'In bare feet with my

journal': promoting
the intercultural
development of
young exchange
students

14

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Volume 47 Number 1

15

Abstract
It is Increasingly common for schools
to form partnerships with schools in
the countries of languages learned in
the classroom. While there has been
substantial investigation of language
and culture learning in the context
of tertiary study abroad, there has
been limited research attention to
pedagogical interventions which may
support learning in young exchange
travellers. This study applied the
principles of intercultural language
learning to the exchange context.
The article reports the impact of a
three-phase intervention which was I
designed to extend student intercultuTST
learning, before, during and after two
exchange trips to China and Europe.
Students' responses to the intervention
are assessed through the analysis of
students' journals and blog data, using
criteria developed from a three-tiered
model of descriptive, dialogic, and
critical writing. The study shows that
the intervention facilitated student
observation skills in both groups,
but had more limited success in the
development of self-reflection in
relation to the exchange environment.
The study offers strategies for effective
design of such teaching interventions,
as an important contribution to
languages education.

Key Words
exchange, study abroad, intercultural,
language, culture, secondary education,
ethnography

Background to the study

Over the past ten years, languages
teaching in Australian schools has utilised
an intercultural approach to pedagogy,
to development of resources, and to
professional learning programs (see, for
example, Byram, 1989; Kramsch, 1993;
Liddicoat, Papademetre, Scarino & Khler,
2003). Teachers have been encouraged
to embed explicit strategies into their
classroom pedagogy to elicit critical
reflection on the similarities and differences
between languages and cultures (Morgan,
2007; Moloney, 2010).
The application of intercultural principles
to learning experiences outside the
classroom, however, as for example to
short-term school exchange or study abroad
programs, has been limited. As Australia
Is predominantly English-speaking and
geographically situated at long distances
from target language countries, it is
common for schools to form partnerships
with counterpart schools learning English
in the target language country, and to
annually arrange reciprocal visits. Both
the hosting and the visiting roles are
used by teachers to motivate and support
student learning experience in interaction
with their target language peers. There is
substantial literature on the tertiary study
abroad context (see for example. Brecht &
Robinson, 1995; De Keyser 1991; Kinginger,
2004, 2008; Olmedo & Harbon, 2010),
and on teacher experience of overseas
experience (French & Harbon, 2010; Harbon,
2007). There has been limited focus on
school students, however, and, in particular,
little research to evaluate connections
between pedagogical approach and learning
outcomes of school students participating in
school exchange trips.
Unlike the independent, unsupervised
long-term duration of tertiary study abroad,
school exchange trips are usually short
(from 2-6 weeks), and student groups are
accompanied by one or more supervising
school teachers, due to issues of risk and
the greater need for emotional support.
Although there may be other focuses of
school trips, this study limits its attention to
those taken for the purpose of language and
culture learning.
There is evidence that, in exchange
programs for young learners, students may
develop negative stereotypes of the target
culture if they lack prior knowledge and skills
for interpreting intercultural interactions
(Buttjes & Byram, 1991). Research on
tertiary students' experiences abroad has
similarly found that students may not,
without assistance, acquire the skills to
successfully negotiate cultural issues and
incidents (Bagnall, 2005). Teachers thus
need to explicitly assist learners to develop
skills in observing, analysing, and integrating
experiences.
This article reports on the impact of a
three-phase pedagogical intervention
designed to extend student learning which

16

took place before, during, and after a short

term school exchange trip. The intervention
is implemented over two different trips,
with refinement of technique in the second
iteration.
The aim of this study was to examine
what effect, if any, can be observed from
an intervention that involved intercultural
teaching, prior to, during, and after an
exchange experience. This article argues that
an explicit process of scaffolding, journaling,
and peer- constructed re-acculturation
supports various levels of intercultural
learning in secondary school students.

