My research is mainly concerned with the effect of formal instruction on the development of intercultural competence in a foreign language, specifically in the context of adult education. I am interested in gaining a better understanding of the processes involved in culture learning and teaching as well as the variables affecting the implementation of intercultural teaching methodologies. Other interests include: second language acquisition (in particular, Spanish), teachers' and learners' beliefs, transformative learning in adult education and teachers' professional development.
Guo, X., Diaz, A., & Liyanage, I. (2016). Exploring the professional agency chasm in exam... more Guo, X., Diaz, A., & Liyanage, I. (2016). Exploring the professional agency chasm in exam-driven English language education contexts. In H. v. Rensburg & S. O'Neill (Eds.), Deep Languages Education Policy and Practices: Stimulating languages learning - global perspectives and local practice (pp. 215-232). Wisconsin, USA: Deep University Press.
While the disruptive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold around the world, one of... more While the disruptive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold around the world, one of its most immediate effects – beyond significant loss of life and livelihood – has been the exposure of existing weaknesses in various sectors and systems. This is especially evident in higher education, with its growing overreliance on the (hyper)mobile student body. In this paper we explore critically the challenges and possibilities behind the options of ‘reframing’ and ‘hospicing’ current understandings of student mobility, particularly with respect to the simultaneously romanticized and commodified development of intercultural (communicative) competence. We treat reframing and hospicing as concurrent, co-existing approaches and spaces in which we may dwell as we rethink what it means to engage meaningfully and equitably with difference at both global and local levels. We also explore how ‘hospicing’ may help us to disinvest ourselves from the promises of mobility, letting go of our ...
Despite its ubiquitous employment by users of English to achieve authentic communicative goals, t... more Despite its ubiquitous employment by users of English to achieve authentic communicative goals, taboo language has received little attention in the education literature. Even less focus has been placed on such language in English language teaching - specifically, in teaching English as an Additional Language (EAL). Given the multiplicity of communicative struggles experienced by EAL learners surrounding the use of taboo language in authentic communication, meaningful consideration of this aspect can be seen as crucial in EAL instruction. Classroom learning could prepare learners for navigation and negotiation of taboo language use they will inevitably encounter in social interactions in target language communities of practice. However, EAL teachers' uncertainty or reluctance to introduce taboo language in classroom instruction is a key impediment in developing learners' sociocultural knowledge regarding such language use. We foreground one case of such uncertainty and reluct...
Early Language Learning Policy in the 21st Century, 2021
This chapter examines newly developed National Australian Curriculum (AC) and the Early Years Lea... more This chapter examines newly developed National Australian Curriculum (AC) and the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and their focus on ‘intercultural understanding’ (IU) as one of the key capabilities designed to develop young learners’ capacity to face the challenges of an increasingly multicultural and multilingual society. Drawing on a critical review of the extant literature, recent studies, and government and policy reports, as well as available guidelines and resources developed by local government authorities, this chapter examines policy and practice tensions, in particular the pervasive, enduring focus on English monolingualism as normalised social practice. Against the national educational landscape, it shines a spotlight on the state of Queensland, a largely under-researched educational context with respect to Spanish, a pluricentric, global language with a relatively short history in Australia but which, according to the latest census figures, is the fourth language other than English (after Mandarin, Vietnamese and Cantonese) to be spoken in Queensland homes (ABS, Australian Bureau of Statistics 2016 Census Data, https://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/D3310114.nsf/Home/2016%20Stories%20from%20the%202016%20Census, 2016). After exploring the historical and socioeconomic status of Spanish in the larger ecology of languages in Australia, and Queensland in particular, the chapter identifies key lines of convergence among relevant areas of the newly developed AC, the EYLF and emerging pedagogical trends in the teaching of Spanish. A case is made for the urgent need to conduct systematic research into the implementation of (Spanish) language learning curricula aimed at developing children’s IU in the early years of education. The chapter concludes with specific recommendations in relation to curriculum and personnel policy goals as per Kaplan and Baldauf’s language-in-education policy and planning framework (Handbook of research in second language teaching and learning. Routledge, New York, 2005).
Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 2015
In the era of quality assurance (QA), close scrutiny of assessment practices has been intensified... more In the era of quality assurance (QA), close scrutiny of assessment practices has been intensified worldwide across the board. However, in the Australian context, trends in QA efforts have not reached the field of modern/foreign languages. This has largely resulted in leaving the establishment of language proficiency benchmarking up to individual institutions and programs of study. This paper discusses the findings of a cross-institutional collaborative research project focused on the comparative analysis and review of assessment practices in the Spanish language majors at the University of Queensland (UQ) and Griffith University (GU), both members of the Brisbane Universities Languages Alliance (BULA). The project had a two-pronged focus; on the one hand, establishing comparable student academic achievement standards, specifically for oral assessment in intermediate level courses; and, on the other hand, providing tools and resources to train teachers (continuing and sessional staff...
Over twenty-five years ago, leading scholars in the field of intercultural communication William ... more Over twenty-five years ago, leading scholars in the field of intercultural communication William B. Gudykunst, Stella Ting-Toomey and Richard Wiseman published the paper “Taming the beast: Designing a course in intercultural communication.” We revisit their work in light of renewed interest in the design and implementation of the intercultural communication (ICC) course as a key site for engaging with diversity in universities around the world. Our paper draws on Gudykunst et al.’s overview of four major issues instructors should consider in designing and delivering an introductory ICC course: (a) philosophical and ethical issues, (b) pedagogical issues, (c) curricular content; and (d) resources and teaching techniques. We draw on these four issues to conduct a critical appraisal of the current state of the ICC field and to reflect on Gudykunst et al.’s recommendations in the 21st century. We pay particular attention to the increasingly stronger links between the fields of ICC and m...
Education in the Asia-Pacific Region: Issues, Concerns and Prospects, 2015
Globally, the number of in-service and pre-service teachers who seek in-service professional deve... more Globally, the number of in-service and pre-service teachers who seek in-service professional development qualifications in countries other than their own is on the rise. This is particularly true of the Australian education context. In an era of heightened ethical awareness, we are, more than ever, encouraged to critically consider the unintended outcomes and implications resulting from the provision of such educational experiences. However, there remains a silence in many of the discussions, consultations and policy papers about teacher education programmes (TEPs), specifically about their role, efficacy and ethical practice. Using post-training reflections of a practising teacher from Fiji who completed a TEP at an Australian university, as a case in point, we explore the development of reverse ethnocentric views, whereby this teacher’s idealised conceptions of professional identity and best practice overshadowed the perception of educational settings in her home country. Indeed, as the data illustrated in this paper suggest, when overseas participants return to their home countries, there is a tendency for them to become dissatisfied with the socio-educational practices and principles of which they themselves are examples of successful outcomes. We contend that attempts to neglect the seriousness of this issue are an abrogation of responsibility and highlight the need for TEPs to develop ethically responsible pedagogical practices, which acknowledge the sensitive nature of these issues and, in so doing, promote the development of an emancipatory and transformative educational stance for all, domestic and overseas participants alike.
Introduction Italy has recently changed from a country of emigration to a country of immigration,... more Introduction Italy has recently changed from a country of emigration to a country of immigration, with immi-grant numbers beginning to rise significantly from the mid-1970s, but with the greatest influx coming after the mid-1980s (Melotti 1993; Pugliese 1996). This ...
This paper presents a critical stance in the face of the technology-enhanced language learning (T... more This paper presents a critical stance in the face of the technology-enhanced language learning (TELL) hype in higher education (HE). This hype, largely driven by institutional – instrumental and financial – imperatives has come under increasing scrutiny in recent times. Indeed, emerging discourses surrounding the broader context of technology-enhanced learning question the focus on technology-led innovation rather than pedagogy-led innovation as well as a number of scholarly aspects that remain largely undertheorised (cf. Bayne, 2014; Kirkwood & Price, 2013, 2014). In this paper we thus set out to articulate the challenges we face as language educators in the HE context and, in so doing, bring to light the glaring methodological gap that emerges from these. This discussion is complemented by practical examples from ongoing curricular innovation in intermediate Spanish language courses. These practical examples – drawn from an Action Research-driven pedagogic intervention on the use of PowerPoint in Spanish as a second/foreign language – illustrate the pedagogical strategies we have implemented to respond to these challenges critically, but also, creatively. These strategies integrate theoretical principles from cognitive grammar (cf. Llopis-García,
Guo, X., Liyanage, I., Bartlett, B., Walker, T., & Diaz, A. (2016). Uncertainty and reluctance in... more Guo, X., Liyanage, I., Bartlett, B., Walker, T., & Diaz, A. (2016). Uncertainty and reluctance in teaching taboo language: A case study of an experienced teacher of English as an additional language. In H. v. Rensburg & S. O'Neill (Eds.), Deep Languages Education Policy and Practices: Stimulating languages learning - global perspectives and local practice (pp. 234-246). Wisconsin, USA: Deep University Press.
