Developments in the Pedagogy of International Languages: A Gateway for Practitioners Second International Conference Insititut Perguruan Bahasa-Bahasa Antarabangsa

Kuala Lumpur Malaysia 2-4 June 2008

The Language Teacher as an International Educator Dr John Hope Associate Dean International Faculty of Education University of Auckland Tena koutou Tena koutou Tena koutou katoa Greetings to you Greetings to you Greetings to you all Traditional New Zealand greeting in Maori, the official second language of New Zealand

Thank you for inviting me to speak at your conference. It is a privilege to be standing in front of an international audience that includes Malaysian graduates from the University of Auckland, but particularly to see international colleagues with whom I have worked for five years, and hold in high regard. The Language Teacher as an International Educator may appear to be an unusual title for a conference focussed on the pedagogy of international languages, but I hope that the reason will become clear. Intended outcomes from this paper include: 1. An understanding of globalisation/internationalisation in the Malaysian context; 2. An understanding of the Internationalisation at Home strategy; 3. Internationalised teacher/lecturer competencies and strategies; 4. Internationalisation applied in language teaching: Critical Literacy; 5. Strategies for evaluating the success of internationalisation. It is likely that many of you arrived in a Proton taxi. Advertising noted in Kuala Lumpur announces that new models of Proton cars are proudly made in Malaysia. Yes, they are

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assembled in Malaysia and they look distinctively Malaysian, but many of the components are sourced from elsewhere in the world, the manufacturing technology originated in America and Malaysian engineers are frequently consulting with colleagues internationally. This is an example of globalisation at work, a movement that became a feature of the Middle Ages as international trade became more common, but has accelerated beyond all dreams with the introduction of fast international travel and instant electronic communication (Spring, 2008). As in the Proton example, globalization is normally discussed in economic terms. Economists introduced the term globalization in 1985 (Stromquist, 2002) to describe recent changes in global economics. Since that time common parlance has linked globalization to the world of business but more recent definitions include political and socio-cultural changes. For instance Giddens (1990) defined globalization as the intensification of worldwide social relations which link distant localities in such a way that local happenings are shaped by events occurring many miles away and vice versa (p. 64). Lubbers (1998), defined globalisation as a process in which geographic distance becomes a factor of diminishing importance in the establishment and maintenance of cross border economic, political and socio-cultural relations. Globalisation is not purely business and socio-economic issues, it also has an impact on education. Economic growth is now driven by knowledge rather than physical resources (Tan, 2008). Economics and education have become linked, with the OECD replacing the term knowledge-economy with the term learning economy (Pillay, 2007). Has globalisation been considered in the context of Malaysian education? A brief search of official Malaysian documents available in English suggests, not very often. The 1994 Malaysian Ministry of Education (MMoE) report on Education contains only one brief reference to globalisation: To meet the challenges of globalization, and new methods of teaching and learning, teacher education programmes need to be carefully reconceptualised and defined. Benchmarking of the best education institutes world-wide is done so that their best practice can be emulated. (MMoE, 2004, p. 43). Post 1994, Malaysia has embraced many aspects of globalisation in its bid to become an economic powerhouse within the South East Asian bloc. One example that may impact on many of you is tertiary student mobility, where Malaysia has recently changed from a net exporter of international students to a net importer of international students, many of whom come from different cultural and educational backgrounds such as the Middle East, Indian sub-continent and China. This enormous change alone suggests that Malaysia is responding to the pressures of globalisation (many students leaving the country to study overseas) by joining the global rush to internationalise education (Banya, 2005). Internationalisation within the context of education can be defined as a process of integrating an international dimension into the research, teaching and service functions of education institutions (Nilsson, 2003). Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reports predict that the great majority of university programmes

