Transnational Culture Pedagogy and Students Intercultural

Communicative Competence: A Case Study of Digital Natives

Ienneke Indra Dewi

, and Maria Tamarina Prawati

English Department, Faculty of Humanities, Bina Nusantara University, Jakarta, Indonesia 11480

Keywords: Transnational Culture, Digital Natives, Intercultural Communicative Competence.

Abstract: English as global language is also constantly used in virtual speech community (Canagarajah, 2016) with

unbounded geographically but inhabit and practice English language and culture in their own localities. The

situation provokes question on the custodian of standard English language and culture, thus on how they are

presented in Indonesian English as Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms. To facilitate complex construction

of language, culture and identity (Risager, 2007) suggests transnational pedagogy which rests on the

recognition of linguistic and cultural complexity and on transnational flow. It is characterized by a view of

language that operates with the three loci (Risager, 2007) aiming for intercultural communicative competence

(ICC). Aware with the nature of English Literature Department students at Bina Nusantara who are digital

natives and part of borderless English virtual speech community, this mixed method study intends to figure

out to what extend the transnational pedagogy exists at English Literature Department, Bina Nusantara, and

further conveys students’ intercultural communicative experiences to implicate their needs on achieving

intercultural communicative competence. The quantitative data is gained through questionnaire while

qualitative data shall be gathered through interview. Both data will depict transnational pedagogy and

students’ intercultural experiences. Upon analysing quantitative data and going through data reduction on

interview data (Creswell, J. W., & Clark, 2007), the element of transnational pedagogy exists in a form of

topics and discourse presented in classroom. The materials are done in target language, but they do not rigidly

come and display inner circle countries. However, from the students’ perspective, the hegemony of western

perspective is still strongly existing in classroom discussion. The result of this study indicates the need to plan

the application of transnational pedagogy for it supports students to survive as global speakers of English

outside classroom especially in virtual community.

1 INTRODUCTION

Within English as global language, the language is

currently free from inner circle ownership. It is

possessed by different language users from diverse

cultural background. Additionally, English also

belongs to a virtual speech community (Canagarajah,

2016). In virtual speech community, the speakers of

English are not bounded by geographical border but

inhabit and practice the language and culture in their

own localities. As what happen in massive open

online course, students from different part of the

world are connected virtually to accomplish task by

using English as medium of communication. Notable

phenomena of English use in online gaming also

performs complexities of hybrid community which

use the language to conduct successful

communication while further developing their

proficiency when they try to accomplish the game.

This community of imagination as called by (House,

2003) consists of complex transnational affiliation

with fluid social boundaries involving in

heterogenous communicative context. As the

implication, construction of English language and

culture becomes fluid and borderless. Furthermore,

this situation also provokes question on the custodian

of standard English language and culture.

Throughout history, there are numbers of studies

formulating construction of language and culture

interrelationship. The most prominent construction is

the equity of “language is culture” recognized as

Whorfian hypothesis. The hypothesis itself promotes

language as a thought shaper. Although it fails to

provide in-depth analytical description, this

hypothesis foregrounds new formulation of language

and culture interrelationship and attracts numbers of

226

Dewi, I. and Prawati, M.

Transnational Culture Pedagogy and Students Intercultural Communicative Competence: A Case Study of Digital Natives.

DOI: 10.5220/0010005500002917

In Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Social Sciences, Laws, Arts and Humanities (BINUS-JIC 2018), pages 226-231

ISBN: 978-989-758-515-9

researchers to further explore it. For example in later

years create marriage metaphor of language and

culture. The marriage metaphor connects language

and culture both generally and pedagogically. As

general human phenomenon, language and culture are

inseparable entities without empirical explanation,

while pedagogically language and culture are

separable. The fact that they are pedagogically two

separate entities highlights the need to ensure that

culture teaching is free from native-language user

bias.

On the other words, the culture taught in

classroom must not be rigidly tied with native speaker

culture. The marriage metaphor is further explored to

involve varieties of language users cultural

background into consideration. Therefore, language

and culture in both differential and generic sense by

employing both linguistic and anthropological

perspective. In generic sense, human culture always

includes language and human language cannot be

conceived without culture. As the consequence, on

this sense, a language can only take one culture.

Meanwhile differential sense of language and culture

cater various cultural phenomena existing in

language. He builds the concept languaculture which

signifies language user’s identity as the potential

hindrance for linguistic practice.

Although, the conception of language and culture

interrelationship considers language users with

diverse cultural background, practically, culture

pedagogy in English language teaching has not gone

beyond territorial boundary of inner circle countries

as target culture. Meanwhile as global

communication tool, culture pedagogy in English

language teaching should develop multilingual and

multicultural awareness (Risager, 2007) to achieve

intercultural communicative competence (ICC)

which indeed enable learners to be global speakers of

English. ICC is not the sole objective of language and

culture teaching, though the competence supports

learners to survive on extensive pragmatic, discourses

and theme as well as to understand global

communication.

