Symbolic competence is integral to intercultural teaching and learning, but limited research and teaching guidance exist in foreign language classrooms. This paper explores the use of critical incidents in developing the symbolic competence of advanced-level English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners at a Chinese university. Mixed methods…

"Testimonios" are used as a method to help understand and share the authors' lived experiences as "tocayos" with society and the human world, and to create interaction between both of them. The term "tocayo" is used to identify people who share the same name. The purpose of this paper is to share the lived experiences…

Purpose: This narrative study seeks to explore cultural identity (CI) construction of Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in light of Tong and Cheung's (2011) definition of CI. Design/methodology/approach: Ten language teachers were selected using purposeful sampling. Data were collected through reflective teacher journals and…

This qualitative study attempts to explore whether seven adults residing in Montreal who have lived for an extended period in more than three countries have experienced a shift toward a cosmopolitan perception in the formulation of their perspectives about their identity, sense of belonging, and citizenship. The qualitative case study was…

In this paper, we examine the case of Veronica, an American undergraduate studying abroad in Paris, whose struggles to negotiate linguistic and cultural differences highlight a deeply personal and emotional attempt to reconcile the symbolic values she assigns to her national, ethnic and "imagined" identities. While at first glance this…

This document presents the proceedings of the 17th Annual Research Forum held June 29, 2012, at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Included herein are the following 25 action research papers: (1) "Reading and Writing": A Study Comparing the Strengths of Peer Review and Visible Author Writing Strategies (Elizabeth Behar); (2)…