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138 Apuntes de Investigación en la Enseñanza de Idiomas

ber of things that determine the group’s behaviours and beliefs. Therein, the transnational perspec-
tive was which recognize the linguistic and cultural complexity as a result of local and transnational
flows (Risager, 2007). Although, the paradigm is termed transnational, the national continues to be
a crucial focal point, but accompanied by “an awareness of the contingent nature of the national”
(Risager: 2007, p.195). One of the limitations of this approach, for the teaching and learning of a
language such as English, is that still considers the standard norms of educated native speakers and
powerful central-target cultures as the centripetal force of language learning.
Language learning is an intercultural activity by nature as it involves learning about one’s own lan-
guage and culture and those of Others’. Considering language and culture as complex and chan-
ging systems, each learner’s and the teacher’s cultural representations, interpretations, expectations
should become thematised and discussed to raise awareness of their own cultural background and
the differences among the same members of the classroom. The classroom becomes “an essential
space for the intercultural experience” (Bredella, 2003, p. 230) where leaners have the opportunity to
be reflective on their intercultural experience to learn from each other. Awareness acquires relevance
in the intercultural domain to enable the learner to act and operate between cultures including that of
hers/his outside of the classroom.

Methodology

This is an exploratory qualitative study that documented the teaching practices of the intercultural
dimension. The participants were ten teachers (Table 1) of two mandatory basic courses of English
at a Mexican HE institution at two different venues, Campus A (CA) and Campus B (CB).

Table 1 Participating language teachers

Classroom Observations and semi-structured interviews

This observation phase aimed to complement the first round of interviews where the participating
language teachers expressed their views, understandings and practices in relation to the cultural
dimension of language teaching and learning. Each teacher was observed a minimum of three hours
per week and each class was videotaped with the teacher and learners’ consent. The total amount
of hours of observation in CA was 15 hours and 45 minutes; in CB 18 hours and 45 minutes. After
observing them, they were interviewed for a second time (see Figure 1) to clarify some teaching mo-
ments that supported what they had expressed in the first interview, or an aspect or situation that
may be contrary to their claims about the inseparable relationship of language and culture in language
teaching and learning.