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Araucanía Chilean EFL Teachers’ Beliefs Regarding Their Intercultural Mediator Role
Creencias sobre el rol de mediador intercultural de profesores de inglés de La Araucanía, Chile
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15446/profile.v28n1.117794Keywords:
English as a foreign language, Intercultural communicative competence, Mediator role, Teachers' beliefs (en)Competencia comunicativa intercultural, Creencias de profesores, Inglés como lengua extranjera, Rol mediador (es)
The Chilean Ministry of Education has introduced an intercultural communication-oriented approach to teaching EFL in consideration of our globalized society and the local social composition of Chile. Although initial teacher education programs have progressively implemented this approach, in-service teachers have not necessarily been educated regarding their role as intercultural mediators. This study’s objective was to analyze the beliefs EFL teachers from the La Araucanía region hold regarding their role as intercultural mediators. A qualitative approach was adopted. Sixteen teachers participated in semi-structured interviews and one focus group. Three beliefs teachers hold regarding the intercultural mediator role: (a) a proponent of positive intercultural attitudes, (b) an expander of intercultural contexts, and (c) a guide in finding purpose in learning.
El Ministerio de Educación de Chile introdujo un enfoque de comunicación intercultural en la enseñanza del inglés como lengua extranjera. Aunque los programas de formación inicial docente han adoptado progresivamente este enfoque, los docentes en servicio no necesariamente están preparados para reconocer su papel como mediadores interculturales. Este estudio analiza las creencias que los docentes de inglés como lengua extranjera de La Araucanía asumen sobre su rol como mediadores interculturales. Se adoptó un enfoque cualitativo. Dieciséis docentes participaron en entrevistas semiestructuradas y en un grupo de discusión. Las tres creencias que tienen los docentes respecto al rol de mediador intercultural son: (a) proponentes de actitudes interculturales positivas, (b) expansores de contextos interculturales y (c) guías para encontrar un propósito en el aprendizaje.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Maura Klenner-Loebel, Juan Carlos Beltrán-Véliz, & Trevor Driscoll
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