A. Cendel Karaman

Critical Reasoning for Social Justice: Moral Encounters with the Paradoxes of Intercultural Education.

The concepts and goals that are relied on in intercultural development programs have not been clearly situated in the social contexts of education. ‘Steps’ and ‘strategies’ are applied with varied interpretations to different subject areas. In preparing individuals for encounters with cultural otherness, these approaches often fall short. This article investigates the paradoxical terms of intercultural development and re‐conceptualizes intercultural reasoning within moral and critical dimensions of education. The critical‐interpretive systems approach is applied in proposing the agenda for intercultural reasoning in societies, an agenda that targets social justice. The article also highlights the shortcomings of reductionist and instrumentalist approaches across disciplines. In conclusion, the urgency of defining and uniting around a morally valid intercultural perspective emerges. Les concepts et les buts propres aux programmes de développement interculturel n’intègrent que rarement le contexte social dans la formation dispensée. On propose d’appliquer des stratégies par étapes qui sont soumises à des interprétations différentes spécifiques aux domaines enseignés. Mais souvent ces approches n’ont guère d’implications pratiques quand il s’agit de préparer les étudiants à rencontrer des gens différents d’eux et à comprendre le phénomène de l’altérité. Cet article étudie certains des paradoxes de la formation interculturelle et propose de reconceptualiser le raisonnement interculturel selon une dimension morale et critique de la formation. Une analyse systémique est proposée afin de concevoir ce que pourrait être un programme visant une transformation identitaire interculturelle pour agir en vue d’une plus grande équité sociale. La proposition vise à éviter le réductionisme inhérent aux approches instrumentales voire techniciste de l’objectif interculturel. En conclusion, il est mis l’accent sur l’urgence de s’accorder sur une perspective interculturelle ayant une valeur morale et transformatrice.

‘I do not have to love them, I’m just interested in their language’: preparation for a study abroad period and the negotiation(s) of intercultural competence

ABSTRACT Study abroad opportunities can contribute significantly to the development of higher education students. However, participants’ preparation experiences and future-oriented thought patterns prior to the international mobility period can influence the merits of such opportunities. This study, therefore, explored the preparation experiences of prospective English language teachers from Turkey who chose to study in England for a 4-month period. Utilizing an interpretative phenomenological analysis method, we revealed that participants’ lived and imagined experiences were shaped by three main themes: a groundless optimism, naiveté, and intercultural (in)competence. Based on these findings, we discussed the preparation processes for study abroad programs.