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Challenging Boundaries in Language Education pp 141–161Cite as

Across Languages and Cultures: Modelling Teaching and Learning with Intercomprehension

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Part of the book series: Second Language Learning and Teaching ((SLLT))

Abstract

Planning teaching and learning with all learners’ languages and cultures in mind suggests crossing the borders of monolingual classrooms towards a meaningful exploration of their multilingual potential. A framework for intercomprehension methodology in the context of authentic text production and use exemplifies how transformative and transgressive education can activate a process of Bildung through harmonizing mind, heart, selfhood, and identity. The chapter analyzes how multimodal texts produced by young learners nurture cultural and affective sensitivity, linguistic awareness , identity, and learner autonomy. Pedagogical tasks and methodological strategies aiming at the development of multiliteracies and intercomprehension exemplify how crossing the borders between language, culture , and subject matter can achieve innovation in language education for multilingual societies. A critical view on the modification of language educators’ expectations of learner output is discussed through fleshing out differences between authentic, engaging, and interesting scripts, and such that fulfil the claim for accuracy and conformity. Consequently, the need for transgressing borders of traditional monolingual classrooms in the advancement of education including translingual language use is suggested.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University College of Teacher Education Lower Austria, Baden, Austria

    Claudia Mewald

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  1. Claudia Mewald
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Correspondence to Claudia Mewald .

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  1. Oxford Road, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

    Achilleas Kostoulas

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Mewald, C. (2019). Across Languages and Cultures: Modelling Teaching and Learning with Intercomprehension. In: Kostoulas, A. (eds) Challenging Boundaries in Language Education. Second Language Learning and Teaching. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-17057-8_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-17057-8_9

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