Literature review
The theoretical framing of this study
combines two Interrelated areas of research
literature, that of study abroad programs
and a sociocultural theoretical approach to
culture learning, which underlies intercultural
language learning and development. This
review introduces both fields.
The interests and approaches of study
abroad research
Over the past 40 years research interest
in student learning In tertiary study abroad
programs has been diverse in both aims
and methodologies. Studies focussed on
language acquisition achieved during study
abroad have featured attention to elements
of syntax and vocabulary growth, employing
quantitative methodologies focussed on
test scores (see for example Carroll, 1967;
Rivers, 1998).
Studies taking broader social perspectives
on second language acquisition have
suggested that what students gain is the
ability to 'sound good' by adopting particular
oral conversational strategies, and by
leaming appropriate pragmatic strategies
(Taguchi, 2011). There has also been
attention to issues in re-acculturation to the
home culture (Adler, 1981; Storti, 2001).
Study abroad research which has been
designed to access deeper sociocultural
understanding of students' learning
about culture has employed qualitative
methodolcgies, utilising introspective
narrative techniques (diaries, interviews,
blogs) as well as case studies and
ethnographies (Brecht & Robinson, 1995;
Polyani, 1995). DeKeyser (1991, pp.117118) has recommended that research
on language learning abroad 'should be
longitudinal, that is, follow the learners
closely throughout the overseas experience,
and integrate test data with more
ethnographic data'.
Researchers have sought to Identify the
components of the intercultural knowledge
and competence achieved during study
abroad or exchange (for a useful summary,
see Paige, Jorstad, Slaya, Klein & Colby,
1993). Paige et al. (1993) claim that students
explore their own culture, discover the
relationship between language and culture,
and acquire techniques of analysis and
comparison of cultures. Zhu (2011) asserts

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that the key ability is identifying and

challenging one's cultural assumptions and
developing empathy. These various abilities
may be demonstrated in identified levels of
critical cultural reflection apparent in journal
writing. The analysis of student writing
may be judged using the descriptors of a
three-tiered model, developed by Harris,
Smith, Merrit, Simons and Reid (2002), and
amended in a related study abroad context
by Bagnall (2005). Bagnall has described the
progressive level of intercultural reflective
ability identifiable in the journal writing of
tertiary students doing practicum teaching
in different cultural contexts. The analysis of
textual data in this study will use as rating
criteria, Bagnall's (2005) identification of
three levels in student writing as:

culturally descriptive reflection: writing

which simply describes cultural practices,
gives information, may include simplistic
comparisons
culturally dialogic reflection: writing
which shows that the writer is in a
thoughtful, interrogative conversation
with themselves and the practices of
their home culture
culturally critical reflection: writing which
shows an independent synthesis and
interpretation of cultural information,
and uses it to question the writer's
relationships, perspectives and
behaviour.

These notions shape the conceptualisation

of intercultural learning that this study
employs to inform its analysis of data.
The acquisition of intercultural competence
will not just occur inevitably and simply as

Volume 47 Number 1

the result of passive exposure to cultural

input (Crozet & Liddiooat, 1999). Some form
of preparation intervention is desirable for
learners before in-country experiences, in
order to develop skills in the interpretation
of culturally bound interactions with native
speakers. If students are adequately
prepared for the cultural input they receive
during such visits, supported during the
trip, and given opportunity for post-trip
reflective processing, they may maximise
their learning (Paige, Cohen, Kappler, Chi
&Lassegard, 2002).
Application of theoretical frame
The movement towards a sociocultural
understanding of the exchange experience
parallels similar movement in language
pedagogy In her design of the intervention,
the teacher is making an application of
her intercultural language pedagogy This
pedagogy is viewed as an 'orientation'
(Scarino, Liddicoat, Carr, Crichton, Crozet,
Dellit, Khler, Loechel, Mercurio, Morgan,
Papademetre & Scrimgeour, 2009) in
both teacher and learners, towards new
understandings of 'other and self as a result
of reflective examination of their learning.
Byram (1989) and Kramsch (1993) describe
a process of the individual developing
interculturally through de-centring from
their own first culture. The design of
this study's intervention focuses on the
posing of enquiry questions to elicit critical
observation skills. Studies have shown

that intercultural language learning is

facilitated by explicit critical questions by
both teachers and students (Morgan, 2007;
Moloney 2010). In its use of pre- and posttrip meetings, the study also is informed by
the notion that the construction of learning
takes place in social interaction with peers
(Vygotsky, 1986). The analysis of data is
informed also by two models of progressive
intercultural development (Bennett, 1993;
Bagnall, 2005) as detailed below in the
Methodology section.

