Critical Socio-Cultural Elements of the Intercultural Endeavour of English Teaching in Colombian Rural Areas

Published

2014-07-01

Elementos críticos socioculturales de la labor de enseñar inglés en áreas rurales colombianas

Keywords:

Rural areas, rural education, sociocultural factors, teaching English as a foreign language. (en)
Área rural, educación rural, enseñanza del inglés como lengua extranjera, factores socioculturales. (es)

Downloads

PDF
HTML

Authors

Sandra Ximena Bonilla Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas
Ferney Cruz-Arcila King's College London

Abstract (en)
Abstract (es)

This article reports a study done with five English language teachers in Colombian rural areas. Questionnaires and interviews were used to see how these teachers understand their professional practice considering the contextual features of their regional workplaces. Amongst the findings, we noticed that these teachers have to mediate between local and global tensions and also deal with socio-cultural matches and mismatches in their labours. It is hoped this work raises awareness of critical socio-cultural factors involved in the teaching of English in rural settings and of the complexity of its intercultural dimension.

Este artículo reporta los hallazgos de una exploración sistemática hecha con cinco profesores de inglés en áreas rurales. Se usaron cuestionarios y entrevistas para vislumbrar la forma como ellos entienden su práctica profesional considerando las características contextuales de las regiones donde trabajan. Dentro de los hallazgos notamos que los profesores tienen que mediar entre tensiones globales y locales; además, tienen que enfrentar discordancias y concordancias socioculturales en su labor. Se espera que este trabajo cree conciencia sobre factores críticos socioculturales involucrados en la enseñanza del inglés en zonas rurales y sobre la complejidad de su dimensión intercultural.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Abdallah-Pretceille, M. (2001). La educación intercultural [Intercultural education]. Barcelona, ES: Idea Books.

Bourdieu, P. (1976). Outline of a theory of practice. London, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Bourdieu, P. (1998). Cosas dichas [Things said]. Buenos Aires, AR: Gedisa.

Brislin, R. (1993). Understanding culture’s influence on behavior. Honolulu, HI: East West Honolulu Center.

Byram, M. (1989). Cultural studies in foreign language education. Philadelphia, PA: Multilingual matters.

Byram, M. (2000). Intercultural communicative competence: The challenge for language teaching training. In A. Mountford & N. Wadham-Smith (Eds.), British studies: Intercultural perspectives (pp. 95-102). Edinburgh, UK: Longman in Association with the British Council.

Byram, M., & Risager, K. (1999). Language teachers, politics and cultures. Philadelphia, PA: Multilingual Matters.

Canagarajah, A. S. (Ed.) (2005). Reclaiming the local in language policy and practice. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Cárdenas, M. L. (2006). Bilingual Colombia: Are we ready for it? What is needed? Paper presented at the 19th Annual English Australia Education Conference. Retrieved from http://qa.englishaustralia.com.au/index.cgi?E=hcatfuncs&PT=sl&X=getdoc&Lev1=pub_c07_07&Lev2=c06_carde

Castañeda-Peña, H. A. (2008). ‘I said it!’ ‘I’m first!’: Gender and language-learner identities. Colombian Applied Linguistics Journal, 10(1), 112-125.

Castro, H., & Reboratti, C. E. (2008). Revisión del concepto de ruralidad en la Argentina y alternativas posibles para su redefinición [Revision of the concept of rurality in Argentina and possible alternatives for its redefinition]. Buenos Aires, AR: Ministerio de Economia y Producción.

Cortazzi, M., & Jin, L. (1999). Cultural mirrors: Materials and methods in the EFL classroom. In E. Hinkel (Ed.), Culture in second language teaching and learning (pp. 196-220). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Cruz-Arcila, F. (2007). Broadening minds: Exploring intercultural understanding in adult EFL learners. Colombian Applied Linguistics Journal, 9(1), 144-173.

Cruz-Arcila, F. (2013). Accounting for difference and diversity in language teaching and learning in Colombia. Educación y Educadores, 16(1), 80-92.

Cuesta, O. J. (2008). Reflexiones sobre la educación rural en el marco de la comunicación-educación [Reflections on rural education in the framework of communication-education]. Revista Civilizar, 8(15), 89-102.

da Silva, J. G. (2004). Espacio rural y dimensión territorial [Rural space and territorial dimension]. In Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Agricultura y la Alimentación (Ed.), Temas actuales y emergentes para el análisis económico y la investigación de politicas (pp. 121-176). Retrieved from ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/006/y4940s/y4940s00.pdf

Dörnyei, Z. (2007). Research methods in applied linguistics: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methodologies. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

Foucault, M. (1984). Las palabras y las cosas: una arqueología de las ciencias humanas [Words and things: An archeology of human sciences]. Paris, FR: Planeta-Agostini.

Freeman, D. (1998). Doing teacher research: From inquiry to understanding. Toronto, CA: Heinle & Heile Publishers.

García, O. (2009). Education, multilingualism and translanguaging in the 21st century. In T. Skutnabb-Kangas, R. Phillipson, A. K. Mohanty, & M. Panda (Eds.), Social justice through multilingual education (pp. 125-139). Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters.

Gay, L. R., & Airasian, P. W. (2000). Educational research: Competencies for analysis and application (6th ed.). New Jersey, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Gee, J. P. (2005). Social linguistics and literacies: Ideology in discourses. Madrid, ES: Ediciones Morata.

Guerrero, C. H. (2008). Bilingual Colombia: What does it mean to be bilingual within the framework of the National Plan of Bilingualism? PROFILE Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development, 10(1), 27-45.

