Reciprocal images of Turkish and Portuguese university students: for an intercultural mediation between Portugal and Turkey

Reciprocal images of Turkish and Portuguese university students: for an intercultural mediation between Portugal and Turkey

Basílio, Daniel
de Araújo e Sá, Maria Helena
Simões, Ana Raquel

This paper proposes to present an ongoing research project aiming at diagnosing the reciprocal language and cultural images of Portuguese learners of Turkish and Turkish learners of Portuguese as foreign languages in the Higher Education context. As a case-study format project following an eminently qualitative approach, it includes the application, analysis and interpretation of the results of three distinct and sequential data-collection instruments: two questionnaires/surveys, a collective interview, and an on-line platform that will serve as a space for the interaction of the students of both countries. Conclusions are to be taken on how the images/social representations the two groups of students construct of each other pertain on their knowledge and attitudes towards each other, and, ultimately, on their intercultural competence. Based on these conclusions, ―cultural awareness‖ and intercultural competence development guidelines, at the level of foreign language learning – teaching, are to be devised and provided to be applied in Portuguese and Turkish higher education institutions. In this article we intend to account for the first questionnaire/survey, a more quantitatively devised data collection instrument, which has been already applied to the students involved in the study.

Conference or Workshop Item
PeerReviewed

2011-05

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