scholarly journals Maltese as a Foreign Language Educator’s Acquisition of Intercultural Capabilities

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Zammit
Keyword(s):  
Adult Learners ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Intercultural Training ◽  
Foreign Language Teachers ◽  
Cultural Aspects

Abstract This study sought to understand how teachers of Maltese as a foreign language (MFL) develop intercultural capabilities by exploring the importance of intercultural competence to MFL teachers, the characteristics of interculturally competent MFL educators, and how educators develop intercultural competence. The study adopted the interpretivist paradigm and a case study research design to collect qualitative data. Seventeen MFL teachers of adult learners were purposefully selected and interviewed. Findings regarding the perceptions of the teachers who were interviewed are as follows. Firstly, the participants stated that intercultural competence is important for MFL teachers because it helps them to embrace diversity, to help adult learners to learn the target language (i.e. Maltese) better, and to be sensitive and accommodative to learners from different backgrounds. Secondly, according to the participants, an interculturally capable person is one who knows their own culture and others’ cultural aspects, respects and accepts other cultures. It was also found that teachers develop intercultural capabilities through learning at a school and by visiting other countries and being immersed in the cultures of those countries. The implications of the findings as supported by existing literature, are that intercultural competence is important for foreign language teachers and as a result, intercultural training, learning through interactions with others and visits to other countries are necessary to develop intercultural capabilities.

scholarly journals Maltese as a foreign language educators’ acquisition of intercultural capabilities

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Żammit
Keyword(s):  
Adult Learners ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Intercultural Training ◽  
Foreign Language Teachers ◽  
Cultural Aspects

AbstractThis study sought to understand how teachers of Maltese as a foreign language (MFL) develop intercultural capabilities by exploring the importance of intercultural competence (IC) to MFL teachers, the characteristics of interculturally competent MFL educators, and the ways in which educators develop IC. The study adopted the interpretivist paradigm and a case study research design to collect qualitative data. Seventeen MFL teachers of adult learners were purposefully selected because they all taught MFL to non-native adults. These educators were interviewed, by answering the researcher’s ten unstructured questions. A smartphone was used to record the interviewees. Findings regarding the perceptions of the teachers who were interviewed are as follows. Firstly, the participants stated that IC is important for MFL teachers because it helps them to embrace diversity, to help adult learners to learn the target language (i.e. Maltese) better, and to be sensitive and accommodative to learners from different backgrounds. Secondly, according to the participants, an interculturally capable person is one who knows their own culture and others’ cultural aspects, respects and accepts other cultures. It was also found that teachers develop intercultural capabilities through learning at a school and by visiting other countries and being immersed in the cultures of those countries. The implications of the findings as supported by existing literature, are that IC is important for foreign language teachers and as a result, intercultural training, learning through interactions with others and visits to other countries are necessary to develop intercultural capabilities.

scholarly journals Badania diagnostyczne w glottodydaktyce – zalety i trudności

Neofilolog ◽  
1970 ◽  
pp. 183-194
Author(s):  
Krystyna Mihułka
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
University Students ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Foreign Language Teachers ◽  
Diagnostic Studies ◽  
Diagnostic Research

The purpose of the following article is to discuss the theoretical framework of diagnostic research used in glottodidactics as well as to analyze some selected diagnostic studies conducted by Polish and German researchers in the last decade into the development of high school and university students’ and foreign language teachers’ intercultural competence. In the last part of this article attention is paid to the presentation and discussion of the most frequent problems which researchers encounter while planning and carrying out diagnostic studies.

Foreign language teachers’ intercultural competence and legitimacy during an international teaching experience

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 275-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monique Bournot-Trites ◽  
Sandra Zappa-Hollman ◽  
Valia Spiliotopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Professional Identity ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Teaching Experience ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
International Mobility ◽  
Foreign Language Teachers ◽  
Teaching Abroad ◽  
International Teaching

Abstract Given the increase in international mobility opportunities for educators, analyzing how the experience of studying and teaching abroad benefits teachers is of utmost importance in a globalized educational system. Using Deardorff’s (2009) model of intercultural competence (IC), this study explores how a group of recently graduated Canadian foreign language teachers benefitted from a four-month international teaching experience (ITE). The following questions guided this investigation: In which ways did the ITE contribute to the participants’ IC development? How did the ITE affect the participants’ professional identity and sense of legitimacy? Data were collected, triangulated, and interpreted using thematic content data analysis. This study provides illustrations of the participants’ IC development across all components on Deardorff’s IC model, showing that properly scaffolded ITEs afforded the participants opportunities to develop their IC. The findings also show that the ITE of living and teaching abroad positively impacted their professional identity and feeling of legitimacy.

scholarly journals Teacher education

2005 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-41
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Teacher Education ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Methods Course ◽  
Foreign Language Teachers ◽  
Pre Service Teacher Education ◽  
Pre Service Teacher

