Kai-Li Liu

 

ABSTRACT

This paper examines a pedagogy of using a critical incidents-based (CI-based) method combining student-authored critical incidents, reflection, and interviews to teach and assess intercultural learning. The researcher used student-authored critical incidents as authentic cultural materials, with reflection on those incidents and interviews as assessment tools. The results generated from a thematic analysis and interviews showed this CI-based method was beneficial as a resource of valuable authentic contexts in which cross-cultural misunderstandings occur while also presenting cultural concepts to students. In addition, this CI-based method was used as a tool for reflective self-assessment, driving students to rethink and to reinterpret the situations they experienced. Some pedagogical suggestions are offered to make a contribution to teaching and research in intercultural competence pedagogy.

 

Key Words: critical incidents, intercultural communicative competence, assessment

 

DOI: 10.30397/TJTESOL.202104_18(1).0001