iVIethodology
This study provides an illuminative case
study within one school context, of the
design and implementation of a pedagogical
intervention, with two iterations, in
school groups travelling in 2010 to China
(September) and Europe (December)
respectively The intervention is described
below. The research, which followed
the teaching and learning activity, uses
qualitative data from student journals and
blogs, and post-trip written evaluation.
Data sources and analysis
The intervention, as described below,
consisted of a site-based, three phase
strategy to provide pre-trip scaffolding of
intercultural enquiry, during-trip journaling
activity, and post-trip re-acculturation
discussion and written evaluation.
This study analyses qualitative data, using
written narratives and stories extracted from
student journals and blogs completed while
on exchange, and data from both verbal and
written responses in post-trip meetings.

17

Content analysis, to determine evidence of

student interoultural learning was carried
out on the written narrative texts entered
by each student in a journal or blog. The
analysis was concerned only with evidence
of interculturai learning, as it has been
shaped by theoretical notions in the relevant
literature above.
The analysis of data is informed by two
models. The six stage Developmental
Model of Interculturai Sensitivity (Bennett,
1993) provides a linear description of
personal intercultural change which moves
through three ethnocentric phases. Denial,
Defence, Minimisation; and three stages of
ethnorelativity. Acceptance, Adaptation and
Integration. As detailed above, the analysis
of student writing is informed by a three
level model of progressive intercultural
change (Bagnall, 2005). The two researchers
jointly read a sample of the texts and
developed rating criteria for reliably judging
the three levels of writing. Pseudonyms
have been used in extracts from the data.

IN THEIR TEXTS, THE

CHINA STUDENTS
RESPONDED TO THE
OUESTIONS WITH
CONSISTENTLY
DESCRIPTIVE WRITING
ABOUT SCHOOL,
HOST HOME AND THE
ACTIVITIES OF THE
TWO WEEKS.

Participants and the school site

The China student exchange group
comprised 13 students, seven boys and
six girls, from Years 8-10 (aged 13-16). As
non-native speakers of Chinese, students
begin their study of Chinese in Year 7 thus
years of study varied from two to four years.
Their curriculum includes aspects of cultural
knowledge which occur in the context of
early learning, for example, family, school,
friends and festivals. It was the first trip to
China for all students. The students spent
two weeks at a secondary public schooi in
Guangzhou, accommodated individually in
family homes.
The Europe group comprised seventeen
students, 13 girls and four boys, in Years
10-11 (aged 16-17). Years of study of the
relevant language (French, German or
Italian) varied from four to 10 years, as
some students had studied their language
continuously from preschool while others
had begun in Year 7. The 17 students spent
six weeks in individual family homestays
and attended the sister school relevant to
their language of study, seven in Montpellier
(France), four in Bad Salzuflen (Germany)
and six in Rovereto (Italy), respectively.
The school is a oo-educational independent
school in Sydney, Australia, incorporating
pre-school, primary and secondary levels,
with an ethos of diversity and bilingualism
(Moloney, 2004). The school offers a choice
of four non-English languages through the
preschool and primary years, with additional
languages in secondary school. The school
has been teaching Chinese from Year 7
since 2007 The schooi has conducted its
annual six-week European student exchange
program since 1995 with sister schools
in Italy, France and Germany. It now also
includes annual or bi-annual two-week
exchanges to Japan, New Caledonia, Spain
and China.

18

Description of the teaching and

learning intervention
The teaching intervention was designed
to address four goals: (a) to enable
development of critical observation skills, (b)
to support retention of learning for ongoing
processing of learning over time, (c) to
stimulate deeper intercultural self-reflection,
beyond 'compare and contrast', and (d)
to provide a forum, after the trip, to give
students the opportunity to process and
construct their learning together, to support
re-acculturation.
To achieve these goals, the intervention was
designed in three stages, common to both
groups. The intervention was modelled on
selected strategies in Paige et al. (2002),
amended for the Australian school context.