Guo, X., Diaz, A., & Liyanage, I. (2016). Exploring the professional agency chasm in exam-driven ... more Guo, X., Diaz, A., & Liyanage, I. (2016). Exploring the professional agency chasm in exam-driven English language education contexts. In H. v. Rensburg & S. O'Neill (Eds.), Deep Languages Education Policy and Practices: Stimulating languages learning - global perspectives and local practice (pp. 215-232). Wisconsin, USA: Deep University Press.
Globally, the number of in-service and pre-service teachers who seek in-service professional deve... more Globally, the number of in-service and pre-service teachers who seek in-service professional development qualifications in countries other than their own is on the rise. This is particularly true of the Australian education context. In an era of heightened ethical awareness, we are, more than ever, encouraged to critically consider the unintended outcomes and implications resulting from the provision of such educational experiences. However, there remains a silence in many of the discussions, consultations and policy papers about teacher education programmes (TEPs), specifically about their role, efficacy and ethical practice. Using post-training reflections of a practising teacher from Fiji who completed a TEP at an Australian university, as a case in point, we explore the development of reverse ethnocentric views, whereby this teacher’s idealised conceptions of professional identity and best practice overshadowed the perception of educational settings in her home country. Indeed, as the data illustrated in this paper suggest, when overseas participants return to their home countries, there is a tendency for them to become dissatisfied with the socio-educational practices and principles of which they themselves are examples of successful outcomes. We contend that attempts to neglect the seriousness of this issue are an abrogation of responsibility and highlight the need for TEPs to develop ethically responsible pedagogical practices, which acknowledge the sensitive nature of these issues and, in so doing, promote the development of an emancipatory and transformative educational stance for all, domestic and overseas participants alike.
Guo, X., Diaz, A., & Liyanage, I. (2016). Exploring the professional agency chasm in exam... more Guo, X., Diaz, A., & Liyanage, I. (2016). Exploring the professional agency chasm in exam-driven English language education contexts. In H. v. Rensburg & S. O'Neill (Eds.), Deep Languages Education Policy and Practices: Stimulating languages learning - global perspectives and local practice (pp. 215-232). Wisconsin, USA: Deep University Press.
While the disruptive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold around the world, one of... more While the disruptive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold around the world, one of its most immediate effects – beyond significant loss of life and livelihood – has been the exposure of existing weaknesses in various sectors and systems. This is especially evident in higher education, with its growing overreliance on the (hyper)mobile student body. In this paper we explore critically the challenges and possibilities behind the options of ‘reframing’ and ‘hospicing’ current understandings of student mobility, particularly with respect to the simultaneously romanticized and commodified development of intercultural (communicative) competence. We treat reframing and hospicing as concurrent, co-existing approaches and spaces in which we may dwell as we rethink what it means to engage meaningfully and equitably with difference at both global and local levels. We also explore how ‘hospicing’ may help us to disinvest ourselves from the promises of mobility, letting go of our ...
Despite its ubiquitous employment by users of English to achieve authentic communicative goals, t... more Despite its ubiquitous employment by users of English to achieve authentic communicative goals, taboo language has received little attention in the education literature. Even less focus has been placed on such language in English language teaching - specifically, in teaching English as an Additional Language (EAL). Given the multiplicity of communicative struggles experienced by EAL learners surrounding the use of taboo language in authentic communication, meaningful consideration of this aspect can be seen as crucial in EAL instruction. Classroom learning could prepare learners for navigation and negotiation of taboo language use they will inevitably encounter in social interactions in target language communities of practice. However, EAL teachers' uncertainty or reluctance to introduce taboo language in classroom instruction is a key impediment in developing learners' sociocultural knowledge regarding such language use. We foreground one case of such uncertainty and reluct...