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will include an international dimension by 2020, the international dimension usually being student mobility. The last decade has seen increased internationalization in higher education policies worldwide. (Lee, 2008, p. 77). Growth in transnational education (where learners are living in a different country from that issuing the qualification, for example University of Auckland BEd(TESOL) students studying in Malaysia) has been highest in Asia (Huang, 2007). Why are many countries internationalising their education systems? The world trend towards globalisation has shrunk boundaries to the extent that the internationalisation of education is difficult to avoid. The pop up advertisements that clog our computer in-boxes include transnational educational opportunities, even though some of these are for bogus academic qualifications. Todays generation of students vote with their feet as they seek to improve the quality of their education or to diversify or specialise their own education. Generations X, Y and Z students are E-literate, they think and act globally, opening the door to the internationalisation of education whether older generations like it or not. Unlike most other developed countries, Malaysia has not explicitly included the internationalisation of education is a key objective in its Education Development Plan 2001-2010 (MMoE, 2003). However Malaysia does appear to be responding to the threat (sic) of globalisation by identifying goals that appear to be clear evidence of a strategic intention to internationalise education. This evidence includes the following items: Internationalisation of local universities (p.10) Increase in foreign students (p.10) Improve acquisition and application of ICT skills (p.4) Improve communication skills in international languages (p.4) Improve mastery of Malays and English language (p.4) Implementation of these goals will have a significant impact on Malaysian language teachers given that the prime role of a language teacher is to teach a second language. Learning a second international language is a key component of internationalisation, particularly given the acculturation that is impossible to avoid when learning a second international language. Accepting that wittingly or unwittingly, Malaysian language teachers are agents for internationalisation, I wish to focus the remainder of this paper on a strategy that has been developed in Europe that has potential for implementation in other countries where moving towards internationalisation is a goal of the education system but where there is insufficient funding to send all students abroad for part of their education. The strategy is titled: Internationalisation at Home (IaH) and is promoted by the European Association for International Education (EAIE). Much of what follows has been adapted from EAIE publications, conference proceedings and toolkits. The EAIE initiative in promoting the IaH concept is gratefully acknowledged.

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While not ignoring the stereotype that internationalisation of education is usually associated with outgoing student and staff mobility as in going abroad for study as most of you have done, IaH has a particular emphasis on any internationally related activity with the exception of outbound student and staff mobility. It is intended to apply to all students and staff in an educational institution, not just those going abroad and is intended to move the focus of internationalisation from an economic agency for globalisation (money generated from the international student market) to one linked more to socio-cultural aspects (Teekens, 2006). Examples would include the teaching of a foreign language to home students, but other strategies such as using comparative international case studies and visiting international speakers are equally relevant. More on this later. Moving closer to your second home, the language teachers classroom, four international classroom types have been identified (Beelen, 2007), and I will outline these in the hope that you can identify more specifically with the role that you play towards internationalising Malaysian education. Classrooms with an International Orientation utilise the local language (Bahasa) and have local students and a local teacher, as for any Malaysian classroom. This classroom becomes an internationally oriented classroom when the pedagogy changes, such as when a second language such as English is introduced, international case studies are chosen and compared with local practice, international literature is chosen and where international guest teachers or lecturers are utilised when available. To my mind, the introduction of English as the lingua franca of Mathematics and Science throughout Malaysian education is a clear example of applied internationalisation of education. Although not providing the benefits of international travel, a well organised internationally oriented class room can open students minds to internationalisation. International Classrooms in the Local Language are increasingly common (Levy, 2007) as people move transnationally in response to globalisation pressures. These classrooms include home students with one or more international students, but are still taught in the home language by a home teacher. The presence of the international student/s is the only difference between this classroom and the first category discussed. Because these classrooms commonly do not require the teacher/lecturer to speak languages other than the home language and the lingua franca, they may be difficult for international students who are not fluent in either language. They require the teacher to adapt their pedagogy to suit the student profile and also require the adaptation of case studies, examples and illustrations to include the international student/s. Full International Classrooms are only for international students, but are taught by a home teacher/lecturer, possibly with assistance from an international teacher or translator. The language used can be that of the international group and the pedagogy adapted to suit the international group. Full international classrooms are of little benefit to local students unless some form of integration occurs and may also be of limited benefit to international students if totally isolated.

