Show simple item record

dc.contributor.advisorWildner-Bassett, Maryen_US
dc.contributor.authorSchaeffer, Janna Orlova
dc.creatorSchaeffer, Janna Orlovaen_US
dc.date.accessioned2012-01-17T20:10:41Z
dc.date.available2012-01-17T20:10:41Z
dc.date.issued2011
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10150/203495
dc.description.abstractOver the course of the last few decades the debate over culture and its relationship to language has remained heated and one can argue, unresolved. It has been underscored that it is not necessarily the question of culture teaching per-se but rather the methods and content of such teaching that remain controversial. Today's world demands that learners are not simply linguistically but also interculturally competent. It has been argued that high levels of intercultural awareness can be achieved with the help of experiential lessons taught in a formal setting that focus on the exploration of self as a cultural being.In this study, three groups of the intermediate learners of German and Russian were invited to participate in a number of cultural lessons based on either culture box highlights or experiential activities. The pre-posttests measured changes in learners' cognitive, behavioral and affective measures of intercultural competence. Results revealed that experiential activities tend to better facilitate the development of learners' intercultural skills and attitudes. Students written responses to critical incidents were analyzed with the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (Bennett, 1993) to assess changes in learners' perspectives and intercultural disposition over the course of the semester. Additionally, learners' experiences with foreign and local cultures were quantified and correlated with cognitive, behavioral and affective measures of intercultural competence. Results showed that not all measures of intercultural competence may be broadened by the individuals' firsthand experiences with other cultures. The relevance of one's previous experiences with `sub-cultures' (states, cities, towns, and communities), i.e. his `mobility' must also be acknowledged.
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherThe University of Arizona.en_US
dc.rightsCopyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.en_US
dc.subjectintercultural competenceen_US
dc.subjectintercultural sensitivityen_US
dc.subjectmulticulturalen_US
dc.subjectSecond Language Acquisition & Teachingen_US
dc.subjectglobal citizenen_US
dc.subjectintercultural awarenessen_US
dc.titleACHIEVING CROSS-CULTURAL COMPETENCE IN THE CLASSROOM: CULTURE'S WAYS EXPLOREDen_US
dc.typetexten_US
dc.typeElectronic Dissertationen_US
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Arizonaen_US
thesis.degree.leveldoctoralen_US
dc.contributor.committeememberDupuy, Beatriceen_US
dc.contributor.committeememberWaugh, Lindaen_US
dc.contributor.committeememberWright, Daviden_US
dc.contributor.committeememberWildner-Bassett, Maryen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineGraduate Collegeen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineSecond Language Acquisition & Teachingen_US
thesis.degree.namePh.D.en_US
refterms.dateFOA2018-04-26T06:13:37Z
html.description.abstractOver the course of the last few decades the debate over culture and its relationship to language has remained heated and one can argue, unresolved. It has been underscored that it is not necessarily the question of culture teaching per-se but rather the methods and content of such teaching that remain controversial. Today's world demands that learners are not simply linguistically but also interculturally competent. It has been argued that high levels of intercultural awareness can be achieved with the help of experiential lessons taught in a formal setting that focus on the exploration of self as a cultural being.In this study, three groups of the intermediate learners of German and Russian were invited to participate in a number of cultural lessons based on either culture box highlights or experiential activities. The pre-posttests measured changes in learners' cognitive, behavioral and affective measures of intercultural competence. Results revealed that experiential activities tend to better facilitate the development of learners' intercultural skills and attitudes. Students written responses to critical incidents were analyzed with the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (Bennett, 1993) to assess changes in learners' perspectives and intercultural disposition over the course of the semester. Additionally, learners' experiences with foreign and local cultures were quantified and correlated with cognitive, behavioral and affective measures of intercultural competence. Results showed that not all measures of intercultural competence may be broadened by the individuals' firsthand experiences with other cultures. The relevance of one's previous experiences with `sub-cultures' (states, cities, towns, and communities), i.e. his `mobility' must also be acknowledged.


Files in this item

Thumbnail
Name:
azu_etd_11942_sip1_m.pdf
Size:
1.453Mb
Format:
PDF

This item appears in the following Collection(s)

Show simple item record