Hannum, W. H., Irvin, M. J., Banks, J. B., & Farmer, T. W. (2009). Distance education use in rural schools. Journal of Research in Rural Education, 24(3), 1-15.

Hinkel, E. (Ed.). (1999). Culture in second language teaching and learning. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Hinkel, E. (2005). Identity, culture, and critical pedagogy in second language teaching and learning. In E. Hinkel (Ed.), Handbook of research in second language teaching and learning (pp. 891-893). Seattle, WA: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.

Korthagen, F. A. J. (2001). Linking practice and theory: The pedagogy of realistic teacher education. New Jersey, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Kramsch, C. (1993). Context and culture in language teaching. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

Kramsch, C. (1995). The cultural component of language teaching. Language, Culture, and Curriculum, 8(2), 83-92.

Kramsch, C. (1998). Language and culture. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

Kramsch, C. (2001). Intercultural communication. In R. Carter & D. Nunan (Eds.), The Cambridge guide to teaching English to speakers of other languages (pp. 201-206). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Kramsch, C. (2008). Context and culture in language teaching. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Kreisberg, S. (1992). Transforming power: Domination, empowerment, and education. New York, NY: Sunny Press.

Kumaravadivelu, B. (2003). Beyond methods: Macrostrategies for language teaching. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

Lakin, M., & Gasperini, L. (2004). La educación básica en áreas rurales: situación, problemática y perspectivas [Basic education in rural areas: situation, problematics, and perspectives]. In D. Atchoarena & L. Gasperini (Eds.), Educación para el desarrollo rural: hacia nuevas respuestas de política. (pp. 81-192). Roma, IT: UNESCO & FAO.

Larsen-Freeman, D. (2000). Techniques and principles in language teaching. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

López, A. A., & Bernal, R. (2009). Language testing in Colombia: A call for more teacher education and teacher training in language assessment. PROFILE Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development, 11(2), 55-70.

McLaren, P. (1997). Pedagogia crítica y cultura depredadora [Critical pedagogy and predatory culture]. Barcelona, ES: Paidós.

Merriam, S. B. (2009). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Nieto, S. (2002). Language culture and teaching: Critical perspectives for a new century. London, UK: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Nostrand, H. L. (1967). Background data for the teaching of French: Final report, Project OE-6-14-005. Contemporary culture and society of the United States. Seattle, WA: Office of Education (DHEW).

Olaya, A., & Gómez, L. F. (2013). Exploring EFL pre-service teachers’ experience with cultural content and intercultural communicative competence at three Colombian universities. PROFILE Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development, 15(2), 49-67.

Oliveras, A. (2000). Hacia la competencia intercultural en el aprendizaje de una lengua extranjera [Towards intercultural competence while learning a foreign language]. Barcelona, ES: Edinumen.

Omaggio, A. (1993). Teaching language in context. Boston, MA: Heinle & Heinle.

Pennycook, A. (2000). The social politics and the cultural politics of language classrooms. In J. K. Hall & W. G. Egginton (Eds.), The sociopolitics of English language teaching (pp. 89-103). Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters.

Perfetti, M. (2003). Estudio sobre la educación rural en Colombia [Study of rural education in Colombia]. Retrieved from http://www.red-ler.org/estudio_educacion_poblacion_rural_colombia.pdf

Pineda, D., & Frodden, C. (2008). The development of a novice teacher’s autonomy in the context of EFL in Colombia. PROFILE Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development, 9(1), 143-162.

Richards, J. C. , & Lockhart, C. (2006). Reflective teaching in second language classrooms. Cambidge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Rodríguez, C., & Hine, N. (2009). Media as medium in Colombian education: How media and ICT are changing communication and the curriculum in the school. Colombian Applied Linguistics Journal, 11(1), 115-123.

Sánchez, A. C., & Obando, G. (2008). Is Colombia ready for bilingualism? PROFILE Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development, 9(1), 181-195.

Schön, D. A. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. London, UK: Ashgate.

Seelye, H. N. (1984). Teaching culture: Strategies for intercultural communication. Lincolnwood, IL: National Textbook Company.

Trujillo, F. (2002). Towards interculturality through language teaching: Argumentative discourse. CAUCE, Revista de Filología y su Didáctica, 25, 103-119.

Velásquez, J. (2002). Integrating e-mail projects to English classrooms: Looking for intercultural understanding. Colombian Applied Linguistics Journal, 4, 78-84.

Vez, J. M. (2001). Formación en didáctica de las lenguas extranjeras [Training in foreign languages teaching]. Rosario, AR: Homo Sapiens.

Viáfara, J. J. (2011). How do EFL student teachers face the challenge of using L2 in public school classrooms? PROFILE Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development, 13(1), 55-74.

Wallace, M. J. (1991). Training foreign language teachers: A reflective approach. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Webb, J., Schirato, T., & Danaher, G. (2002). Understanding Bourdieu. London, UK: Sage.

World Bank. (2007). Colombian rural education project (APL Phase II). Retrieved from http://www.worldbank.org/projects/P082908/colombia-rural-education-project-apl-phase-ii?lang=en

Zhao, Z. (2011). Empowerment in a socialist egalitarian agenda: Minority women in China’s higher education system. Journal of Gender and Education, 23(4), 431-445.

License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

You are authorized to copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format as long as you give appropriate credit to the authors of the articles and to Profile: Issues in Teachers' Professional Development as original source of publication. The use of the material for commercial purposes is not allowed. If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you may not distribute the modified material.

Authors retain the intellectual property of their manuscripts with the following restriction: first publication is granted to Profile: Issues in Teachers' Professional Development.