Indonesia as foreign language users of English has

been exposed with territorially bounded language and

culture teaching. Despite the absence of explicit

elaboration on current language and culture

pedagogical paradigm, the condition of culture

pedagogy in English language teaching can be

extracted from (Gandana, 2015). Her writing encodes

adoption of generic conception of language and

culture. As the consequence, English is identically

related with Western culture thus the culture

delivered in the classroom is generic sense of culture

which is seen as phenomenon shared by all humanity.

The association of the notion of culture with national

paradigm is also common in classroom represented

through classroom objective aiming for target

language culture. Meanwhile English should have

been practiced as foreign language in Indonesia thus

carries specific cultural practice allowing foreign

cultural sense in its linguistic practice.

To deal with territorially bounded language and

culture pedagogy which cannot accommodate

complexity of culture in English as global language,

(Risager, 2006) proposes global perspective of

language and culture interrelationship and pedagogy.

She expands Agar’s languaculture into three loci

which are linguistic practice, linguistic resources, and

linguistic system. Through multifaceted

languaculture, both generic and differential sense of

language and culture can be pointed out to construct

transnational culture pedagogy in language teaching.

The transnational paradigm rests on the recognition

of linguistic and cultural complexity and on

transnational flow and is thuscharacterizes by a view

of language that operates with the three loci (Risager,

2007). Through the transnational culture teaching

paradigm, the objective of language and culture

learning shall shift and adapt with current cultural

complexity and the new status of English, which

equip learners with ICC competence.

Bina Nusantara as a university with global aims

have been recruiting digital natives who constantly

interact with global communities. As part of Bina

Nusantara university, English literature department

also facilitates and equips students to use English as

global tool communication. Aware with the

significant role of transnational pedagogy in language

and culture classroom to equip students with ICC, this

study intends to figure out to what extend the

transnational pedagogy exists in the pedagogy in

cultural learning at English Literature Department,

Bina Nusantara, and further conveys students’

intercultural communicative experiences to implicate

their needs on achieving intercultural communicative

competence.

2 ENGLISH AS A GLOBAL

LANGUAGE

As a language, English has the most significant

growing number of speakers across the globe. In

1990s the number grows into 450 million speakers,

and most of them are non-native speakers (NNS).

Crystal (Crystal, 2012) elaborates that English

progresses as international medium of

Transnational Culture Pedagogy and Students Intercultural Communicative Competence: A Case Study of Digital Natives

227

communication due to its speakers’ influential

identity. Strong power base of its speakers either

economically, technologically, or culturally, etc.

brings around information and knowledge which is

further transferred through English. In the end, the

flow and exchange through English confirms

globalization.

The truth is that such exchange has been existed

since 17th century and English has been involved in

it. John Wallis, an old author in 1765 captures

potentially strong role of English but it might have to

compete with Latin at that time. Reflecting on the

history of Latin, a language can gain significant

numbers of speakers despite its complexity.

Therefore, English has more chance to gain strong

role in the world. In fact, English must gain official

role across the globe to be global language. On the

other word, it is not about the number of speakers, but

it’s about the number of non-native English users and

the role assigned to English in numbers of

communities.

The roles are what we acknowledge as first,

second, or foreign language. As the first language,

English acts as mother tongue, while as second

language, the language is fully functioned as medium

of communication in law courts, government, media,

and educational system. Furthermore, English as

foreign language becomes a language taught to

children in school and has no status in offices or

formal settings. The spread of English then provokes

questions on ownership of English and the identity

blend in the language. New Englishes start to come

up and question the validity of native speaker English

variety and culture. Therefore, as pedagogical

suggestion for English classroom Kirkpatrick

promotes lingua franca approach to allow different

varieties of English to exist yet ensure effective

communication across linguistic and cultural

boundaries (Kirkpatrick, 2010).

3 CULTURE PEDAGOGY IN

FOREIGN LANGUAGE

LEARNING

Discernment on culture pedagogy has been existed

since Marxist theory was formulated. The fear of

mass culture and its hegemony limits individual

culture to exist in society. Therefore, presentation of

cultural artefacts such as music, painting, play, etc are

considerably propaganda. However, this orthodox

Marxist theory is refined and reveals dialectical side

of culture presentation to society including

classroom. Poststructuralist Marxists such as Frederic

Jameson and Roland Barthes propose human

capability to interpret culture and its artefacts in their

own sense and context which might create hybrid

culture. Therefore, culture pedagogy in general as

well as language teaching evolves from adopting the

orthodox theory to a more contemporary one.

