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Moving from Cultural Ethnocentrism to Enthnorelativism Through the Affordance of English Language Learning Experience

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Interculturality and the English Language Classroom

Abstract

L2 speakers’ movement from L1 culturality to interculturality requires their intercultural development from ethnocentric stages to ethnorelative stages. This chapter begins with the definitions and models of intercultural competence and cultural ethnocentrism. It critically outlines the main body of research on ethnocentrism and the impact of learning experience on students’ ethnorelativism. The chapter proceeds with a report on a mixed-methods study that investigated the status of ethnocentrism and ethnorelativism among Iranian university students. The findings showed that language learning experience can scaffold certain, rather than all, aspects of progression in the zone of enthnocentrism to ethnorelativism. From these findings, we can conclude that interculturality is a complex phenomenon in which movement from ethnocentrism to ethnorelativism does not progress along a constantly linear trajectory.

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Abbreviations

CEFR:

Common European Framework of Reference

DMIS:

Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity

EFL:

English as a foreign language

EIL:

English as an international language

GENE:

Generalized Ethnocentrism

ICC:

Intercultural communicative competence

LS:

Language students

NLS:

Non-language students

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

    Zia Tajeddin

  2. Islamic Azad University, West Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran

    Minoo Alemi

Authors
  1. Zia Tajeddin
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  2. Minoo Alemi
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. The Business School, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, UK

    Mabel Victoria

  2. Department of English, University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, Bangkok, Thailand

    Chittima Sangiamchit

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Tajeddin, Z., Alemi, M. (2021). Moving from Cultural Ethnocentrism to Enthnorelativism Through the Affordance of English Language Learning Experience. In: Victoria, M., Sangiamchit, C. (eds) Interculturality and the English Language Classroom. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-76757-0_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-76757-0_9

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-76756-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-76757-0

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