Abstract
The recent trends in foreign language teaching -influenced widely by the process of globalization, interculturalism, global flows, and migration- are leaning toward adopting an intercultural perspective in foreign language teaching aiming at developing students who are global citizens able to effectively function across diverse boundaries (cultural, social, geographical). Researchers call for intercultural learning and teaching perspective that would foster and increase intercultural awareness and understanding (e.g., Guilherme, 2002; Byram et al., 2002). The presentation at this conference is based on research that aims at unfolding whether including the cultural dimension in foreign language instruction can help in developing students’ intercultural understanding and awareness. In doing so, a cultural pedagogical experiment was designed and conducted for the period of one year at the level of the university. Data were collected qualitatively and analyzed thematically. Results help in drawing important implications for educational institutions, foreign language teachers, and syllabus designers about the importance and effectiveness of perceiving foreign language instruction as a social activity that can nurture interculturally competent individuals who adequately respond to the demands of today’s intercultural and globalized societies. The research also contributes to suggesting new and innovative teaching techniques that can be used in intercultural language teaching accommodating both the physical and online environments.
Author Information
Amina Guerriche, University of Constantine, Algeria
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