Year: 2015
Type: article
Abstract: This article details a study looking at learning outcomes in a foreign language course with a focus on intercultural learning. The main aim of this study is to examine the relationship between learners’ L2 performance and their higher-thinking skills. In advanced Japanese language classes at an Australian university, students read articles regarding global issues written in Japanese, and engaged in discussions with peers from various cultural backgrounds. They then created videos on contemporary issues, and uploaded them to YouTube, where they were commented on by students in Japanese universities. This paper describes in detail L2 performance of six students with different backgrounds (two international students, two local students with an Asian background, and two local students with a relatively monocultural background). The findings suggest that there is no clear relationship between learners’ L2 performance and the higher-order thinking skills exhibited in intercultural learning. The paper also discusses constructs of L2 performance required in intercultural communication.
Author: Etsuko Toyoda
Institution: The University of Melbourne
Language: English
Subfield: Language and Linguistics
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
Funder: University of Melbourne
OpenAlex ID: W2738727915