Stage 1: Pre-trip
Pre-trip teaching was conducted in four
meetings, with discussion of general travel
strategies. This included how to be a keen
critical observer of the culture and lifestyle,
not only noticing differences, but also how
the differences made students feei about
themselves. The teacher gave students a
journal, access to a personal blog, and a set
of questions. The questions asked students
to observe and comment on issues of food,
clothes, host's home, social relationships
and school. For example:
Clothes: Are Chinese students'
clothes different from what you wear?
Why do you thini< this might be? i-iow
is teenage life in Australia similar to
China? How is it different?
At school: What is the same as your
school? What is different? What do
you notice about interaction between
teachers and students in China? How
is it different in Australia?
At home: Who is doing the cooking
and cleaning in your Chinese host
family? is this different from your
family? Do families seem to spend
more time together in Australia or in
China?
Between the return of the China group
(September 2010) and the departure of
the Europe group (December 2010), the
questions were refined. Questions were
modeiled on examples from the Interculturai
Language and Teaching Learning Program
(Morgan, 2007). Further questions were
added for the European group, due both to
perceived limitations of the responses made
by China participants, and to interests and
concerns of the older age group. Questions
were expanded to include more emphasis
on perceptions of feelings, making friends,
reflection on own personality and identity,
and reflection on home cuiture and family.
For example, relating to Italy/France/
Germany:
Do you think it is easier to make
friends in Italy (or other country) or
Australia? Why? Do you think you
are more comfortabie, more suited

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to the way social relationships run,

in Australia or in Italy? Do you find
yourself behaving differently in a
family setting in Italy from when in
Australia? What are you noticing about
the people, the culture and ways of
communication while you are in Italy?
After being in Italy, has it changed
the way you think about yourself?
After being in Italy have you learnt
something about yourself and your
culture?
In addition, as a language task, the teacher
lent every student a small digital audio
recorder, with a list of simple questions
in the target language. Students had to
interview a number of people in their new
environment (e.g. host family, local peers),
and bring home the recorded material. This
material was not part of the research data.
Stage 2: During the trip
On the teacher-accompanied China trip,
there was daily teacher supervision of
writing. In the unaccompanied Europe
exchange there was no teacher supervision
of journal or blog writing. Europe students
reported that there was limited access to
computers in schools and homes, resulting
in limited blogging and greater use of
journals.
Stage 3: Post-trip
For both groups, the teacher conducted
two structured discussion meetings for
participants, for students to make sense
of their experience within peer social
interaction. Forthe China group, meetings
served also as preparation for an evening
forum event with parents. The teacher

Volume 47 Number 1

endeavoured through questioning to guide

students to a deeper analysis, beyond the
descriptive. The Europe group engaged
in two discussion meetings, but did not
conduct a parent forum. To facilitate in-depth
reflection, the teacher asked students to
write responses to structured items. For
example:
Did the process of teaching about
intercultural learning, before you left,
help with journal writing an in analysis
of experience at deeper level? (Please
explain)
I know I have changed as a result of
my experiences because...
My friends do seem to understand...
about me, but they don't understand
The one thing I know I have learned
about myself s...
I wish I could explain to my family and
friends that...
(Adapted from Paige, Cohen Kappler, Chi,
Lassegard, 2002, pp. 148-154)

Findings: China group

Overview
Student journals and blogs were examined
according to criteria of the three stage
indicator of descriptive, dialogic, and
critical reflection (Bagnall, 2005). The study
acknowledges that the blog genre may differ
from a journal text in audience, purpose, and
language. We also acknowledge that the
choice of blog or journal may have impacted
the reflection that the student produced. For
the purposes of this study, however, both

texts are considered as affording equivalent

writing opportunities, without particular
reference to the text genre, and examined
only for the evidence of intercultural
reflection.
Descriptive writing
In their texts, the China students responded
to the questions with consistently
descriptive writing about school, host home
and the activities of the two weeks. For
example, students reported that the Chinese
mostly live in small apartments which have
very simple furnishings; and that there are
festivals and traditions in China that allow
families to get together for celebrations.
From these descriptions, students made
generalised observations, which may have
been influenced by appropriated beliefs
from teachers or parents. These included,
for example, that personal space in China is
apparently not so rigid amongst strangers, as
the population is so dense; that life is more
stressful in China, as parents work long
hours and students study long hours; that all
Chinese wake up early and go to bed late.
Some students were able to critique their
prior expectations of China. For example,
some students had expected Chinese cities
to be very modern and influenced by the
West, but discovered that many areas of the
city were 'traditional' and old.
Deductive and comparative writing
Students made some limited deductions
as to Chinese values which lay behind
observed behaviours. Implicit in these were
comparisons between Australia and China.
There was very limited inclination to think
more deeply about the historical or cultural