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Virtual International Classrooms are increasingly common and can include any mix of students, teachers and languages, their distinctive feature being that the personnel involved do not meet physically. Lessons are conducted via email, teleconferencing, and an increasing host of other asynchronous and synchronous communication formats such as blogs, often including the involvement of international partners. For example, I am teaching a stage III virtual ICT in Education course while working here in Kuala Lumpur. Virtual classrooms require access to electronic mediums and good technical support, but E-pedagogy may not suit all students (Walsh, 2007). Regardless of whether information is transmitted personally or electronically, IaH classrooms require teachers who possess the skills and attributes required to teach the international components effectively. Research into teacher/student interpersonal behaviour also indicates that the students perception of teacher behaviour in international settings is an important factor in student learning (Brok and Koopman, 2007; Wubbels, 2007)). Viewing language teaching through the lens of internationalisation, desirable teacher/lecturer background characteristics for internationally oriented classrooms include personal international experience, knowledge of international education systems and an open attitude towards individual difference Profiles of ideal teacher/lecturer competencies for teaching classrooms where international students are present (Beelens, 2007; Snowball, 2007) state that teachers should: Be aware the established canon of knowledge in their field may differ substantially from other academic traditions; Be able to adapt the curriculum to suit international students; Be aware that some students expect a different role from them, for example it may be viewed as impolite for a student to ask a teacher a question; Be able to reflect on the cultural aspects of their own teaching practice; Be able to cooperate with international partners. Where non-native languages of tuition are utilised for instruction, desirable teacher/lecturer competencies include: A very good command of the spoken and written language and context of instruction; Use of appropriate terminology and jargon in the language and context of instruction; Awareness of the importance of body language, for example, in some cultures downward eyes are a sign of respect and eye to eye contact is not encouraged but in others a direct gaze is considered positively; Ability to rephrase sentences that are not understood; Awareness that there could be cultural reasons why a student will not speak up in class; Ability to use the language of instruction naturally and freely; Openness to suggestions from the students and others regarding use of the language of instruction;

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Awareness that language acquisition is culturally embedded and not culturally neutral; Awareness that their own cultural background colours their views and pedagogy; Ability to analyse cultural difference on the basis of a theoretical framework; Ability to distinguish between cultural aspects and personal characteristics of student behaviour such as etiquette versus shyness; Ability to avoid thinking in stereotypes; Ability to express opinions without resorting to cultural generalisations.

Following this outline of general competencies that apply to all teachers involved with IaH, we can personalise this presentation further with an example of pedagogy that is particularly pertinent to the language teacher. The example chosen is Critical Literacy, sourced from the Intercultural Language Teaching and Learning in Practice literature (ILTLP). The basic tenets of the Critical Literacy approach can be summarised as follows: Traditional language teaching is a cognitive process (phonological, lexical, syntactic); Culture informs the way that people understand themselves and others; Language is always subject to the variable interpretations of participants in interactions in particular contexts; Critical literacy uses discourse analysis to focus on social interaction; a shared process of making meaning. Application of the Critical Literacy approach to language teaching requires teachers to move from a topic or content focus to identification of conceptual and contextual aspects of learning exemplifying the interpretations that individuals make of their learning. This approach requires use of diverse educational experiences and contexts over time and an understanding of the social, cultural and linguistic profiles of learners in particular social contexts. Examples of particular classroom strategies include language acquisition that utilises discussion about simple cultural differences such as word order in names, use of role plays such as acting ways of introducing people from different cultures and identifying different gender roles in celebrations such as birthdays and weddings. Assuming that an institution is implementing IaH, how do we know how successful our attempts to internationalise have been? The following institutional checkpoints are provided as a guide to indicate some of the areas that should be considered. Any such list is generalised and must be adapted for local use: 1. Does your institution include statements about internationalisation in its goals/mission statement? 2. Does the library include international literature? 3. Does the library catalogue work in more than one language? 4. Is the institution signage in more than one language? 5. Are computer programmes and computer keyboards available in more than one language?

