais práticas de Internacionalização, envolvendo educadores, estudantes, desenvolvimento de pessoal, unidades de serviço profissional, e aqueles em posições de liderança, ajudando as instituições de Educação Superior a se orientarem em direção a valores básicos e abordagem ética para Internacionalização.

Exploring The Complexity Of Classroom Tasks For Language Learning

2008 ◽  
Vol 80 ◽  
pp. 42-47
Author(s):  
Kris Van den Branden
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Task Complexity ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Negotiation Process ◽  
Shared Knowledge ◽  
Multiple Dimensions ◽  
The Social ◽  
Dependent Variables

In task-based language teaching (TBLT), defining and manipulating the complexity of language tasks has been claimed to be of crucial importance, in view of sequencing tasks in a task-based syllabus, manipulating tasks to meet specific learners' needs, and assessing language learners' current level of language proficiency. The theoretical literature and empirical research on task complexity has recendy expanded, but much of this work fails to take into account the multiple dimensions that affect task complexity. For one, in authentic, truly functional task performance, key features of the social setting in which tasks are performed, and interlocutor-dependent variables (such as their shared knowledge and experiences) influence actual task complexity. Since in real life interlocutors reinterpret tasks to suit their own needs, motivations and purposes, and dynamically tune the complexity of their performance to the ongoing conversation and negotiation process, predictions about task complexity cannot be as accurate as some applied linguists claim they should be.

scholarly journals Internationalization as Investment for Higher Education Institutions: Introducing a Framework to Enhance Investment in Internalization Practices

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 01 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamshed Khalid ◽  
Anees Janee Ali ◽  
Md Shamimul Islam ◽  
Muhammad Khaleel ◽  
Qi Fang Shu
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Internationalization Process ◽  
Exchange Programs ◽  
Global Context ◽  
Prior Literature ◽  
Speed Up ◽  
Internationalization At Home ◽  
Internationalization In Higher Education ◽  
Staff Exchange

<p>Prior research has reflected various conceptualizations of internationalization in higher education and offered various perspectives on its activities and practices which in result have produced different pragmatic outcomes. In the 21st century, higher education institutions (HEIs) are progressively mobile as well as globally competitive and in response practices and strategies adopted by HEIs needed to reshape in global context. The present study is the qualitative study based on prior literature and reveals a comprehensive review about the factors influencing internationalization practices. The present study contributed to the existing literature by illustrating a conceptual framework to enhance the investment in internationalization activities by HEIs. It is argued that effectiveness of internationalization depend on the rise of internationalization at home activities, student/staff exchange programs, expanding ventures and institutional networks and alliances. The study is prominently significant for HEIs as it is offering practical suggestions to speed up internationalization process.</p>

Conceptualizing language, culture and intercultural communication in higher education languages programs

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 192-213
Author(s):  
Paul J. Moore ◽  
Adriana Díaz
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Intercultural Communication ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Approaches To Teaching ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
Australian Universities

Abstract Languages curricula are an important, yet underutilized, site for students’ development of intercultural knowledge, awareness and skills in higher education, though there has been little related empirical research. Given the key role teachers play in student learning, in the context of two Australian universities, this study explores language teaching academics’ perspectives on language, culture and intercultural communication, and how these are reflected in their teaching approaches. As part of a larger needs analysis project into the teaching of languages and intercultural communication, this article reports on semi-structured interviews with ten academic staff engaged in teaching and/or researching languages, and one study abroad coordinator with a language teaching background. Interpretations of the key concepts varied, as did participants’ reported approaches to teaching, from critical to instrumental. Teachers’ interpretations and approaches were influenced by their teaching and learning histories, and while there were a range of approaches to the incorporation of the (inter)cultural in the teaching of languages, this was approached more critically than reported in previous studies. Contextual features which may limit such integration of language and culture are discussed, as is the contribution of languages teachers to students’ development of intercultural competence.

Conceptualisations and pedagogical practices of academic literacy in Namibian higher education

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Lukas Homateni Julius
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Literacy Development ◽  
Academic Literacy ◽  
Academic Development ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Genre Theory ◽  
Pedagogical Practices ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Institutional Types

The purpose of this study was to investigate academic literacy development lecturers’ conceptualisations of academic literacy and resultant pedagogical practices in academic development courses at three different Higher Education Institutional types in Namibia. The research sites were a Traditional University, a University of Technology and a Comprehensive University. The focus was to understand the extent to which the academics’ conceptions of academic literacy and the resultant pedagogical practices in the academic development courses at these three Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) facilitate epistemological access into students’ chosen fields of study. Bernstein’s Pedagogical theory (1990), Genre theory (1996) and Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistics (1978) were used as the study’s theoretical lenses and analytical framework. An interpretative paradigm and a qualitative case study design were employed as the research approach. Semi-structured interviews, classroom observations and documentary evidence were used to generate data. Research findings revealed a common (mis)conception of the nature of academic literacy, the resultant inadequate learning support offered to students in the selected academic literacy development courses, and a clear divorcing of academic literacy interventions from the students’ ‘home’ or mainstream disciplines at the three HEIs. The participants understood academic literacy from an autonomous position as a set of generic skills which could be taught outside of mainstream classes. Moreover, findings revealed that this understanding impacted on the design and assessments of all the academic literacy courses across the three universities under study. The study calls for a context sensitive model through which academic literacy acquisition can be scaffolded to meet the discipline-specific epistemological needs of the students.

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