05–88Haley, Marjorie Hall (George Mason U, USA). Implications of using case study instruction in a foreign/second language methods course. Foreign Language Annals (New York, USA) 37.2 (2004), 290–300.05–89Lozano, Albert S. (California State U, USA), Padilla, Amado M., Sung, Hyekyung & Silva Duarte M. A statewide professional program for California foreign language teachers. Foreign Language Annals (New York, USA) 37.2 (2004), 301–309.05–90Rilling, Sarah, Dahlman, Anne, Dodson, Sarah, Boyles, Claire & Pavant, Özlem (Kent State U, USA). Connecting CALL theory and practice in pre-service teacher education and beyond: processes and products. CALICO Journal (TX, USA) 22.2 (2005), 213–235.

scholarly journals Joe’s Laundry: Using Critical Incidents to Develop Intercultural and Foreign Language Competence in Study Abroad and Beyond

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 47-62
Author(s):  
Tama Lea Engelking
Keyword(s):  
Study Abroad ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Critical Incident ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Intercultural Training ◽  
Language Competence ◽  
Training Tool

The development of intercultural competence and foreign language skills in study abroad and the FL classroom is often seen as an either/or proposition due to lack of time, training or the availability of materials in the target language. The Critical Incident method (CI) provides an example of an intercultural training tool that can link these competencies in ways that are developmentally appropriate for the FL and IC levels of the students. This method uses authentic intercultural mishaps to develop critical thinking skills as students reflect on the cultural values and attitudes underlying the experience. Drawing on research in study abroad FL pedagogy, this paper describes the CI method, provides a review of best practices in the context of study abroad, and develops an example of a CI from a study abroad program in France to illustrate how cultural incidents can be used to promote both intercultural and foreign language competence.

scholarly journals Unlicensed EFL Teachers Co-constructing Knowledge and Transforming Curriculum Through Collaborative-Reflective Inquiry

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edgar Augusto Aguirre Garzón
Keyword(s):  
Public School ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Reflective Inquiry ◽  
Study Research ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Constructing Knowledge ◽  
Contextual Reality

This paper describes a case study research project carried out in a public school in Bogotá, Colombia, with four unlicensed teachers of English as a foreign language. Although the institutional guidelines in the school suggest that teachers should collectively propose changes to shape pedagogical realities, there is evidence of little communication among them. This study emphasizes collaborative, reflective inquiry as a means to educative transformation. Findings suggest that collaborative inquiry prompts the language teachers to conjointly design teaching strategies and materials that articulate with students’ contexts. Furthermore, along the way, the teachers were empowered to propose curricular changes to adjust contents and goals of the area with the students’ contextual reality.

scholarly journals Dunkin’ the Donut: A Study on Students’ Patterns of Language Use through Technology Applications in Independent Language Learning

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-132
Author(s):  
Norizul Azida Darus ◽  
Norhajawati Abdul Halim
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
The Other ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Foreign Language Teachers ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Technology Applications

Any language can be acquired at any time, but to acquire the language, one needs to learn the language. Learning a second or foreign language is not a favourite among second or foreign language learners. This is because learning a language is a very intense time-consuming activity. Learning is often unsuccessful because learners receive impoverished or insufficient input and lack of motivation. To this, second language or foreign language teachers play the most significant role to help and motivate the students to acquire the said language. The preferred method is to be immersed into the actual ecosystem of the target language and become part of the language ecosystem. The other way is to dunk the learners into the artificial ecosystem of the language classroom. In dunking, the learners are immersed temporarily and repeatedly into the simulated ecosystem language. As can be seen now, technology remains the only viable option to get enough interactive contact with the target language. Using interesting software is one of the methods in making learning more interesting. Furthermore, the students are able to practice the language not only during class time, but on their own free time outside of class hours, that is during students’ independent time of learning. The findings revealed that most students found using the applications has improved their language learning. The role of teachers on the other hand is to provide instructions and assist whenever necessary and needed by the students.

scholarly journals Foreign Language Teachers’ Intercultural Competence as a New Aspect of Professional Development

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Merve Gazioğlu ◽  
Buket Tanyeri
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Private University ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Foreign Language Teachers ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Teacher Training Programs

This mixed-method study aims to offer an insight into foreign language teachers’ perceptions on the relationship between intercultural competence and professional development. It is also attempted to explore some methods for evaluating teachers’ intercultural competence through their professional development activities. The research participants are local and international instructors at a private university in Turkey. Data was collected via a web-based questionnaire adapted from Sercu (2006) and a semi-structured interview designed by the researchers. The general findings of the study indicate that learning about a) target culture, b) local culture, and c) international students’ culture contribute to foreign language teachers’ intercultural competence and it is considered as a part of their professional development. However, it is pointed out that pre-service and in-service teacher training programs in Turkey cannot provide sufficient facilities to develop teachers’ intercultural competence.  Key words: professional development, intercultural competence, foreign language teaching.  

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