Fostering the critical perspective in intercultural competence : the role of the L2 Japanese teacher

Vassileva, Magdalena (author)

This study examines an underexplored aspect of intercultural competence, focusing on critical evaluation, communicative criticality, and a critical intercultural perspective. It investigates how an L2 Japanese teacher purposefully integrates a critical approach in an Intercultural Communication course. Insights from the teacher, learners, and institutional authorities reveal a holistic design that blends language and culture through cycles of instruction, discussion, reflection, and evaluation. A key feature is its scaffolding structure and smooth theory-to-practice transitions, supporting critical intercultural development. The teacher plays a vital, evolving role as both mediator and bridge between institutional goals, pedagogy, and learning outcomes.

• Language: English
• Keywords: intercultural competence, critical intercultural perspective, L2 Japanese learners, L2 Japanese teacher, L2 Japanese teaching methodology
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 87-121
• Numbering: Vol. 15, no. 2
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-190475
• ISSN on article: 2232-3317
• DOI: 10.4312/ala.15.2.87-121
• Publication date in RUL: 04.11.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Acta linguistica asiatica
• Publisher: Založba Univerze v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 2232-3317
• COBISS.SI-ID: 255902464

Licences

• License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
• Description: This Creative Commons license is very similar to the regular Attribution license, but requires the release of all derivative works under this same license.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Spodbujanje kritičnega pogleda na medkulturne kompetence : vloga učitelja japonščine kot tujega jezika

Abstract

Ta študija obravnava premalo raziskan vidik medkulturne zmožnosti, s poudarkom na kritični evalvaciji, komunikacijski kritičnosti in kritični medkulturni perspektivi. Raziskuje, kako učitelj japonščine kot tujega jezika namensko vključuje kritični pristop v predmet Medkulturna komunikacija. Pogledi učitelja, udeležencev in institucionalnih predstavnikov razkrivajo celostno zasnovo, ki jezik in kulturo prepleta preko poučevanja, razprav, refleksij in evalvacij. Ključna značilnost je strukturirano postopno učenje ter gladek prehod od teorije k praksi, kar podpira razvoj kritične medkulturne zmožnosti. Učitelj ima pri tem ključno, spreminjajočo se vlogo posrednika in povezovalca med institucionalnimi cilji, pedagogiko in učnimi izidi.

• Keywords: medkulturna kompetenca, kritična medkulturna perspektiva, učenci japonščine kot tujega jezika, učitelj japonščine kot tujega jezika, metodologija poučevanja japonščine kot tujega jezika