Evaluation and Research in Education
Editor: Professor Keith Morrison, Inter-University Institute of Macau
Associate Editor: Professor Stephen Gorard, University of York
Statistical Adviser: Professor Colin Baker, University of Wales Bangor
Reviews Editor: Dr. Emma Smith, University of York
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Volume: 16 Number: 3 Page: 150–165
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Implementing Intercultural Foreign Language Education. Belgian, Danish and British Teachers' Professional Self-concepts and Teaching Practices Compared
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Lies Sercu
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In foreign language education, new professional demands are made on teachers. Foreign language teaching can no longer be regarded as a mainly linguistic task. Teachers are now required to teach intercultural
communicative competence. Internationally, the assumption seems to be that teachers are already moving in the advocated direction and are willing to support the new objectives put forward. The observation
that this belief remains largely intuitive with little rigorous evidence to support it, constituted the rationale for the research we report on here. The study's aim was to inquire into how Flemish English,
French and German teachers' current professional self-concepts and teaching practices relate to the envisaged profile of the intercultural foreign language teacher, and to compare these findings to those
obtained with respect to Danish and British teachers in an earlier study. Our findings inspire optimism that progress is being made and that teachers in the different countries investigated are willing
to support intercultural objectives. Their teaching practices, however, can as yet not be characterised as directed towards the full attainment of intercultural communicative competence.
Keywords: FOREIGN LANGUAGE EDUCATION, INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE, PROFESSIONALISM IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE EDUCATION, TEACHERS' PROFESSIONAL SELF-CONCEPTS
© Multilingual Matters 2002
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