19

reasons for these values. They deduced for

example that study is a priority and highly
valued by Chinese; that, in their Australian
eyes, since Chinese students are generally
modestly dressed, they are a conservative
population and do not want to stand out, as
students do in Australia; and that respeot
for the elderly and social interaction with
extended family members are important.
Jenny, below, when referencing teenagers'
life, (but not her own, using only once the
first person pronoun 'me'), empathises
with the Chinese students being under so
much pressure to perform academically and
dedicate so much time to their studies.
Chinese teenagers and even Chinese
children have to spend a lot more
time studying for exams and doing
homework. They are expected to
do much more and receive very
high results! Fortunately for me the
stressed life of a Chinese teenager
(in terms of study) is quite different in
Australia. We focus on the all rounded
child, not just pushing for extreme
academic excellence. Teenagers
in Australia can spend more time
relaxing, hanging out and sleeping,
than the Chinese that can have
lessons from 7:40am - 9:00pm and
then go home with a lot of homework
(Jenny, journal entry).
Jenny's writing displays a degree of
ethnocentricity (Bennett, 1993) indicating
her appropriated belief in the superiority
of the Australian model, promoted by her
school in its particular social context. She
uses impersonal generalisation, and does
not achieve significant exploration of her
own culture (Paige et al, 2002); she is not
able to engage in deeper reflection about
the historical or cultural reasons for her own
Australian educational ethos, such as vastly
lower population, affluence, and access to
higher education.
Inclusion of self in writing
A small number of students demonstrate in
their texts the second level of intercultural
reflective ability, dialogic reflection. For
example, Juliette wrote that
Even at the end of the second day
the requests for photos with us
and questions about our love-lives
haven't ceased. It is very odd being
a celebrity just for being ordinary in a
different way, just for looking slightly
different (Juliette, journal entry).
Dialogic reflection is indicated in Juliette's
thoughtful conversation with herself, about
her unearned privilege of being a celebrity,
and in her ability to shift perspective,
and reflect about what the visit of the
Australians might mean to the Chinese
students.
The diary entries of three female students
admitted pre-conceived ideas of China
before departure and showed the ability
for adaptation (Bennett, 1993) to their
new reality. There was evidence of them

20

becoming self-aware of seeing the world

through their own lens and discovering that
there is a different way of doing things and
of seeing. Jacquie wrote that
China is very different to what I
thought it would be like. Before I
came I expected the city to be very
modern with a big influence from
the western culture. However we
arrived to very traditional food, dirty
overcrowded streets, cats living on
the streets, tiny places, an incredibly
different way of life and culture and...
squat toilets! But although these
were a shock at first I am getting
used to them and really enjoying living
in a different way of life (Jacquie,
journal entry).
Students' own home values were evident
in their responses. With a degree of selfreflection, Peter, of Australian Chinese
background, noted how delicious the
Chinese food was, compared to how limited
the family resources appeared. He also
observed that Australian children seem
spoiled when compared to the Chinese;
they had !ess than Austraiian kids but it
seemed plenty al! the same (Peter, journal
entry).This reflection involves recognition
and critique of his upbringing and values.
Differences in age and gender in writing
Differences in age and gender were
observed in student writing. As noted, the
younger China group contained only two
older students aged 16. This age difference
may have enabled Paul (16) to reference his
Australian life to his perceptions of the size
of China, his recognition of his limited ability
to understand China, and his reluctance
to resort to stereotypes. His writing again
reflects the notions of Bagnall's Stage 2
dialogic (conversation with self and self's
perspective);
Cities like nothing in AustraHa, driving
through outback Austraiian towns wii!
never be the same again, the scaie of
China is nothing Uke even the CBD in
Sydney. Driving in outer Guang Zhou
(equivaient being Mascot or further)
was about the same density as
George Street on a busy day Just as
I thought I was getting used to China,
they would regurgitate some gross
bones from the duck. It's different and
not different all at once, China is just
unexplainabie (Paul, Year 10, journal
entry).
The younger boys were reluctant writers
and social observers, preferring to catalogue
concrete aspects of their activities. Tim (Year
8, aged 13) made very few blog entries but
did record;
So yesterday me and my partner went
to a toy store and brought 3 BB guns
and one was a plastic one with a laser
underneath /f (Tim, blog entry).
However, their reluctance to write may
also involve awareness that the process
of reflection is difficult, and may involve

