Language and Intercultural Communication Symposium, 22-24 November 2005 and 8-9 February 2006

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https://hdl.handle.net/2328/1487

The Language and Intercultural Communication (LInC) symposium provided an opportunity to explore research activity within the Flinders Humanities Research Centre around the theme of Language and Intercultural Communication in the context of second and foreign language teaching and learning.

The LInC group is currently composed of academics from the Department of Languages and the English as a Second Language Section. Through the symposium, the LInC group aimed to extend its collaborative connections within the university.

Gabriele Kasper (Professor of Second Language Studies, University of Hawaii) was the symposium's special guest.

All participants took an active part in discussions in this working symposium.

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Now showing 1 - 6 of 6

Teachers' perceptions of English as a Foreign Language Teaching in the PRC. [abstract].
(2006) Najar, Robyn Lee
This presentation will report on work in progress in the PRC. This is an empirical study focussed on the impact of teacher training on learning outcomes in foreign language (FL) classrooms. Participants are 50 Chinese nationals who are elementary school (years Reception to 6) teachers of English. As the study progresses into the next phase of observations and interviews, more information will become available on the efficacy of interventions such as instruction in principles and methodologies for FL teacher development on the learning outcomes in their classrooms.
Learning Languages On-Line: The Role of Interpersonal Relations. [abstract].
(2006) Sanchez-Castro, Olga
This paper reports on a pilot study examining how the communication patterns of second language learners may change in the course of one semester using a synchronous text-based Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) environment. This paper examines the dynamics of interpersonal interactions and social processes of a cohort of forty-three university students, with at intermediate level of competence in Spanish. The students participated in five synchronous CMC discussions in small groups. The paper also considers how CMC can provide an additional context for the creation of a learning community by providing opportunities to engage in meaningful social interaction in a non-threatening and supportive environment.
The myth of the Communicative Approach. [abstract].
(2006) Díaz, Javier
The paper compares the application of the 'Communicative Approach' in the teaching of Spanish as a Second Language in South Australia: different groups, at different levels of proficiency, in different language institutions, all of them claiming to be 'communicative' through the implementation of the Terrell textbook "Dos Mundos", are explored and compared. The paper concludes that the term 'communicative' may be currently overrated and overused among the 2L Teaching community, and deals with some different alternatives for the future.
Foreign Language reading as cultural problem-solving: The intercultural stance of the reader. [abstract].
(2006) Bouvet, Eric James
The purpose of this project is to continue my investigation of the Foreign Language (FL) reader’s problem-solving behaviour. Having examined the conditions of implementation of reading strategies associated with lexical and syntactical difficulties, I now propose to study how Anglo-Australian university language students deal with unfamiliar cultural events featured in written texts in French. The main objective of the project I propose to undertake in the context of Language and Intercultural Communication research is therefore to gain an understanding of the nature of the strategies implemented by FL readers to identify and attempt to overcome cultural unfamiliarity featured in written texts. A corollary objective is to observe how FL linguistic proficiency may influence the perception and apprehension of cultural difficulties.
Emotion communication and language socialisation. [abstract].
(2006) Mrowa-Hopkins, Colette Marie; Strambi, Antonella
In this paper, we wish to discuss ways in which cross-cultural pragmatics research can contribute to a language socialisation perspective in second language teaching and learning. We provide some background to our research project on the study of self-disclosure and negative emotion communication among three cultural groups, drawing on data collected in Anglo-Australian, French and Italian films. Our project involved the elaboration of a model of the cultural script of anger display in interactions involving male friends, and the observation and analysis of non-verbal responses based on a small corpus.
Socialising learners into emotion communication in a L2: Establishing a link between research data and classroom-based activities. [abstract].
(2006) Strambi, Antonella; Mrowa-Hopkins, Colette Marie
In this paper, we explore ways in which the results of our studies on emotion communication across cultures can be used as a starting point for material and activity design, within a language socialization approach. Starting from theoretical and pedagogical considerations, we will illustrate our rationale for material design, demonstrate some sample activities and suggest implementation strategies, as well as methods for evaluation.

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