Fostering critical interculturality in foreign language education

Parks, Elinor

Abstract

While on the one hand interculturality, as a notion, has become an object of research, which is increasingly critical, on the other, we continue to witness discourses about culture and concepts such as intercultural competence within foreign language curricula, policy and practice, which portray images of identity that are largely defined and confined by national boundaries. The question, “Where are you from?”, for example, often introduced within the first week of a beginner’s language course, is asked routinely, yet the opportunity for a critical discussion on what the question means is generally missed or avoided. Drawing on the author’s research and teaching practice, the chapter interrogates assumptions about the development of “intercultural competence” in language graduates and discusses ways in which critical interculturality may be fostered in Higher Education (HE).

Citation

Parks, E. (in press). Fostering critical interculturality in foreign language education. In F. Dervin (Ed.), The Routledge Handbook of Critical Interculturality in Communication and Education. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003513940

• Deposit Date: Sep 27, 2024
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Edition: 1st ed.
• Book Title: The Routledge Handbook of Critical Interculturality in Communication and Education
• Chapter Number: 16
• ISBN: 9781032815732
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003513940
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2895567
• Publisher URL: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003513940-19
• Related Public URLs: https://www.routledge.com/The-Routledge-Handbook-of-Critical-Interculturality-in-Communication-and-Education/Dervin/p/book/9781032815732
• Additional Information: https://www.routledge.com/The-Routledge-Handbook-of-Critical-Interculturality-in-Communication-and-Education/Dervin/p/book/9781032815732
• Contract Date: Jul 1, 2024