anticipation that understanding may happen

when students get home, as Frank has
written;
China has been a mixture of 'what
the hell is happening' and 'wow that
was pretty cool'. ! won't attempt
to describe too many experiences,
not because they have been
indescribable, but more because they
have passed by me so quickly I don't
think I'll be able to recall them until
I'm sitting down in my room with a
pack of chips from Broadway (Frank,
blog entry in China).
In sum, the journals and blogs of the China
group data provide evidence that the
questions had assisted in scaffolding skills
in observation, descriptions and simple
comparisons. The questions appear to have
had limited success, however, in eliciting
deeper reflection on students' Australian
lives or enhancing their ability to critique
their own perceptions.
China post-trip meetings
At China post-trip meetings students
produced further verbal reflection about the
ease of their Australian lives compared to
their Chinese peers. The teacher noted that
several boys were more expansive verbally
than they had been in writing their journal
or blog. Researchers reflected that students
had the opportunity to meet daily at the
China school, thus the opportunity to talk
about their impressions may have reduced
their emotional need to document them
in writing. Further, the relatively sheltered
experience, demanding less self-reliance,
and less immediate need to problem
solve in the new environment, functionally
positioned the China reflective writing
differently from that of the Europe group,
discussed below.

Findings: Europe group

Overview
The journals and blogs of the students in
the Europe group, over a period of 6 weeks,
provide evidence of Level 1 descriptive
and Level 2 self-dialogue writing and some
limited Level 3 critical reflection (Bagnall,
2005). They illustrate student progress
in Stages 4 and 5 of the Developmental
Model of Intercultural Sensitivity, in their
acceptance of, and adaptation to, their new
environment (Bennett, 1993). There was no
live contact or travel between the different
schools, although students maintained
online contact across schools and with their
home environments in Sydney. Within the
same school, students had independent
timetables and saw each other on an
occasional basis.
Inclusion of self in writing
Europe students wrote in-depth answers to
questions about forming friendships, social
interactions and social norms within the
country. The refined questions appear to
have given the students an effective scaffold

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for their intercultural learning. The journal

writing itself has played a role in helping
them to critically reflect on their experience
and awareness of themselves in the new
culture. In relative isolation in a European
family. Liz commented in a blog entry
Last night, about 6 at night, ... when
it was quiet and cold, I went out in
bare feet with my journal and wrote
my entry... it just calms me down and
keeps me in the present and connects
me with where I am: France. (Liz, blog
entry).

AT EUROPE POST-TRIP MEETINGS STUDENTS

SPOKE ABOUT HOW THEY FELT ABOUT
CHANGES IN THEMSELVES AND CHANGED
PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR FAMILY AND FRIENDS
ONCE THEY HAD RETURNED TO AUSTRALIA.

This entry displays an awareness of self, and

her awareness of the value and function of
the diary itself, a mediating private space
where her emerging identity in this new
environment can be thought through, in
English. This student's text indicates an
approach to Level 3 critical reflection, where
she s explicitly aware of independently
syntheslsing new cultural information,
needing to de-centre and situate herself
amongst new emerging relationships, while
remaining connected to her sense of self.
Students grapple to interpret their
relationship with European social
behaviours. Students felt welcomed by their
European peers and commented that there
was real affection amongst teenagers in
Europe, demonstrated by the kiss greeting,
even when meeting new people.
Liz wrote
French people are generally
affectionate, the placement of kisses
for a greeting is a perfect ice-breaker
and even people you've only met for
the first time generally intrude on
your space. So when you befriend
someone, affection and personal
space is a free for all. Unlike Australia,
where all of the people are generally
unaffectionate at first meeting.
Jill wrote
Personally I think it is easier to make
friends in France as the young people
are so accepting and affectionate.
Whether their Australian interpretation of
the European kiss greeting is correct or not
(i.e. whether it represents genuine affection)
the students are negotiating what it means
to live in European society. Through the
framework of the intercultural questioning
the students consciously compare the
European practice to their own and process,
analyse and evaluate this.
At Europe post-trip meetings students
spoke about how they felt about changes
In themselves and changed perceptions
of their family and friends once they had
returned to Australia. As noted, the Europe
group were also asked to complete a
written survey of their perceptions of the
Intervention (pre-trip sessions, journaling
and post-trip meetings).
Europe post-trip survey data
Students were asked whether the pre-trip
teaching helped their journal writing. Eight

