INTEGRATING MORAL AND LANGUAGE EDUCATION: A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO CHARACTER FORMATION IN MULTICULTURAL CLASSROOMS

This study aimed to explore any type and level of association between Iranian EFL learners’ proficiency level and their intercultural sensitivity on the one hand, and the possible relation between vocabulary knowledge and sensitivity to cultural differences on the other. To this end, Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT) was administered to 220 EFL leaners. Based on the results of this test, a homogenized sample of 150 EFL learners (70 male and 80 female) at intermediate and upper-intermediate levels was selected. Afterwards, the participants took Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT) developed by Nation, and validated by Webb, Sasao, and Balance. Finally, Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (ISS) by Chen & Starosta was administered. The results of Pearson correlation analyses revealed a statistically significant correlation between the participants' proficiency level and their intercultural sensitivity. The results of regression analyses also indicated that language proficiency contributes as much as 55.4 percent to the prediction of level of intercultural sensitivity. Moreover, a significant positive correlation was detected between EFL learners’ L2 vocabulary knowledge and their intercultural sensitivity level. Further, the results revealed that Iranian EFL learners’ L2 vocabulary knowledge can offer contributions up to 17.3 percent to the prediction of intercultural sensitivity level. These findings can offer prominent implications for all practitioners, material developers, and EFL instructors who are primarily preoccupied with linguistic competence. The results can motivate them to consider intercultural sensitivity as a complementary element to EFL learners’ linguistic knowledge, as well as their communicative commands.

Selected Abstracts From the 2013 International Neuroethics Society Annual Meeting

This volume brings together philosophical perspectives on emotions, imagination and moral reasoning with contributions from neuroscience, cognitive science, social psychology, personality theory, developmental psychology, and abnormal psychology. The book explores what we can learn about the role of emotions and imagination in moral reasoning from psychopathic adults in the general community, from young children, and adolescents with callous unemotional traits, and from normal child development. It discusses the implications for philosophical moral psychology of recent experimental work on moral reasoning in the cognitive sciences and neurosciences. Conversely, it shows what cognitive scientists and neuroscientists have still to learn from philosophical perspectives on moral reasoning, moral reflection, and moral responsibility. Finally, it looks at whether experimental methods used for researching moral reasoning are consistent with the work in social psychology and with philosophical thought on adult moral reasoning in everyday life. The volume's wide-ranging perspectives reflect the varied audiences for the volume, from students of philosophy to psychologists working in cognition, social and personality psychology, developmental psychology, abnormal psychology, and cognitive neuroscience.

Individuals are increasingly exposed to diverse cultures in their work, education, and social life. In multicultural classrooms, intercultural sensitivity (IS) and inter cultural communicative competence (ICC) are relevant concepts that allow for an understanding of teachers’ perceptions as they interact with learners from other cultures. However, English as a Foreign Language (EFL) research has not thoroughly addressed the implications of teachers’ attitudes and contextual phenomena in the process of promoting interaction and integration in a multicultural setting. Therefore, the main goals of this mixed-methods study were to explore the relationship between the attitudes of 61 EFL Chilean teachers towards the multicultural EFL classroom and their intercultural sensitivity perceptions, as well as assess how their intercultural sensitivity influenced their perceived ICC in that setting. The teachers completed the Teacher Multicultural Attitude Survey (TMAS) and the intercultural sensitivity scale (ISS), which was followed by semi-structured interviews with eight teachers. Results revealed high levels of multicultural awareness and intercultural sensitivity displayed by the teachers, but qualitative findings suggested that even though teachers may display high awareness and empathy towards cultural diversity, they may not know how to tackle ICC in the classroom and lack a principled approach to effectively communicate with learners from other cultures. Pedagogical implications in the EFL classroom are also discussed.

