Two of the many goals of TESOL’s Intercultural Communication Interest Section (ICIS) are to promote intercultural understanding and to recommend methodology for teaching intercultural communication. What better way to learn how we as TESOL educators are meeting these goals than asking the learners themselves?
To learn how TESOL educators inspire intercultural learning for our ESL and EFL students, we recruited seven (7) ESL and EFL students from our classes to share their experiences with us. The students were ESL students studying at a U.S. university (Leslie’s students, Sreynith Sam from Cambodia, Lola Berna Gascon and Gemma Rodon Casarromona from Spain, and Jenny Chang from Taiwan) and EFL students in secondary school in Italy (Barbara’s students Elisa Cuccagna, Leo Filipović Grčić, and Lucille Protti). The panel served a dual purpose: 1) To learn about intercultural learning experiences from our students’ points of view and 2) trigger ideas for ESL/EFL teachers to effect intercultural learning within their classrooms and/or educational setting. In this article, we would like to explore the first goal of learning about our students’ experiences.
Figure 1: Flyer for the student panel on intercultural learning
To gain insight about intercultural learning experiences of our students, we posed several questions to our panel. The students’ responses were practical, yet enlightening. Our readers may hear from the students themselves via the attached video; below are the questions and a brief written description of some of their responses:
● What in-classroom experiences have triggered impactful intercultural learning? (classroom activities or projects, etc.)?
Figure 2: Our student panel in action
The three highlighted responses include two class assignments and a field trip. Gemma noted that a video project was meaningful. This video project asks ESL students studying in the U.S. to consider a cultural question and interview (and videotape) local people to gain insight on the question. The videotaped responses of their participants are then compiled into a video to show the class. Lola noted a different class assignment - a Growth Journal that tracks intercultural growth throughout the semester. Leo highlighted a field trip as an impactful experience. One of his classes during his study abroad in Sweden toured Stockholm to see high- and low-income neighborhoods. He noted that this experience broadened his understanding of the diversity in his host city.
● What out-of-classroom experiences have triggered impactful intercultural learning?
Answering this question, Jenny said that daily interaction with dormmates tapped into her learning about individualism and collectivism in her culture class. This learning helped her understand the social behavior of people in host country. Sreynith noted that travelling around the country provided many opportunities to practice openness, empathy, and avoiding judgment.
● Please describe a cultural clash you have experienced. What information or instruction, if any, could have helped you navigate this situation better?
Significant culture clashes involved studying in a different country instead of the EFL classroom. Lucille mentioned that the lack of mentorship and academic help in her host country were vastly different from what she was used to; she learned to fend for herself as a result. Leo noted that his whole study abroad experience presented culture clashes, such as the unfamiliar academic subjects, the feeling of being “lost”, and the need for help with simple things. They both felt like mentorship would have been useful in these situations.
Some responses about skills these students gained during their intercultural learning experience were “confidence” (Elise), “staying rooted with home even from afar” (Lola), “respect” (Gemma), “self-awareness” and “risk taking” (Sreynith), and ability to “appreciate beauty and difference” (Lucille).
Finally, we posed the following impromptu question –
● What advice do you have for other ESL/EFL students who find themselves in intercultural learning opportunities?
Their advice was to “Live the moment” and “Don’t let embarrassment stop you” (Leo), “Enjoy because you have one opportunity” (Elise), “Don’t say ‘no’” and “Have no regrets” (Gemma), and “Don’t focus on travel so much; meet people” (Lola).
Hear some of the student comments
What can we as TESOL educators learn from our students’ experiences and observations? We can see from our students’ responses that many of the class projects and activities that we have masterminded are inspiring the intercultural learning that we intended. Furthermore, our students recognize that they gained intercultural skills from our classes and were aware of their own application of these skills in the real world. Reflection was a key component of the learning; being asked about their learning in projects or even during this student panel helped students realize that their intercultural learning grew both in and out of the classroom.
Finally, we learned that student panels are worth the effort. They allow space for students to reflect on their learning and recognize how that learning may have impacted their understanding of and behavior in intercultural situations. Indeed, the students were inspired by each other’s examples of intercultural learning, which in turn, triggered recognition of their own successes. After the panel, our students said that it helped them re-focus on their experience. They added that they were pleased to realize their experience was still with them, that they discovered that they did not forget about it, and that they were, in fact, able to share it with others. This is meaningful - intercultural learning, coupled with reflection, endures.
As teachers, the student panel showed us that ASKING our students can reveal important information to inform our teaching – what lessons, activities, opportunities inspired intercultural growth for our students? What experiences did they cite and perhaps as important, what did they leave out? For our purposes, we were encouraged that our lessons were impactful and we will certainly build on those experiences that have, so far, inspired intercultural learning for our students.
Leslie Bohon, is Interim ESL Director at the University of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia (USA). Her work with international students focuses on helping them maximize their intercultural experience through academic culture and adjustment training. Her courses for international students include culture and writing with a strong focus on building intercultural competence.
Barbara Lapornik, works for the bilingual high school Liceo Scientifico Statale - Državni znanstveni licej “France Prešeren” based in Trieste, Italy. She serves as international project manager, organizing and coordinating student and staff exchanges, competitions in civic education, and English language certificates. Her research focuses on the manifold aspects of intercultural student education in diverse contexts.
