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Programme: accepted abstracts

Abstract ID: 639

Part of General Paper Session (Other abstracts in this session)

Second language learning and cultural exchange in Australian schools: An intergenerational undertaking

Authors: Huang, Hui; Cordella, Marisa; Lambert, Brigitte Elisabeth; Willoughby, Louisa
Submitted by: Lambert, Brigitte Elisabeth (Monash University, Australia, Australia)

The adage ‘it takes a community to raise a child’ invokes an image of interaction between numerous participants, both young and old, that leads to language acquisition, knowledge of socio-cultural norms and experiences, and also shapes attitudes towards other cultures. This notion extends to language students in countries like Australia, whose diverse ethno-linguistic communities, particularly the older members therein, represent a teaching/learning resource still waiting to be utilised to its fullest potential in order to serve Australian society as a whole (Clyne 2005, Clyne et al forthcoming). As this project shows, such community involvement can support the process of second language learning and broaden students’ cultural knowledge within mainstream Australian schools, where ‘real-life’ language practice and intercultural contact, via immersion programs or overseas study exchanges, is not readily available to all. In return, engagement with students allows the elder participants to maintain and hone their own language skills, pass on their personal histories, and connect with the world of the young. All this is done through the dialogical interaction between participants who position themselves as language instructors, socio-cultural guides and ethical-moral advisers (Cordella and Hui forthcoming).

Following the communal orientation, this project takes an inter-disciplinary perspective, bringing together linguists and specialists in ageing.  It was designed to use local multilingual and multicultural community resources to enhance upper secondary school students’ second language learning and intercultural communication experience. Year 11 and 12 students of German, Mandarin and Spanish at three Melbourne schools conducted fortnightly conversations throughout the school-year with elder first-language speakers of the target language (TL). For analytical purposes, three of these sessions were recorded for each elder-student pair.

This paper examines the type of cultural knowledge exchange generated during such intergenerational and intercultural conversational encounters, with focus on the students’ learning of the TL culture.  What the project provided was a context where students were able to participate in natural oral/spoken interactions and construct meaning with people from the TL culture in a reciprocal process of conversations. Using the TL enabled students to simultaneously locate themselves in the world of their first language(s) and the world of their TL, with the possibility or option of moving across the two cultures.  Analysis of the recorded conversations revealed that the benefits of intercultural and interpersonal communication were mutual and were not confined to the cognitive level, but more importantly, also emerged at the behavioural/social level.  This project, therefore, demonstrates the effectiveness of drawing on local community resources to supplement the formal classroom teaching of TL culture. It offers insights for developing future language programs by setting up a model for second language teaching and learning, but also draws attention to another creative way of enriching the lives of elder citizens.

References

Clyne, M. (2005). Australia’s Language Potential. Sydney: UNSW Press.

Clyne. M., Cordella M., Schüpbach D. and Maher. B. (forthcoming). Connecting younger second language learners and older bilinguals: interconnectedness and social inclusion. 

Cordella, M. And Huang Hui (forthcoming). L1 and L2 Chinese, German and Spanish speakers in action stance-taking in intergenerational and intercultural encounters.