Recent years have seen a growing interest in fostering inclusivity and interaction among individuals from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds in FL or L2 classes, which has led to the proliferation of intercomprehension practices in language teacher education, facilitating teachers' identity development, intercultural sensitivity, and plurilingual awareness. Using plurilingualism as a conceptual framework, the data of this qualitative study is collected from a pre-service teacher education program and an intensive language education program at two state universities. Building on the previous research and challenges reported by in-service teachers in multicultural and multilingual classrooms, some scenarios are formed with prompts to reveal metaphors, followed by semi-structured interviews to elaborate on the participants' perspectives. In light of the findings, some suggestions and implications are provided with pedagogical purposes to soften the bonds among different cultures in language classrooms and foster interaction among members of different societies and awareness of plurilingual competences. Acknowledging the substantial impact of English language teachers' intercultural sensitivity, diversity, and inclusion, and an emerging need for enhanced educational equality and social justice in teacher training, this study contributes to the existing research by providing implications for teacher identity development.

In this study, two factors affecting intercultural sensitivity were investigated, using an adaptive Intercultural sensitivity Scale by Chen and Starosta. Participants were university students from Hainan and southern Taiwan. Results showed that the time spent reading in English per week significantly correlated with Interaction Confidence, Respect and Attentiveness, and Intercultural Sensitivity. Results of two-way MANOVA indicated that only the time reading in English per week would have significantly impacted upon Interaction Confidence and Intercultural Sensitivity. A post hoc test returned results where the mean scores of the high level group were significantly higher than those of the lowest and low level groups; the mean scores of the inter-mediate level group were also significantly higher than those of the lowest level group. The more time spent reading in English, the the higher intercultural sensitivity is. Reading in English could be regarded as an intercultural encounter and provide EFL readers with vicarious intercultural experiences. Also, authenticity of materials, readers’ motivation, and readers’ responses toward readings should be taken into account. Thus, individuals spending a longer time reading would increase their interaction confidence and intercultural sensitivity.

This paper examines the integration of 21st-century pedagogical competencies and Critical Pedagogy in English language teacher training through the INSPIRE (INnovative Strategies in Pedagogy for Inclusive Reflective English-teaching) Program at a Spanish university. Targeting undergraduate students in Primary Education to become English teachers, INSPIRE merged in-depth English language knowledge with innovative teaching methodologies. The program highlighted adaptability, technological literacy, and intercultural sensitivity in English teaching, aligning with 21st-century requirements in education. Embracing Paulo Freire’s Critical Pedagogy principles, the INSPIRE Program promoted an emancipatory and participatory teaching approach. Implementation phases include initial observation, gradual teaching involvement, and specific project development. INSPIRE’s transformative impact is assessed through enhanced linguistic and pedagogical competencies, critical consciousness, and cultural empathy. The paper concludes by emphasizing the significance of innovative, reflective educational approaches in teacher training, preparing future educators as change agents in a diverse, global educational environment.

In multilingual communities—a large number of them in Africa—the use of code switching and its impact on classroom interactions differ greatly depending on the area’s linguistic environment, educational policies, and cultural views on multilingualism. In Rwanda, where English proficiency is limited and the English language is the medium of instruction, code-switching (henceforth CS) seems to be a persisting practice in classroom interactions, and it has impacts on teaching and learning English and mathematics subjects. This study aimed to investigate the effects of code-switching on classroom interaction, focusing on English and mathematics subjects, specifically in selected secondary schools in Muhanga District, Rwanda. The study investigates the use of code-switching in English and mathematics subjects within multilingual societies, focusing on the challenges posed by language proficiency gaps. It aims to determine how prevalent code-switching is, its impact on classroom interaction, the reasons behind its use, and the perspectives of teachers and learners. The study was based on Kwame’s interactionism theory, which emphasizes the significance of experience, environment, and innate learning abilities in language acquisition. A descriptive research design was employed, utilizing a mixed-method approach for data collection, analysis, and presentation. Data was gathered through a questionnaire for teachers and students, an interview guide to meet the results from English and mathematics teachers in each of the participating schools, as well as an observation guide. The study’s target population included 475 participants: 467 students, 4 English teachers, and 4 mathematics teachers. A sample size of 90 respondents was selected, consisting of 82 students, 4 English teachers, and 4 mathematics teachers. Students were chosen using systematic sampling, where the first respondent was selected randomly and the next respondent was picked at intervals of two. Teachers, on the other hand, were selected through purposive sampling techniques. The data were coded, and their analysis was conducted using SPSS version 20, employing statistical tools such as frequency counts, percentages, means, and standard deviations. The key findings revealed that CS is a prevalent practice used to bridge linguistic gaps, aid comprehension, and foster effective communication, particularly in mathematics, due to its conceptual nature and diverse linguistic backgrounds of students and teachers. They also revealed that its overuse can affect language proficiency and the loss of cultural identity. Therefore, the study recommends that it should be used strategically. The findings of this study influence language policy implementation and instructional strategies in Rwanda’s educational system. It recommends moderate use of code-switching to enhance understanding and classroom interaction, while encouraging teachers and students to use the language of instruction for self-improvement.

