Considering that an ethnic group becomes visible through culture, our study highlights some major themes of Tatar identity discourse in Dobrogea, with reference to cultural life and educational institutions. During th...Considering that an ethnic group becomes visible through culture, our study highlights some major themes of Tatar identity discourse in Dobrogea, with reference to cultural life and educational institutions. During the inter-war period, this ethnic community started the process of self-configuration and we intend to emphasize the role of education and culture for identity shaping. This paper will present cultural politics in Dobrogea, especially the role of the Muslim Seminary in Babadag/Medgidia in preserving the religion, language, and the cultural heritage of the Tatar community in Romania.展开更多
Teaching writing to Arab EFL learners in general, and to students who have never been exposed to an Anglo-Saxon foreign language in particular in institutions of higher education, through incorporating culturally mean...Teaching writing to Arab EFL learners in general, and to students who have never been exposed to an Anglo-Saxon foreign language in particular in institutions of higher education, through incorporating culturally meaningful learning materials, can actually be enjoyable and fruitful. However, it can also be very challenging given the sociocultural and linguistic background of the learners as well as other factors related to the nature of the imported teaching materials from overseas. The challenge then is identifying and selecting materials for each particular class, as well as how to get students motivated and successfully engaged in the process of writing. This paper enlightens educators and language programs managers and planners about the mechanism of the writing process while incorporating the cultural components relevant to the learner, as well as drawing their attention to the benefits of engaging students in the actual process of writing and boosting their motivation via a meaningful socioculturally based approach.展开更多
As institutions of higher education continue to internationalize, the number of exchanged students climbs ever higher in China. It is important to know what they have gained in the intercultural learning experiences i...As institutions of higher education continue to internationalize, the number of exchanged students climbs ever higher in China. It is important to know what they have gained in the intercultural learning experiences in terms of attitudes, awareness, and knowledge, which are the three constructed dimensions of Intercultural Competence in this study. A qualitative research is conducted by using interview and seven English language learners are investigated to explore their learning outcomes in the intercultural learning program. From the thematic analysis of the interviews, it can be found that these English language learners＇ intercultural competence has been improved during their stay in USA. They successfully overcome cultural shock, hold positive attitudes toward target culture and people, become more confident in English study, and acquire more cultural knowledge. The research outcomes contribute to promoting intercultural learning effectiveness and improving learners＇ intercultural competence.展开更多
This paper reviews key constructs explored in this special issue of Chinese Journal of Applied Linguistics, including autonomy, agency and identity in foreign/second language education. We first explore and compare, i...This paper reviews key constructs explored in this special issue of Chinese Journal of Applied Linguistics, including autonomy, agency and identity in foreign/second language education. We first explore and compare, in relatively greater depth, the complex meanings of the two similar concepts of autonomy and agency. In discussing autonomy, we start with an analysis of the meaning of capacity and control in Benson＇s （2011） broad definition of autonomy as a capacity to take control of one＇s own learning, and briefly look at related issues of learner agendas and affordances. Based on a close scrutiny of the concept of agency, we propose that autonomy and agency are best treated as distinct concepts in terms of the degree of effective control over the learning-teaching process. Following a dose examination of the two similar concepts of autonomy and agency, we discuss the concept of identity and finally the interrelatedness among these major concepts of autonomy, agency, and identity in language education.展开更多
文摘Considering that an ethnic group becomes visible through culture, our study highlights some major themes of Tatar identity discourse in Dobrogea, with reference to cultural life and educational institutions. During the inter-war period, this ethnic community started the process of self-configuration and we intend to emphasize the role of education and culture for identity shaping. This paper will present cultural politics in Dobrogea, especially the role of the Muslim Seminary in Babadag/Medgidia in preserving the religion, language, and the cultural heritage of the Tatar community in Romania.
文摘Teaching writing to Arab EFL learners in general, and to students who have never been exposed to an Anglo-Saxon foreign language in particular in institutions of higher education, through incorporating culturally meaningful learning materials, can actually be enjoyable and fruitful. However, it can also be very challenging given the sociocultural and linguistic background of the learners as well as other factors related to the nature of the imported teaching materials from overseas. The challenge then is identifying and selecting materials for each particular class, as well as how to get students motivated and successfully engaged in the process of writing. This paper enlightens educators and language programs managers and planners about the mechanism of the writing process while incorporating the cultural components relevant to the learner, as well as drawing their attention to the benefits of engaging students in the actual process of writing and boosting their motivation via a meaningful socioculturally based approach.
文摘As institutions of higher education continue to internationalize, the number of exchanged students climbs ever higher in China. It is important to know what they have gained in the intercultural learning experiences in terms of attitudes, awareness, and knowledge, which are the three constructed dimensions of Intercultural Competence in this study. A qualitative research is conducted by using interview and seven English language learners are investigated to explore their learning outcomes in the intercultural learning program. From the thematic analysis of the interviews, it can be found that these English language learners＇ intercultural competence has been improved during their stay in USA. They successfully overcome cultural shock, hold positive attitudes toward target culture and people, become more confident in English study, and acquire more cultural knowledge. The research outcomes contribute to promoting intercultural learning effectiveness and improving learners＇ intercultural competence.
文摘This paper reviews key constructs explored in this special issue of Chinese Journal of Applied Linguistics, including autonomy, agency and identity in foreign/second language education. We first explore and compare, in relatively greater depth, the complex meanings of the two similar concepts of autonomy and agency. In discussing autonomy, we start with an analysis of the meaning of capacity and control in Benson＇s （2011） broad definition of autonomy as a capacity to take control of one＇s own learning, and briefly look at related issues of learner agendas and affordances. Based on a close scrutiny of the concept of agency, we propose that autonomy and agency are best treated as distinct concepts in terms of the degree of effective control over the learning-teaching process. Following a dose examination of the two similar concepts of autonomy and agency, we discuss the concept of identity and finally the interrelatedness among these major concepts of autonomy, agency, and identity in language education.
