Intercultural Approach to English Language Teaching

This is a thoroughly revised, updated and expanded edition of a practical introduction to intercultural education for teachers of English as a second language. It provides a concise summary of the intellectual and pedagogical traditions that have shaped intercultural language education, from ethnography to critical pedagogy and cultural studies. The book offers clear illustrations of the practical impact of these traditions on curriculum design, classroom activities and assessment. As well as addressing developments in the field since the publication of the 1st edition, this new edition also reflects on the impact of online resources for English language education. The book continues to make a powerful case for developing intercultural as well as linguistic competences and will remain invaluable reading for English language teachers across the world.

The intercultural approach serves to develop language learners’ intercultural communicative competence which is more relevant than ever before in the globally interconnected world. Drawing on current research, the book provides a systematic discussion on the viable ways to apply intercultural approach to English teaching. It contributes much to the field., Wide-ranging, multifaceted and interactive, this ground-breaking and engaging work has now been extensively revised and updated. Professor Corbett’s new edition will ensure that this remains the go-to book for ELT teachers and researchers seeking an authoritative overview of the intersections between English language and intercultural communication for many years to come., This is a superb revision of the already splendid 2003 edition. The book has been completely updated by adding new material, redistributing the contents and incorporating recent debates and developments in the field of interculturality in relation to English language teaching. It makes a pleasant and engaging read for a wide audience of both language teachers and scholars., The book successfully describes the intellectual context and practical means of implementing an intercultural approach to ELT, demonstrating both theoretical and practical significance. For its theoretical significance, it broadens our knowledge of different disciplines [...] One of the most prominent features of this book is its open-mindedness. After each section, there are some reflective questions to guide the understanding of the following section. They prompt readers to reflect on their own educational practices and to interject creativity into the understanding of culture in ELT. 

John Corbett is a Professor of English at BNU-HKBU United International College in Zhuhai, China, where he directs the Programme in English Language and Literature Studies (ELLS). He has been a Visiting Professor at the University of São Paulo in Brazil, and a Professor of English at the University of Macau. He is an Honorary Visiting Professor at Glasgow University, where he held a personal Chair in Applied Language Studies. He has published widely in the areas of intercultural language education, corpus linguistics, literary linguistics, Scottish literature and the Scots language.