Arnd Witte Boeken

This book explores the idea of ‘intercultural competence’, which, despite its current popularity across various discourses, has remained a vague and oscillating concept. Interculture lacks a universal definition and ‘competence’ is not only a cognitive construct but also includes psychological traits such as attitudes, affective aspects and constructions of identity. The essays in this volume approach the complexity of the concept from a number of different angles. These include theoretical models for defining the concept of ‘intercultural competence’, outlining paths for future research; application of the concept in the teaching and learning of foreign languages, cultures and literatures; exploration of institutional and sociocultural influences on mediating intercultural competence; and analysis of the concept’s impact on such diverse contexts as international business, religious constructs and notions of selfhood and identity. The volume develops a broad range of perspectives on intercultural competence, providing stimulating new ideas, reflections and models around this important concept.

The articles in this volume are the proceedings of a conference on ‘Translation in Second Language Teaching and Learning’ that took place at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, in March 2008. The papers delivered at the conference, the subsequent discussions in Maynooth and the articles in this volume have clearly demonstrated that, after some decades of marginalising or even excluding translation from second/foreign language methodologies and classroom practices, the time is ripe for a re-evaluation of the benefits translation can bring to the process of learning a second language and its cultural context. Translation exercises are interpreted as processes of negotiation, as constitutive acts for identities and (inter-)actions, based on increasingly emerging ‘third spaces’ between the dominant conceptualisations, values, norms, beliefs, rules, traditions and discourses of the languages and cultures involved. The enterprise of translating between languages, cultures, individuals, societies and discourses thus assumes a central place of relevance for anyone involved in the complex project of interculturality, including, and foremost, foreign language learners.

Learning a foreign language in its cultural context has a significant effect on the subjective mind, ranging from the unsettling to the inspirational. The complex interplay between native and foreign languages, their cultural conceptualisations and discourses and the mind and body of the learner results in the subjective construction of individual positionings located «in between» the languages and cultures involved. These processes are not restricted to the cognitive level of learning but also involve deep-seated habits, values and beliefs. These habits, values and beliefs are to a certain extent the result of subjective experiences and feelings; however, they are also embedded in a socio-cultural network of concepts, norms, traditions and life-worlds, so that they are characterised both by the learner’s subjectivity and by the sociality and (inter-)culturality of their environment. The essays in this volume explore the subjective dimension of intercultural language learning, ranging from theoretical considerations to empirical studies and providing stimulating insights into this important area of study.

The book explores the creation of interculturally blended third spaces in second language learners, tracing the influence of their first language and culture on cognitive development. It introduces a phase-model for developing intercultural competence, examining the interplay of identity, culture, and interaction. By shifting focus from subjective to intersubjective experiences, it emphasizes the significance of culture in language acquisition. The interdisciplinary approach incorporates insights from cultural psychology, linguistic anthropology, and critical theory, highlighting the essential role of culture in second language learning.

Im fremdsprachlichen Sprach- und Literaturunterricht „vor Ort“ treten bekanntlich stets Probleme auf, wenn es um das Verstehen des Fremden - also der deutschen Sprache, Kultur und Literatur - aus der eigenen Perspektive geht. Solche Probleme diskutiert die Studie am Beispiel Nigeria. Sie versucht, Ansätze zu einer kulturspezifischen Methodik des DaF-Unterrichts in Nigeria zu entwickeln - eine Pionierarbeit insofern, als es bisher noch keine Untersuchung gibt, die sich mit einer kulturbezogenen Methodik des DaF-Unterrichts im anglophonen Afrika beschäftigt. Wer die kulturgeprägte Alltagswelt der DaF- Studierenden in ihrer sozialen Konstitution verstehen und sie dazu in ihren Herkunfts- und Überlieferungszusammenhang einrücken möchte, muß theoretisch und empirisch zugleich vorgehen. Wittes im Bereich der Sprachlehr- und - lernforschung angesiedelte Analyse untersucht die komplexen und vielschichtigen Prozesse im fremdsprachlichen Klassenzimmer aus verschiedenen Perspektiven und mit Hilfe des Instrumentariums mehrerer wissenschaftlichen Disziplinen. Seine überschaubare und strukturell auf ähnliche Problemlagen in aller Welt übertragbare „Case Study“ leistet einen wichtigen Beitrag dazu, die von vielen beklagte Kluft zwischen „abgehobener Theorie“ und „grauer Praxis“ zu überwinden.