Internationalisation through engagement with one another
In the assessment of this Language Learning and Creativity (BA English Language and Communication honours module) students were asked to identify a learner of English/fellow-student (in this class or in another)/friend or family member who had experienced a different culture to themselves in some way. This different culture could be, for example:
they have a different mother tongue to yours;
their education before university was in a different country or culture to yourself;
they use a different dialect or language variety to yourself
they have fluent knowledge of a language which you do not share
The students developed a series of questions designed to draw out stories and insights into their partner's experience of crossing cultures: and a creative task designed to elicit a short piece of writing.
The partners found out rich information about one another, shared these, gave a reading of the writing which was generated, and prepared reflective accounts of what they had learnt in the process.
Next year, these partnerships will be further facilitated by links between the undergraduates, Oxford Brookes International students, and asylum-seeker children taught through the student-run charity Jacari.
Jane Spiro, School of Education
Resources
Module description
Learner task
Summary of diary entries