This study sought to determine the correlation between teachers’ linguistic competence and students’ linguistic competence as well as between teachers’ teaching skills and students’ linguistic competence. The researcher made use of descriptive correlation to determine the relationship among the variables. Fishbowl sampling was utilized to determine public high schools for the study, and multistage sampling was used to determine the student respondents using the Raosoft sample size calculator wherein out of 1,500 students, 306 students were picked. For teacher respondents, the total population of ten (10) grade eight English teachers coming from the four select public high schools comprised the group of teacher respondents. The findings revealed that there is a significant relationship when teachers’ lesson management, assessment, and overall teaching skills were correlated with students’ linguistic competence; furthermore, in terms of teachers’ linguistic competence and students’ linguistic competence, the teachers’ grammar, textual knowledge, and overall linguistic competence show a strong correlation with students’ linguistic competence. The multiple regression analysis also revealed that teachers’ grammar, overall linguistic competence, classroom climate, and assessment predict students’ linguistic competence. With the consistency of the results on teachers’ grammar and assessment as correlates and predictors of students’ linguistic competence, a training design on grammar review based on communicative language teaching approaches with embedded authentic assessment is proposed to address the problem of students’ linguistic competence.

This study examined the relationship of teachers’ intercultural sensitivity to their in-class culturally responsive teaching. A total of 168 teachers with teaching experience in multicultural classrooms in northern Thailand answered a questionnaire with two psychological scales: the intercultural sensitivity scale and the culturally responsive teaching practice scale. To supplement quantitative findings, 19 teachers from the total number of participants were included in the semi-instructed interview. By conducting factor analysis, intercultural sensitivity perceived by teachers with multicultural facilitation experience in northern Thailand was extracted into three components: interaction engagement, interaction confidence, and respect for cultural differences. The results from structural equation modelling indicate that teachers’ intercultural sensitivity significantly affects teachers’ perceived culturally responsive teaching practices with the largest coefficient size. This study also discussed the associations between teachers’ culturally responsive teaching practices and other significant background factors based on the local context, including school size, non-local student enrolment frequency, overseas travel experience, and the existence of intercultural colleagues.

The aim of this study is to analyse the relationships between intercultural sensitivity, empathy, self-concept and satisfaction with life in upper level primary school students. Possible gender differences in these variables are analysed, and their results on self-concept, empathy and satisfaction with life are compared in students with higher and lower levels of intercultural sensitivity. The sample is composed of 473 students (52% boys and 48% girls) between 10 and 13 years old (M = 10.79, SD = 0.74). The results show more intercultural sensitivity, emotional empathy and academic self-concept in girls compared with boys, and higher levels of emotional empathy, social self-concept and satisfaction with life in students with more intercultural sensitivity. These results and their possible implications for the development of intervention programs in intercultural education are discussed.