Culture pedagogy is mainly influenced by culture

paradigm adopted. Especially in foreign language

learning, culture is sometimes taught integratedly and

separately on the other moment. As in modernism era,

culture is considered as knowledge and knowledge-

related result of culture teaching is important.

Therefore, culture is suggested to be taught

independently. Since the strong emphasize is on

knowledge, then exposures on realia becomes the

main activity. The realia cover historical dimension

in a form of text, locally oriented dimension (travel

activities) and everyday oriented dimension (social

interaction). Its only by 19th century that culture is

taught as a process with strong emphasis on raising

cultural awareness.

This shift from knowledge oriented to process

oriented signifies postmodernism in culture

pedagogy. The shift comes along with integration of

culture in language subject. It means language

subjects shall tackle cultural content. Postmodernism

culture teaching adopts global perspective in

language and culture pedagogy. Numbers of studies

initiate direction toward communicative competence

as the supergoal. Language and culture are then

integrated as culture provide context and resources in

linguistic practice.

In current English language teaching as foreign

language, its global status brings cultural complexity

in classroom. Therefore (Risager, 2007) promotes

transnational culture pedagogy which covers several

traits. In transnational pedagogical paradigm, the sole

aim of teaching culture is not a national standard

norm of native language use but includes various

languacultures. As the consequence, teaching is not

only in the target language but also in other

languages. Teacher then does not have to be a native

speaker as long as he/she possesses high level of

competence. Besides the mentioned elements,

subjects and discourses can be of any type as long as

work is mainly done in the target language. This

pedagogical paradigm is also open with global

contact if this take place in the target language.

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4 TRANSNATIONAL PARADIGM

IN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

PEDAGOGY

Transnationalism as a paradigm emerged in 1980s.

The paradigm emerged due to the need to connect

with the process of globalization (Risager, 2008). A

global community is perceived as learning

community supporting one with shared resources for

being in the world and reading the world as well as

repairing the world. Although transnational paradigm

challenges national paradigm, the national is still

considered, but along with awareness of the

contingent nature of the national (Risager, 2008).

Transnational paradigm in language and culture

pedagogy recognizes linguistic and cultural

complexity because of globalization and exchanges.

There is an attempt to connect language and culture

teaching with social movement working for a better

world or wishes to internationalize language teaching

to strengthen mobility and cooperation. The traits of

transnationalism paradigm exist in three aspects:

1. Language and linguaculture

 Teacher does not need to be a native speaker

in the standard language as long as he/she

has a high level of competence.

 The sole aim is not a national standard norm

of native language use and room is found for

more inclusive language norms and various

linguacultures.

 Teaching is not only in the target language,

but also in other languages.

2. Topics and discourses

 Topics and discourses can be of any type

whatsoever, as long as work is mainly done

in the target language-assuming that the

choice of subject can also be justified from a

pedagogical point of view

 Topics and discourses are only

contextualized nationally if this is necessary

and are otherwise sought to be

contextualized transnationally

3. Contexts and contacts

 Teaching does not have to take place in the

country or countries in which the language

is spoken as a first language, but can take

place anywhere in the world of this can also

be justified from a pedagogical point of view

 Students can have contact with other people

anywhere in the world, as long as this mainly

takes place in the target language.

5 METHOD

As mixed method study, it will employ quantitative

and qualitative data to map the elements of

transnational pedagogy and to convey students’

Intercultural experiences. There are 2 lecturers who

have been teaching cultural studies for more than two

years and 22 of 5th and 6th semester students who

have undergone cultural studies at English Literature

Department, Bina Nusantara University. The

quantitative data is gained through questionnaire on

transnational pedagogy element which is delivered

two both the lecturers and students. The next

quantitative data is students’ intercultural experiences

gathered through questionnaire. To support

quantitative data on transnational pedagogy element,

interview is delivered to lecturers to reveal the

transnational pedagogy elements exist in classroom

and 3 selected students. Further investigation on

students’ intercultural experience is also done by

interviewing the 3 selected students. Both

quantitative data will be analysed statistically, and

interview data should go through data reduction by

writing summary of the qualitative data (Creswell, J.

W., & Clark, 2007). Upon reducing data, they will be

presented as charts to be correlated later with the

qualitized quantitative data gathered from

questionnaire. Summary of the data gathered and

participants are presented in table below.

Table 1: Type of data & participants.

