Perception of the Self and Other and the Role of Language ― An Exploratory Qualitative Study

This monograph aims to stimulate thinking and increase consciousness about the cultural dimension of foreign language teaching. The author draws from the theoretical framework of Schmidt’s «ABCs of Cultural Understanding and Communication» (Schmidt, 1998; Schmidt & Finkbeiner, 2006) to support and advocate for expanding awareness in relation to the influence of culture on the perception of self and other. She interrogates how language learners acquire interpretative skills to gain a deeper reflexive understanding of different cultures and how electronic communication can be effectively utilised in teaching for intercultural learning. Learning how to interrogate diverse cultural practices using multiple cultural frameworks has been shown to facilitate authentic engagement with the complexities of diverse pluralistic societies. This qualitative research study explores how culture can be taught in the foreign language classroom and school setting.

Mary Masterson is a Lecturer in the School of Education at the Faculty of Education and Health Sciences at the University of Limerick, Ireland, where she also acts as Course Director for the ?Professional Master of Education? (Languages) programme. She successfully defended her dissertation and was awarded a PhD from the Faculty of Humanities, English Department, Foreign and Second Language Learning and Teaching Research and Intercultural Communication at the University of Kassel, Germany. Mary Masterson has taught on teacher education programmes in Ireland and Germany. Her research interest lies in the arena of diversity and inclusion, language and intercultural education. She has published in ?Irish Educational Studies?. Currently she is examining the impact of linguistic, religious and cultural diversity on teacher well-being.