Consciencia intercultural y herramientas creativas en contexto de inmersión L2/ELE

Abstract

Grounded in the principles of Sociocultural Theory (Vygotsky, 1978) and applied to the field of second language learning (Lantolf and Thorne, 2006, 2015), this dissertation documents a pedagogical intervention aimed at promoting opportunities for the development of intercultural awareness (IA) among Spanish as a foreign language learners in an immersion context. Framed within Participatory Action Research (Colmenares, 2012), the intervention's design is directed towards mediation of rich points (Agar, 1996), described as “pivot moments” by the researcher. These moments could be defined as conflict or discovery points between cultures that need to be overcome in order to advance communication. For this purpose, the unit of analysis for intercultural awareness has been identified as moments of aperture. This unit can reveal the connection between what can be imagined and discovered, meaning an opportunity for change where students can be aware that their frames of reference have been enriched or transformed. The final aim of this work is to specify how the activities designed for this study, in which art provides access to other forms of experience and expression, generate opportunities for mediating the moments of aperture identified by the students and how this contributes to the development of the student's intercultural awareness. As a participatory action investigation, this study is a facilitatory tool for exploring the researcher's intercultural awareness, from her multiple identities as a teacher, researcher, and second language learner.