A complex systems perspective on developing intercultural communicative competence of teachers of English in autonomy-supportive settings – reflections from a summer school
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/RA.2018.05Keywords
intercultural competence, teacher training, autonomy, complex systems perspectiveAbstract
Although research into foreign language teachers’ intercultural competence has undergone a number of transformations over the last 20 years, one of the least discussed lines of inquiry is that examining the development of intercultural competence in autonomous contexts and/or discussing the results within a unified framework. We point to a potential contribution that complex systems theory can bring to research on the intercultural learning of teachers of English in autonomy-supportive settings from a theoretical perspective. We present data illustrating how different types of autonomy interact dynamically with intercultural competence to produce unexpected results. It is thus postulated that there is a need for a complex systems perspective in interpreting the interplay between autonomy-supportive factors and intercultural competence.
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