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Curriculum checkpoints for consideration: 1. Do any desired student curriculum outcomes include an international perspective? 2. Is international literature and case studies included in courses? 3. Is comparative teaching methodology being used? 4. Are courses in international languages compulsory? 5. Are the international aspects of the curriculum visible in examinations? Student checkpoints for consideration: 1. Do home students learn with international students? 2. Are international students assigned international buddies? 3. Are study abroad opportunities available? 4. Does the department use home students who have been abroad to inform other home students who have not been abroad? 5. Are home students encouraged to communicate electronically with students from other cultures living overseas? Staff checkpoints for consideration: 1. Are there any internationally oriented professional development opportunities for staff? 2. Do staff members have the opportunity to study abroad? 3. Do staff members ever have the opportunity to live within another culture? 4. Do staff members interact with other staff internationally in any way (research, joint teaching)? 5. Is there encouragement to employ staff members from other countries/cultures? Do you now see yourself as a language teacher and an agent of internationalisation? If, as I am, you are of an older generation who sometimes find new concepts more difficult than do younger generations, consider the future of your students growing up into an even more globalised world. Internationalisation at Home may be the tool that will guarantee them a better chance in an increasingly competitive environment.

References Banya, K. (2005). Gobalisation and higher education policy changes. In J. Zajda (Ed.), International handbook on globalisation, education and policy research.Dordrecht, Netherlenads: Springer. Beelen, J. (Ed.). (2007). EAIE professional development series for international educators 2: Implementing internationalisation at home. Amsterdam: European Association for International Education. Brok, P. D. & Koopman, G. J. (2007). Interpersonal teacher behaviour in international education. In M. Hayden, J. Levy, & J. Thompson (Eds.), The Sage handbook of research in international education. London: SAGE Publications.

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Giddens, A. (Ed.). (1990). On The Edge. Living with global capitalism, London: Vintage. Hayden, J., Levy, J., & Thompson, J. (2007). The Sage handbook of research in international education. London: SAGE Publications. Huang, F. (2007). Internationalization of higher education in the developing and emerging countries: A focus on transnational higher education in Asia. Journal of Studies in International Education, 11:3/4, p.421-432. Lee, W. O. (2008). The repositioning of higher education from its expanded visions: lifelong learning, entrepreneurship, internationalization and integration. Educational Research Policy and Practice, 7, 73-83. Levy, J. (2007). Pre-service teacher preparation for international settings. In M. Hayden, J. Levy, & J. Thompson (Eds.), The Sage handbook of research in international education. London: SAGE Publications. Ministry of Education. (2003). Education development plan 2001-2010. Retrieved May 18, 2008, from http://www.moe.gov.my Ministry of Education. (2004). The development of education: national report of Malaysia. Retrieved May 18, 2008, from http://www.moe.gov.my Nilsson, B. & Otten, M. Eds.). (2003). Internationalisation at home. Journal of Studies in international Education7(1). Snowball, L. (2007). Becoming more internationally minded: International teacher certification and professional development. In M. Hayden, J. Levy, & J. Thompson (Eds.), The Sage handbook of research in international education. London: SAGE Publications. Spring, J. (2008). Research on globalization and education. Review of Educational Research 78(2), 330-363. Stromquist, N. (2002). Education in a globalized world: The connectivity of economic power , technology and knowledge. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. Teekens, H. (2006). Internationalization at home: A background paper. In Teekens, H. (Ed.) Internationalization at home: A global perspective (pp. 7-18). The Hague: Nuffic. Tan, O. S. (2008). Editorial: Globalisation and educational challenges of tertiary, vocational and community sectors in the Asia-Pacific. Educational Research Policy and Practice, 7, 71-72.

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Tan, P. & Pillay, H. (2007). Understanding learning behaviour of Malaysian adult learners: a cross-cultural sensitive framework. Educational Research Policy and Practice, 7, 85-97. Teekens, H. (Ed.). (2007). EAIE occasional paper 20. Internationalisation at home: Ideas and ideals. Amsterdam: European Association for International Education. Walsh, L. (2007). The future of E-learning in international education: Issues, Challenges and lessons from the past two decades. In M. Hayden, J. Levy, & J. Thompson (Eds.), The Sage handbook of research in international education. London: SAGE Publications. Wubbels, T. (2007). Classroom management around the world. In Hayden, J., Levy, J., & Thompson, J. (2007). The Sage handbook of research in international education. London: SAGE Publications.

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