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Gertrud Tarp, PhDCALPIU conference, Roskilde University, December 15-17 2008

Student voices/agendas in intercultural learning projects

Learning outside the classroom

Internationalisation projects: Short-term study abroad - initiated by educational institutions for students to increase intercultural understanding and awareness

Understanding/verstehen (Roberts, Higher Education, 2008)

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Research question

• What is it like to experience a student exchange

• Which ”type” of experience is most successful in terms of developing intercultural competence? And which is less successful?

• What recommendations arise as to successful student exchanges?

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Methodology

Qualitative, empirically groundedGrounded theory (Charmaz; Corbin; Glaser;

Strauss) – bottom-up approach• Blumer: respecting the nature of the

empirical world; finding a methdology to reflect the empirical world (Blumer, 1998: 60) – revealing disparities

• Listening ethnography

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Short-term student exchanges Cross-cultural meetings

Data collection: different research instruments

• Semi-open questionnaires

• Diaries

• Semi-structured interviews/ focus groups

• Student statements

• Teacher comments on research findings

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Findings

Student expectations/student agendas • Otherness, foreign language learning, class solidarity,

self-developmentFacilating and constraining intervening conditions• Programme, planning• The others, the Danes• Accommodation• SelfStrategies: to adapt, to compare, to cooperate, to learn, to

go sightseeing, to socialise

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Student attitude Awareness

• I became aware of my own communication problems and my own values. I have a better feeling of what to do in my future career. I would advise future exchange students to become familiar with their own culture before leaving. (Translated: Lars, EU-funded exchange, private accommodation, Scotland)

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Student attitudeAwareness

• I would give the following advice to future exchange students: Imagine the worst, buy a phrase book, you will need it, write a diary, take one day at a time, it can only become better if you imagine the worst. After the exchange you will be happy about getting through. (Translated: Louise, EU-funded exchange, private accommodation, France)

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Outcome

• If non-optimal conditions – benefit if optimal student agenda

• If optimal conditions – limited benefit if non-optimal agenda

• Emphasis on the individual – personal identity, learner’s prior knowledge, beliefs and values are central in the learning process

• Rational/irrational agents

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Recommendations

Focus on:• Student perspectives/inclusion (Jeffrey &

Craft, 2004: 84)/involvement • Tools – ethnographic approach (access,

awareness, interaction)• Student interviews: ”pedagogical function”

(Byram, 1996) (Teacher comment) – student awareness

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Student perspectives/agendas English as a lingua franca

ELF and the International BaccalaureatTypes of students - EIL (Xiaoqiong/Chrystal,

page 36, 2008)• Native speakers – ENL• Non-Danish students using English as an

official language – ESL• Non-Danish students using English – EFL• Danish students using English – EFL

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Research question

How do students experience the use of English as a lingua franca at the international baccalaureat?

• Student facilitating/constraining intervening conditions in the learning process

• Student reasons for choosing IB • Student background• Student self • Student coping strategies

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Teacher perspective

In certain situations English develops into a specific language which is understood by the users but not by those having English as a native language (Associate professor, American citizen, Department of Scandinavian Studies, University of Jyväskylä, Finland)

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ELF – student perspectiveDeterioration

It really is a “world language”, although obviously it is spoken with very different accents in very different ways and on very different levels. The latter can be disturbing, as it might lead to the deterioration to the individual’s level of language. An environment that is not stimulating or challenging can lead to forgetting words or getting used to wrong expressions or pronunciation.

(IB student in Denmark, F, from Hungary)

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ELF – student perspectiveLanguage skills

In conclusion I would say that English is a quite simple language to learn on the basic or intermediate level, but many people have not mastered it sufficiently to communicate beyond a “commercial” level. This is disturbing, and in the case of Denmark for example, gives a false image of how apt and able local people actually are. Nevertheless, I encounte-red more positive situations than negative ones, and it is al-ways an amazing feeling, connecting with someone in a com-mon language that is not the mother tongue of either of us.

(IB student in Denmark, F, from Hungary)

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ELF – student perspectiveFacilitating/constraining intervening

conditionsThese differences between British and American English also cause minor problems sometimes when using English as a common lingua franca. Last I have noticed that different cultures have different connotations to the English words. This can sometimes cause a bit of confusion.To me these are all minor things that I have even seen existing within the borders of a small country like Denmark. My over all experience of using English as lingua franca is very positive, and I find it wonderful that I'm able to communicate with so many different people all over the world. (IB student in Denmark, F, from Denmark)

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ELF – student perspectiveBackground and self

Being away from Indonesia I slowly forgot the language, therefore I don’t consider Indonesian my mother tongue anymore. And for this reason I have always had a problem with language. Since I was raised in an international environment surrounded by a multi-linguistic family my parents were concerned that I would never be able to know one fluent language. That is my disadvantage, because I do have difficulty with language, not knowing Spanish, English and Danish fluently. But of course I am fortunate to already know three languages in advance knowing that as age persist the less capacity of receiving more knowledge of language will get. Those are the main advantages and disadvantage of knowing more than one language. As I said before I now consider English as my mother tongue although I am not a native English speaker, but English has always been a part of my life so therefore I do not only practice my English during school but also when I socialize in my everyday life. My life is so what called ‘complicated’ because I do not know exactly how to explain when people ask where I come from and why I have an American accent when I speak and for those reasons I find my life quite out of the ordinary and that can either be seen as a disadvantage or an advantage. (IB student in Denmark, F, half Danish – half El Salvador. Lived in Indonesia for 6 years)

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ELF – student perspectiveCoping strategies

I figure out that to make people understand me clearer, it is very useful when I use some of my body language to express what I mean. However, English is still a huge problem for me now; I still can’t roll my tongue when I pronounce some difficult words so it could lead to a new word with different meaning.

I practice my English when I socialize with the others students because for me, that is how I get my English much better. When I am with other students, especially with someone close to me then I feel more comfortable to talk to them because I know that they will listen, try to understand me and help me to pronounce the correct way of that words.

(IB student in Denmark, M, from Vietnam)

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Conclusion: ELF student agendas

Facilitating/constraining intervening conditions• English as a lingua franca• The other students

Student agendas• Improve English • Improve knowledge of IB subjects• Increase network

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gertrudtarp@hotmail.com

List of literature