Intercultural Disagreement and Knowledge Construction in EAP Seminar Discussions

Donnelly, A. (2019) Intercultural Disagreement and Knowledge Construction in EAP Seminar Discussions. EAP in the North, Glasgow, UK, 13 Dec 2019.

Abstract

Higher education (HE) is a diverse, international arena where students are expected to engage with peers and staff from a range of linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Spoken interaction is of particular significance here, not least because speech events such as seminar discussions serve a core pedagogic function in HE. In these settings, the co-construction of knowledge is particularly privileged as students are expected to negotiate meaning through complex exchanges (Aguilar, 2016). Indeed, collaborative knowledge building is widely regarded as a cornerstone of academic discourse and an important vehicle for learning enhancement (Hyland and Shaw, 2016). In the process of shared knowledge making, the expression of disagreement is highlighted as a central feature of academic discussions; speakers challenge, refute and enthusiastically debate problems, theories and content in the pursuit of shared understandings (Basturkmen, 2002; 2016). Given the widespread recognition that values surrounding appropriate discussion behaviours, and particularly how disagreement is expressed and managed, differ considerably across cultures, an important challenge exists for all L&T stakeholders to foster an environment which recognises and values the complex breadth of culturally-informed interaction orientations at play in the modern international university. Tellingly, students who naturally adopt interactional behaviours characterised by avoidance-based, face-saving tendencies, typical of many spoken cultures outside the western discursive norm, are often negatively evaluated by both peers and instructors and are potentially excluded from important routes to learning enhancement (Nakane, 2006). The need for enhanced intercultural awareness in HE and a truly inclusive approach to L&T provision is, therefore, pressing. This talk reports a substantive SoTL project investigating the interactional tendencies of international students during seminar discussions on an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course, with particular focus on the management of disagreement as a route to enhanced learning. The talk explores the impact of SoTL activity on teaching, and seeks to illuminate the cultural dimension of inclusive L&T practice. Findings reveal the complex range of interaction behaviours at play in seminar discussions and the impact of culture-based interaction norms on collaborative learning.

• Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Donnelly, Mr Adam
• Authors: Donnelly, A.
• Subjects: L Education > L Education (General)
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Modern Languages and Cultures > Language Centre
• Research Group: EAP in the North

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