One of the interesting tools of learning at English lessons is music and songs. Their purpose as a didactic tool is to develop English language competence, to impact on the emotional and sensory sphere of young learners, it is like a game for quick studying of learning material, raising interest, curiosity, enthusiasm at English lessons. The purpose of the research is to characterize the use of music and song tools at English lessons with the possibility of using digital technologies. The tasks of the research are to analyze different authors’ approaches to defining the basics of music and song tools; outline their influence on various aspects of the language; give examples of digital technologies practice using music and song material at English lessons. The results of the research show that music and song tools are teaching tools based on the introduction of rhythmic song material in teaching English for young learners. The use of chants contributes to the contextual introduction of lexical units and speech patterns, easier and faster memorization of English language material. At an English language lesson, it is necessary to use digital technologies to create an artificial English-speaking environment using authentic songs from websites, YouTube, Tik Tok, etc. When using digital technologies, an English language teacher in primary grades should follow three simple stages while implementing a song: pre-listening tasks, while-listening tasks, after-listening tasks as singing a song, creative tasks. Some songs provide the opportunity to perform various physical movements while singing, that relieves physical tension during English lessons (songs like "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes", "Can You Clap" and others). Therefore, the use of digital technologies does not involve only learning young learners in front of computer screens, it should be combined with the physical movements for young learners. It is recommended using a variety of digital resources at primary English lessons, such as the British Council's LearnEnglish Kids resource with lots of songs and tasks. So, the conclusion is digital technologies contribute to the use of music and song as a learning tool that expands the motivation of young learners and contributes to the development of English language competence.

Sometimes reactive attitudes target groups rather than individuals. 1 This suggests that groups are sometimes morally responsible. A growing number of moral philosophers agree with this, yet fail to recognize just how diverse the set of morally responsible groups is. Dominant approaches to group responsibility thus suggest that only one type of group is morally responsible, namely, those groups that have emergent capacities that mirror the agential capacities of rational and normatively competent individuals. Let us call these fully-formed groups. However, some of our reactive attitudes target not only fully-formed groups but also what I will call aberrant groups, namely, groups that lack one or more of the capacities possessed by fully-formed groups. The full repertoire of reactive attitudes might not be suitable for aberrant groups, but it nonetheless seems justified that we disdain a Neo-Nazi rally, feel gratitude toward the group of strangers who spontaneously cooperate to save a child, or disapprove of a greedy corporation. These reactive attitudes are appropriate even if the Neo-Nazi rally lacks the structure that would make it capable of entering a moral conversation, if the spontaneously cooperating group of strangers is unable to form grouplevel judgments and decisions, and if the corporation is normatively For helpful comments and suggestions, I would like to thank Benjamin Christensen and two associate editors of Philosophy & Public Affairs. This research is generously supported by the Carlsberg Foundation (Grant IDs: CF19-0312 and CF21-0217). 1. Gunnar Björnsson and Kendy Hess, "Corporate Crocodile Tears? On the Reactive Attitudes of Corporate Agents,"

International social work brings about an intercultural encounter between guests and hosts from the North and the South, a division associated with power relations. This type of encounter creates a unique learning space for international social work students. In light of the transformative learning theory, the study examined the retrospective perspective of Israeli social workers regarding their intercultural encounter when visiting India and Ethiopia as part of their international social work training. It focuses on formative experiences, which have the potential to generate transformative learning. Using a qualitative approach and photovoice methodology, data was collected from 14 social workers who had taken part in an international social work program. Three main themes emerged from the analysis: 1) Local professional orientation; 2) Exposure to local social-cultural issues; 3) The intercultural encounter as a mirror of Israeli society. The findings shed light on how formative experiences in a foreign land create a basis for transformative learning. The results suggest the need to replace the term ‘culture shock’ with the notion of disorienting dilemmas in order to serve the goals of reflective learning from intercultural encounters and context-dependent learning in social work education in general, and international social work education in particular.

Traditional English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classes in Chinese mainland have prioritized language proficiency alongside communicative abilities and critical thinking skills. Recent educational reforms emphasize moral education, presenting new challenges and opportunities for teachers. This study explores how critical moral education can be integrated into English instruction through a globalizing literature pedagogy in Chinese EFL classrooms, specifically in secondary elite school settings. By incorporating global literary texts and fostering discussions on ethical dilemmas, the approach aims to enhance students’ intercultural empathy, moral reasoning, and reflective thinking. The findings suggest that integrating moral education through literature enriches students’ educational experiences, fostering holistic development that extends beyond language acquisition.