No. Type of Data Participants

1 Quantitative-

Questionnaire on

transnational

eda

2 lecturers

22 students (5

and

semester)

2 Quantitative-

Questionnaire on

intercultural

experience

22 students (5

and

semester)

3 Qualitative-

interview on

transnational

eda

2 lecturers

22 students (5

and

semester)

4 Qualitative

interview on

intercultural

experience

22 students (5

and

semester)

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229

6 RESULT AND DISCUSSION

As English Literature Department, the mission is

solely teaching target language which is English

language. Although English learning is the main goal,

on several occasions, students and teachers mediate

the teaching and learning through Bahasa Indonesia

as clarified by one of the students. Supporting the

result of interview, questionnaire shows 71.4% of the

respondents claims the use of Bahasa Indonesia in

classroom. It shows one element of transnationalism

where teaching is not only in the target language, but

also in other language (Risager, 2008). Despite the

use of mother tongue as mediation in classroom,

national standard norm of native language use is still

emphasized by lecturers. The students are taught to

employ native language style. It is proven through

survey showing that 85,7% of the students confirms

encouragement from lecturers towards them to

practice English with native speakers.

In terms of topics and discourse language and

culture are studied through music, movies, and

comics in classrooms. The first lecturer uses the

products as realia which are mostly come from

Western society. Although the source and type of

materials has never been determined by English

department, the lecturers employ numerous materials

and realia from Western society since they are in

abundant and more accessible. Similar tone also

comes from the second lecturer regarding the source

of materials. In fact, there are case studies about

different parts of the world to give concrete example

of how language and culture exists in different

society. However, the provider of case studies are

Western publishers as well as authors.

From the lecturers’ elaboration, topics and

discourses are mainly done in target language and it

is not rigidly bounded with certain nationalities.

However, from students’ point of view domination of

Western topics and discourses is obvious. One of the

student recalls a video regarding African-American

which was told through the point of view of

Caucasian’s. The other two students also confirm the

presence of British and American culture in power

point materials presented as well as video.

Dari white people sih kebanyakan maam. Karena

waktu itu ada video tentang afro America tapi kita

lihatnya dari sisi whitenya. (From white people most

of them, Maam. Because at that time there is one

video about Afro-American, but we see it from the

white point of view (Student no 2)).

Reflecting from topic and discourses as well as

language and linguaculture, students are more

encouraged to have contact with native speakers of

English expected to support language and culture

learning. Contact with native speakers is merely

suggestion from lecturers towards the students to

enrich their English language and culture, upon

realizing limited boundary of their classroom. This

thought is aligned with the idea that intercultural

contact has come to be seen as an opportunity to put

into question one’s own cultural assumption and as a

source of enrichment (Kramsch, C., & Uryu, 2012).

On the other words, practically the students and

lecturers try to make up their space limitation of

learning English language and culture in mother land

by making more contact with native speakers of

English. In fact, students see the need to expand

classroom by visiting historical sites or places

connected to the topic they are learning in English

language and culture classes. The second student

mentioned, “when we learn language and culture we

should have the visualization. We see and learn from

our surrounding.”

Comparing with students experience outside of

the classroom, interview depicts their vast

intercultural interaction. The three students are

engaged with people from different nationalities, both

from English speaking countries and non-English

speaking countries. The surveys show that 90.5% of

the students participated in this study frequently

interact with both native and non-native speakers

using English who are factually their family

members, supervisor, and friends. They also interact

with global community through game and social

media which virtually test their intercultural

competence. As previously quoted, virtual

community involves English as medium of

communication in heterogeneous communicative

context (House, 2003). Negotiation and redefinition

of standard English language and culture constantly

takes place when the students interact within the

virtual community.

The students prominently experience challenge in

intercultural interaction when they deal with team

work during internship. “Due to accent varieties,

sometimes I don’t really understand important

instruction,” said the third student. When it happens

she simply solves the problem by asking interlocutor

to present the instruction in written form. Such coping

strategy to solve intercultural communication

problem indicates the student level of communicative

competence. The transformation of conflict and

difference into rich zones of collaboration and

learning is what has been called as third space.

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7 CONCLUSION

English as global language is also the language of

virtual community (Canagarajah, 2016). They use

English without geographical boundary but inhabit

and practice English language and culture in their

own localities. This imaginative community exists

due to the advancement of internet and technology.

Interestingly in this community, the members consist

of complex transnational affiliation with fluid social

boundaries involving heterogeneous communicative

context. Within such community, transnational

pedagogy shall support current English language

students who are digital native and members of

virtual community in earning intercultural

communicative competence. The pedagogy exists

with the hope to enable the students to be global

speakers of English.

This study has successfully indicated the

existence of transnational pedagogy in language and

culture classes at English Literature Department, Bina

Nusantara University, where the students are digital

natives and members of virtual community. The trace

of transnational pedagogy can be found in topics and

discourse presented in language and culture

classroom by involving materials from different

origin and tones. As the proof one of the material

reflects the tone of African-American. However, the

hegemony of inner circle countries is still visible in

lecturers contact for they encourage students to have

more interaction with native speakers of English from

inner circle countries. In conclusion, there is a need

to implement transnational pedagogy in a more

advance, for it supports students to be global speakers

of English especially in virtual community.

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