This article adopts identity as a theoretical frame through which to explore the reported experiences of a diverse group of postgraduate students studying in one university in England. We examine what they say about their identities and how they make sense of their interactions with their peers in the higher education space, as well as how they…

This study explores and compares the experiences of international students studying through internationalisation abroad (IA) and at a distance (IaD) at a UK university through the lens of Ecological Systems Model. In doing so, we propose a revised Ecological Systems Model, integrating the co-existing but fluid and liminal virtual/physical and…

Socio-scientific issues and socially acute questions enable moral judgement through rational, emotional, intuitive and imaginative thinkings. Our research focuses more specifically on the place of the myth in student discussions about controversial issues. We have analysed the mythemes expressed through online exchanges between students from…

In this article, I learn from the Buddhist 'right' ground of mindfulness which provides rich insights about 'good', insights relevant to my thinking regarding what 'good' might entail for the interculturalist. By discussing the 'right' ground of mindfulness and a counter-example of 'McMindfulness', I learnt that the 'good' cannot be separated from…

This forum examines issues of intercultural competence and language education, discussing the extent to which language courses provide students with intercultural competence and the extent to which intercultural competence and language skills are, or should be, linked. With language education in the West in inarguable decline, the authors face the…

Virtual exchange (VE) is an emergent but promising trend in course internationalization, which consists of using technology to interact and work with another class located in another city/country to develop digital skills and intercultural competence. After a VE project was implemented in a sports-related communication course, students reflected…

Social contact has been found to be both a success factor and an outcome of the international student sojourn. This two-stage mixed-methods case study sought to ascertain the role of social contact in the academic adaptation of a sample of international students undertaking taught postgraduate degrees in the United Kingdom. A self-report survey (N…

Increased levels of internationalization have led to individuals working in multicultural organizations, a trend that is likely to continue for the foreseeable future. To navigate these environments successfully, more emphasis is being placed on the importance of higher education in preparing and arming the future workforce with the international…

Based on four longitudinal evaluation reports of the China-England Mathematics Teacher Exchange (MTE) and related materials provided by the Chinese and English program teams, this article analyzes the impact of the MTE on English mathematics education. Certain positive impacts on mathematics teaching in England were found, especially regarding the…

The concept of cultural literacy as a dialogic social practice celebrates alternative perspectives. Navigating multiple perspectives in dialogue requires high 'tolerance of ambiguity' characterised by a positive, open and flexible attitude towards uncertainty. This article aims to explore how provisional language is used in classroom dialogue to…

Language is commonly positioned as an economic resource. Recent debates have argued that policy interpretations of language as economic resource can potentially undermine language positioning and reduce understanding of the cognitive, cultural and social benefits of language learning. In monolingual policy contexts, such a positioning means that…

This article is an investigation into the characteristics of intercultural competence in a face-to-face tandem language learning context between English and Chinese postgraduate students. It examines idiomatic meaning exchanges through the adoption of a conversation analytical perspective. It is a contribution to the existing body of knowledge on…

The artistic practices of ekphrasis and reverse ekphrasis -- integrating poetry and painting in their unique forms -- have been long-standing conventions both in the East and in the West. This article attempts to rationalise the new functions of the age-old concept of reverse ekphrasis (i.e. graphic representation of verbal representation) as…

This article offers a critical perspective on Ofsted's (2021) "Curriculum Research Review for Languages" (OCRR). Whilst the OCRR contains much that we would agree with (including its underpinning principle of drawing on research evidence to inform policy and pedagogy), we are nevertheless concerned that it could result in unintended…

Background: Participatory architecture can promote dialogue across cultures while working together to create physical outputs. A team of academics with a background in architecture, psychology and health sciences evaluated a participatory architecture workshop in Southern Italy as part of the Crossing Cultures project. The goal was to explore…