The distinctive nature of reflection and reflexivity in intercultural language learning

Communication, understood as the reciprocal exchange of symbolic meanings across languages and cultures (Kramsch 2010), has become increasingly complex. This is equally so for learning to communicate in an additional language and culture (The Douglas Fir Group 2016; Kramsch 2014). Contemporary understandings of language/s learning, within a multilingual and intercultural orientation, include observation, description, analysis and interpretation of phenomena shared when communicating, as well as an active engagement with the interpretation of ‘self’ (intraculturality) and ‘other’ (interculturality) (Liddicoat & Scarino 2013). Within such an orientation reflection and reflexivity become crucial processes. These processes are implicated in developing on the one hand (1) the capability to communicate meanings with those who do not share a cultural framing and, on the other hand, (2) the capability to decentre from the exchange to consider the interpretive process of making sense of both the exchange and the participants (Byrd Clark & Dervin 2014). This paper draws upon participatory action research studies with teachers of languages in diverse contexts to investigate the development of reflectivity and reflexivity on the part of both teachers and their students. The studies involved teachers in cycles of conceptualising and designing sequences of learning, implementing, reviewing and reflecting with the researchers. Data gathered comprised teaching and learning plans, samples of student work, and teacher reflections both as written responses and transcribed discussions. The analysis showed the distinctive nature of reflection and reflexivity in language learning and use. Further, the findings revealed that it is through the processes of reflection and reflexivity that intercultural capabilities in language/s learning may be evidenced.