Volume 47 Number 1

21

THE PRE-TEACHING, THE

OUESTIONS ANSWERED
IN JOURNALSAND
BLOGS, AND THE
POST-TRIP MEETINGS
GAVE STUDENTS
A FRAMEWORK IN
WHICH TO CONSIDER
AND REPORT
THEIR CULTURAL
ENCOUNTERS.

students felt that it was of limited value, as,

in their perception, students are unable to
imagine the immediate onslaught of lived
experience in Europe, for example:
Wo amount of teaching can prepare
you for the experience (Erin, post-trip
data).
No, it's only when in France that you
think about what you see around you
(Vic, post-trip data)
However three students balanced this by
adding positive comments about the impact
of pre-trip strategy Kristen wrote that the
pre-trip teaching helped me focus on some
aspects of French culture that I may not have
given much thought to. I still found it difficult
to put what / observed and felt into words.

My friends understand that I have

changed in some ways but don't
understand what I have experienced
(Nat, post-trip data).
The students were asked what they had
learnt about themselves. Their answers
reflect pride in what they achieved
linguistically, in personal confidence, and in
self-awareness:
/ am not as bad at German as I
thought I was (Vic, post-trip data).
/ am fortunate to have my comfortable
way of life (Kristen, post-trip data).

In Mel's perception, the pre-trip strategy

acted as a catalyst for Level 2 dialogic
reflection, a focus on herself as seen by the
other:

/ do not have to be so shy, and I have

gained more confidence (Pat, post-trip
data).

It did make me think about the way I

am perceived in public. It takes a lot
to see the way you are different in a
different culture.

At the meetings all students were keen to

share their experience in social interaction.
They displayed a deeper level of reflection
and intercultural understanding through their
discussions, as they discovered others had
similar thoughts or experience.

Six students however attached greater

importance to preparation for re-entry to
their life in Australia, and the role of post-trip
support:
It's more important to prepare students
for return to Australia (Nat, post-trip
data).
You need to prepare more for when
you get back to reality. Important to
also brief parents about how kids
might feel sad about leaving Europe
(Jan, post-trip data).
Changes in self perceptions
Post-trip discussion and survey asked
student to comment on their perception of
change in themselves due to the trip. Three
dominant themes in response were new
personal social skills, new perception of
their language skills, and some disjunction in
Australia context relationships.
Every Europe student commented on new
social skills acquired through their exchange
experience. Some students identify that
their new social confidence skills are created
by and limited to the European context,
while others are able to transfer this learning
to relationships in Australia:
My relationship with my Australian
friends is better. / feel more mature
and more confident with myself and
friends. I feel more comfortable about
getting to know other people (Tom,
post-trip data).
I felt comfortable in my French
surroundings and I miss the ease of
making friends (Mel, post-trip data).
Some students expressed disjunction in
local relationships, however, and that their
Australian friends did not understand what
they had experienced and were bored with
hearing about the trip. Students wrote:

22

/ know I have changed as a result of

my experience because I do not really
fit into the same friendship groups as
I did before I left (Liz, post-trip data).

Student responses to the post-trip survey

display some elements of Level 3 writing,
that is, the independent synthesis of cuitural
information, and the use of this to construct
new relationships and behaviour. Student
data suggest that significant intercultural
learning takes place after the return, if
students are given the opportunity to
process it with peers in social interaction.
These findings confirm Paige et al's
(2002) comment on the conflict of values
and identity which can occur in students
returning, but also the reflective negotiation
of change in values, and new sense of self
which can occur in the re-acculturation
process (Paige et al, 2002, p. 156).

