Sessions

Why Study Abroad?

The various stakeholders who design, set up, finance, promote, run, support, and participate in Study Abroad programmes do so with a wide range of, often conflicting, motives. Financing, for example, is available from organisations eager to develop a workforce skilled in dealing with foreign institutions and their representatives, whereas participants may dream of eating exotic foods while hanging out with foreign friends, and the foreign language teachers who encourage them to participate may be motivated by pressure for measurable gains on standardized tests of the foreign language. The presenter has extensive experience of working with SA programmes, from persuading schools to set them up to negotiating sister-school agreements to interviewing potential participants to working with those who eventually do take part. They will draw on this experience to examine the motives of the various stakeholders and seek to uncover the issues that arise from mismatches and gaps between the individual stakeholders. The images used in promoting a programme, for example, are often at odds with the actual experience of participants, and this can give rise for both hosting and sending institutions. The analysis should be of interest to all who have a connection to university SA programmes.

Developing an Intercultural Understanding as Teachers

Language teaching involves a commitment to, and interest in, intercultural communication. In providing language learning instruction, practitioners are not merely sharing linguistic knowledge and skills in a one-directional manner, but are continuously negotiating and learning from their students’ dynamic experiences, repertoires, and identities. As English is a lingua franca, which facilitates communication across cultures, a sensitivity to the intricacies of interaction between groups from different speech backgrounds is essential. In an era characterised by division and remoteness, language educators’ roles have become even more paramount in upholding and promoting intercultural mindsets. However, these skills may be overlooked or complicated to build and hone. This forum is a collaboration between the Teacher Development (TD) and Intercultural Communication in Language Education (ICLE) SIGs. Featuring a panel of invited speakers from the SIGs, each presenter will explore a different element of what developing intercultural practice, understanding, and principles as a foreign language educator entails. Following the presentations, the panellists will interact about points of interest and resonance, and there will be an opportunity for audience participants to share their reflections and contribute to the dialogue. It is hoped that this session will provide guidance for developing intercultural teaching approaches and language learning environments.