Early Language Learning Policy in the 21st Century, 2021
This chapter examines newly developed National Australian Curriculum (AC) and the Early Years Lea... more This chapter examines newly developed National Australian Curriculum (AC) and the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and their focus on ‘intercultural understanding’ (IU) as one of the key capabilities designed to develop young learners’ capacity to face the challenges of an increasingly multicultural and multilingual society. Drawing on a critical review of the extant literature, recent studies, and government and policy reports, as well as available guidelines and resources developed by local government authorities, this chapter examines policy and practice tensions, in particular the pervasive, enduring focus on English monolingualism as normalised social practice. Against the national educational landscape, it shines a spotlight on the state of Queensland, a largely under-researched educational context with respect to Spanish, a pluricentric, global language with a relatively short history in Australia but which, according to the latest census figures, is the fourth language other than English (after Mandarin, Vietnamese and Cantonese) to be spoken in Queensland homes (ABS, Australian Bureau of Statistics 2016 Census Data, https://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/D3310114.nsf/Home/2016%20Stories%20from%20the%202016%20Census, 2016). After exploring the historical and socioeconomic status of Spanish in the larger ecology of languages in Australia, and Queensland in particular, the chapter identifies key lines of convergence among relevant areas of the newly developed AC, the EYLF and emerging pedagogical trends in the teaching of Spanish. A case is made for the urgent need to conduct systematic research into the implementation of (Spanish) language learning curricula aimed at developing children’s IU in the early years of education. The chapter concludes with specific recommendations in relation to curriculum and personnel policy goals as per Kaplan and Baldauf’s language-in-education policy and planning framework (Handbook of research in second language teaching and learning. Routledge, New York, 2005).
Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 2015
In the era of quality assurance (QA), close scrutiny of assessment practices has been intensified... more In the era of quality assurance (QA), close scrutiny of assessment practices has been intensified worldwide across the board. However, in the Australian context, trends in QA efforts have not reached the field of modern/foreign languages. This has largely resulted in leaving the establishment of language proficiency benchmarking up to individual institutions and programs of study. This paper discusses the findings of a cross-institutional collaborative research project focused on the comparative analysis and review of assessment practices in the Spanish language majors at the University of Queensland (UQ) and Griffith University (GU), both members of the Brisbane Universities Languages Alliance (BULA). The project had a two-pronged focus; on the one hand, establishing comparable student academic achievement standards, specifically for oral assessment in intermediate level courses; and, on the other hand, providing tools and resources to train teachers (continuing and sessional staff...
Over twenty-five years ago, leading scholars in the field of intercultural communication William ... more Over twenty-five years ago, leading scholars in the field of intercultural communication William B. Gudykunst, Stella Ting-Toomey and Richard Wiseman published the paper “Taming the beast: Designing a course in intercultural communication.” We revisit their work in light of renewed interest in the design and implementation of the intercultural communication (ICC) course as a key site for engaging with diversity in universities around the world. Our paper draws on Gudykunst et al.’s overview of four major issues instructors should consider in designing and delivering an introductory ICC course: (a) philosophical and ethical issues, (b) pedagogical issues, (c) curricular content; and (d) resources and teaching techniques. We draw on these four issues to conduct a critical appraisal of the current state of the ICC field and to reflect on Gudykunst et al.’s recommendations in the 21st century. We pay particular attention to the increasingly stronger links between the fields of ICC and m...
Education in the Asia-Pacific Region: Issues, Concerns and Prospects, 2015
Globally, the number of in-service and pre-service teachers who seek in-service professional deve... more Globally, the number of in-service and pre-service teachers who seek in-service professional development qualifications in countries other than their own is on the rise. This is particularly true of the Australian education context. In an era of heightened ethical awareness, we are, more than ever, encouraged to critically consider the unintended outcomes and implications resulting from the provision of such educational experiences. However, there remains a silence in many of the discussions, consultations and policy papers about teacher education programmes (TEPs), specifically about their role, efficacy and ethical practice. Using post-training reflections of a practising teacher from Fiji who completed a TEP at an Australian university, as a case in point, we explore the development of reverse ethnocentric views, whereby this teacher’s idealised conceptions of professional identity and best practice overshadowed the perception of educational settings in her home country. Indeed, as the data illustrated in this paper suggest, when overseas participants return to their home countries, there is a tendency for them to become dissatisfied with the socio-educational practices and principles of which they themselves are examples of successful outcomes. We contend that attempts to neglect the seriousness of this issue are an abrogation of responsibility and highlight the need for TEPs to develop ethically responsible pedagogical practices, which acknowledge the sensitive nature of these issues and, in so doing, promote the development of an emancipatory and transformative educational stance for all, domestic and overseas participants alike.