7. Discussion of both cohorts

The use of a three stage intervention
has successfully encouraged students to
critically observe their surroundings, and
reflect on their experience. The pre-teaching,
the questions answered in journals and
blogs, and the post-trip meetings gave
students a framework in which to consider
and report their cultural encounters. The
process offered students the opportunity
to observe, reflect, adapt and, to a limited
extent, to become self-aware. The remarks
below discuss the design of questions, the
function of age, gender and cognitive ability
in students, and the need for development
of teacher intercultural skills.
Design of questions
The study highlights that the design of
questions is important. Concrete questions
(noticing, comparing) remain important to
help students critically observe life in the
country. Relevance of questions to students'
immediate interests is essential. The teacher
intends to include in future a greater number
of more personal questions, such as How

BABEL

do you think you appeared...; Do you find

yourseif thinking or behaving differentiy?
These questions place greater demand
on students to see themselves within the
new culture, and may provide them with
evidence of change in themselves after the
trip, in the process of reflection.
Age and cognitive ability of students
Leaving aside unknown variables of
background experience, the study has
secondly demonstrated that age and
cognitive ability may be factors in the level
of analysis possible. As seen in the China
trip students, comparison abilities were
good, but these did not necessarily lead to
deeper critical thinking or self-reflection.
Indeed it has been argued that intercultural
teaching that limits itself to promoting
cross-cultural comparisons, is leading only
to greater recourse to stereotypes (Dervin,
2010). Student reluctance to engage in
self-reflection may also be due, however, to
not possessing the conceptual vocabulary
to go beyond cross-cultural observations.
Self-reflection needs more explicit
scaffolding in the questions. The teacher is
mindful of balance between teaching these
notions, expectations, and of students'
developmental readiness. This raises the
question of the most appropriate age for
maximum benefit from exchange trips, and,
similarly, of the need for age-appropriate
intercultural goals for exchange trips.
Gender difference
The study observed some gender difference
in student engagement with the writing
tasks, girls producing considerably more
written data than boys. Current literature
cautions against a simplistic response to
the issue of boys' relationship with writing
tasks (Gill & Starr, 2000), where factors
of indigeneity, ethnicity, socioeconomic
status and residence affect literacy level
much more significantly than gender
(Alloway & Dalley-Trim, 2006). Nevertheless,
the researchers, in future iterations, will
establish alternative media for collecting
and saving text, audio and visual materials.
With students' growing visual literacy and
technology skills, a multimedia site, to
which students could upload photos and
comments on the day's activities, may offer
a more engaging alternative to all students,
if computer access is available.
Teacher ability and training
The study confirms the central role of the
teacher's ability to guide intercultural learning,
particularly in post-trip re-acculturation
and support for emerging new identities.
Teachers need skills to support students
in moving beyond narration of events and
observations, to a level of reflection where
they consider their own perspectives on
themselves, Australian society and the target
language country experience. A further stage
of analysis of such a study could focus on
the intercultural development of the teacher
involved in exchange programs. Further

Volume 47 Number 1

research is needed into new skills and

identities for intercultural language teachers.

Conclusion
This study has demonstrated the application
of principles of intercultural language
learning to an explicit teaching intervention,
in a school exchange context. While there
are clearly many uncontrolled variables
in these two exchange contexts, which
may have impacted student response (for
example, students' host families, students'
prior travel experience), the study suggests
that a teaching intervention facilitates
intercultural learning outcomes in students,
affords a space for a shared experience,
and creates a community of learners with
common focus.
The study points to the need for intercultural
awareness and skills in the teacher, in
continuity with his/her existing intercultural
pedagogy in language classrooms. With
its focus on school aged learners, the
study points to new ways to maximise
contextualised learning in the student
exchanges which have become an important
part of language education.

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Robyn Moloney is a Senior Lecturer in

the School of Education at Macquarie
University. She teaches Languages
Methodology to pre-service teachers,
and supervises a number of doctoral
projects. Her research interests include
intercultural language learning and
teacher development. Previously she
was a secondary languages teacher.
Rosalba Genua-Petrovic is Director of
Languages at International Grammar
School, Sydney. This role encompasses
supervision of language programs from
Preschool to Year 12, and organisation
of the school's extensive exchange
programs. Rosalba teaches Italian at
both primary and secondary levels.

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