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Vol. 18 No. 1 (2025)
Enletawa Journal

Research Reports

Analysing Colombian Pre-service Teachers’ Intercultural Awareness and Communication Misunderstandings during an International Mobility Program in Jamaica.”

https://doi.org/10.19053/uptc.2011835X.18035

Published 2025-03-25

  • Yimmy Alexander Hoyos Pipicano
    • ,
  • María José Arango Perez
    • ,
  • Clara Inés González Marín

Yimmy Alexander Hoyos Pipicano
South Colombian University Neiva- Huila image/svg+xml

María José Arango Perez
Technological University of Pereira Pereira - Risaralda image/svg+xml

Clara Inés González Marín
Technological University of Pereira Perira - Risaralda image/svg+xml

Abstract

This qualitative case study analyses intercultural awareness and communication misunderstandings of Colombian EFL pre-service teachers during an international mobility program in an English-speaking country, Jamaica. We collected data from eight pre-service teachers over ten months through reflective journals, semi-structured interviews, and questionnaires. Then, we approached theoretical and inductive thematic analysis and identified three categories: intercultural awareness seeds, rhizomatic interculturality and misunderstandings and language sensitivity mutualism. Findings suggest that pre-service teachers developed awareness regarding social identities and racialisation issues from the host and their own culture. Likewise, they enlarged their language stock and enhanced their pronunciation awareness. We conclude that the mobility program provided meaningful opportunities for intercultural awareness and language sensitivity development. Thus, it is paramount that higher education institutions culturally and linguistically prepare in-service to make the most of potential misunderstandings in communication.

Keywords

Intercultural awareness, Intercultural communication, International mobility, communication misunderstandings, Higher education

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