LSP courses as strategic sites for interculturalisation at home: exploring opportunities and facing challenges

Ana Bocanegra-Valle

doi:10.4312/sm.19.2.3-18

Authors

Ana Bocanegra-Valle University of Cádiz Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4312/sm.19.2.3-18

Keywords:

Languages for Specific Purposes, interculturalisation, intercultural brokers, intercultural learning, internationalisation, higher education

Abstract

This article focuses on the internationalisation of higher education and explores the opportunities and challenges faced by LSP teachers when attempting to integrate interculturality in LSP courses and their everyday teaching – that is, when they aim at interculturalisation at home (Jones, 2020). It examines, among others, the instruments developed within the European Higher Education Area to introduce the intercultural component into education across Europe, the role of LSP textbooks in fostering and supporting intercultural language learning, the benefits of interculturalised syllabi and activities in LSP courses, and the contribution of LSP teachers to the interculturalisation of LSP classrooms. These issues are addressed from a pragmatic standpoint in an attempt to spark conversation and provide clear pointers for further advancement in the field.

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