Introduction Italy has recently changed from a country of emigration to a country of immigration,... more Introduction Italy has recently changed from a country of emigration to a country of immigration, with immi-grant numbers beginning to rise significantly from the mid-1970s, but with the greatest influx coming after the mid-1980s (Melotti 1993; Pugliese 1996). This ...
This paper presents a critical stance in the face of the technology-enhanced language learning (T... more This paper presents a critical stance in the face of the technology-enhanced language learning (TELL) hype in higher education (HE). This hype, largely driven by institutional – instrumental and financial – imperatives has come under increasing scrutiny in recent times. Indeed, emerging discourses surrounding the broader context of technology-enhanced learning question the focus on technology-led innovation rather than pedagogy-led innovation as well as a number of scholarly aspects that remain largely undertheorised (cf. Bayne, 2014; Kirkwood & Price, 2013, 2014). In this paper we thus set out to articulate the challenges we face as language educators in the HE context and, in so doing, bring to light the glaring methodological gap that emerges from these. This discussion is complemented by practical examples from ongoing curricular innovation in intermediate Spanish language courses. These practical examples – drawn from an Action Research-driven pedagogic intervention on the use of PowerPoint in Spanish as a second/foreign language – illustrate the pedagogical strategies we have implemented to respond to these challenges critically, but also, creatively. These strategies integrate theoretical principles from cognitive grammar (cf. Llopis-García,
Guo, X., Liyanage, I., Bartlett, B., Walker, T., & Diaz, A. (2016). Uncertainty and reluctance in... more Guo, X., Liyanage, I., Bartlett, B., Walker, T., & Diaz, A. (2016). Uncertainty and reluctance in teaching taboo language: A case study of an experienced teacher of English as an additional language. In H. v. Rensburg & S. O'Neill (Eds.), Deep Languages Education Policy and Practices: Stimulating languages learning - global perspectives and local practice (pp. 234-246). Wisconsin, USA: Deep University Press.
Guo, X., Diaz, A., & Liyanage, I. (2016). Exploring the professional agency chasm in exam-driven ... more Guo, X., Diaz, A., & Liyanage, I. (2016). Exploring the professional agency chasm in exam-driven English language education contexts. In H. v. Rensburg & S. O'Neill (Eds.), Deep Languages Education Policy and Practices: Stimulating languages learning - global perspectives and local practice (pp. 215-232). Wisconsin, USA: Deep University Press.
Globally, the number of in-service and pre-service teachers who seek in-service professional deve... more Globally, the number of in-service and pre-service teachers who seek in-service professional development qualifications in countries other than their own is on the rise. This is particularly true of the Australian education context. In an era of heightened ethical awareness, we are, more than ever, encouraged to critically consider the unintended outcomes and implications resulting from the provision of such educational experiences. However, there remains a silence in many of the discussions, consultations and policy papers about teacher education programmes (TEPs), specifically about their role, efficacy and ethical practice. Using post-training reflections of a practising teacher from Fiji who completed a TEP at an Australian university, as a case in point, we explore the development of reverse ethnocentric views, whereby this teacher’s idealised conceptions of professional identity and best practice overshadowed the perception of educational settings in her home country. Indeed, as the data illustrated in this paper suggest, when overseas participants return to their home countries, there is a tendency for them to become dissatisfied with the socio-educational practices and principles of which they themselves are examples of successful outcomes. We contend that attempts to neglect the seriousness of this issue are an abrogation of responsibility and highlight the need for TEPs to develop ethically responsible pedagogical practices, which acknowledge the sensitive nature of these issues and, in so doing, promote the development of an emancipatory and transformative educational stance for all, domestic and overseas participants alike.
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