Dynamic intercultural learning and collaboration: transforming language teacher perspectives and practices

Abstract

PurposeThis study aims to examine the impact of intercultural learning and collaboration on two English as a world language teachers from South Korea and Taiwan within a virtual professional development program, emphasizing their evolving understanding of culture and interculturality and its implications for practice.Design/methodology/approachUtilizing qualitative research design, this study incorporates three sources of data: written reflections, online meetings and semistructured interviews. Data is examined through the cultural perspectives framework (Hall, Covarrubias and Kirschbaum, 2022) to analyze how teachers (re)frame culture and interculturality in English language teaching, specifically through the lens of interpretive, critical and socio-scientific perspectives.FindingsThe findings reveal that engaging in facilitated professional intercultural learning and collaboration enhances teachers’ perspectives and practices regarding cultural complexities in language classrooms. The study highlights the importance of reflective practice, collaborative professional learning and the adoption of multiple cultural perspectives.Originality/valueThis research enriches the field of intercultural education by advocating for a structured approach to teacher learning in bridging the gap between theory and practice. It uniquely applies Hall et al.’s (2022) ICS framework to analyze how teachers (re)frame culture and interculturality in English language teaching. The originality is in the in-depth analysis of the intricate dynamics of teacher learning and the transformative potential of intercultural collaboration.