Learning from reflection: A case of a post-sojourn debriefing workshop with EFL university students

Abstract

Experiential learning activities have been largely used in education including English language teaching. Study abroad programs offer unique opportunities for learning from experience. Maximising learning from the sojourn experiences should be a major objective of higher education institutions with study abroad programs and designing post-sojourn debriefing workshops is crucial for this purpose. In this qualitative case study, Kolb’s (1984) Experiential Learning Model was used to design a post-sojourn debriefing workshop for three Turkish EFL university students. The workshop was supported by the Cross-cultural Reflective Model (Dressler et al., 2018) designed for reflective writing about sojourn experiences. Critical incidents written by the participants of the study were the main materials to be used in the workshop and reflection was a continuous process throughout the study. Data were collected from reflection reports, reflection forms, written critical incidents, interview transcripts and field notes. Findings of the study revealed that an experiential post-sojourn debriefing workshop guided by a model of reflective writing for EFL university students was especially beneficial for enhancing intercultural learning, facilitating critical reflection and increasing motivation to share sojourn experiences. It was also highlighted that the use of critical incidents played a significant role for reflection in the workshop.

Keywords

• EFL; experiential learning; post-sojourn debriefing workshop; reflective writing; critical incident

Kaynakça

1. Andrew, M. (2012). Like a newborn baby: Using journals to record changing identities beyond the classroom. TESL Canada Journal, 29(1), 57-76.
2. Arthur, N. (2001). Using critical incidents to investigate cross-cultural transitions. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 25(1), 41-53.
3. Ash, S. L. & Clayton, P. H. (2009). Generating, Deepening, and Documenting Learning: The Power of Critical Reflection in Applied Learning, Journal of Applied Learning in Higher Education, 1, 25-48.
4. Barrett, M., Byram, M., Lazar, I., Mompoint-Gaillard, P., & Philippou, S. (2013). Developing intercultural competence through education. Strasbourg: Council of Europe. Retrieved from http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/education/pestalozzi/Source/Documentation/Pestalozzi3.pdf
5. Battles, L. A. (2004). Promoting Language and Culture Learning in an EFL Context. MA TESOL Collection.158. Retrieved from https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/ipp_collection/158
6. Baxter, J. & Ramsey, S. (1996). Improvising Critical Incidents. In H. N. Seelye (Ed.) Experiential Activities for Intercultural Learning (pp. 211-218). Boston: Intercultural Press.
7. Bennett, M. J. (1995). Critical Incidents in an Intercultural Conflict-Resolution Exercise. In S. M. Fowler & M. G. Mumford (Eds.). Intercultural Sourcebook: Cross-Cultural Training Methods (pp. 147-156). Boston: Intercultural Press.
8. Boggu, A. T. & Sundarsingh, J. (2016). The Impact of Experiential Learning Cycle on Language Learning Strategies, International Journal of English Language Teaching, 4(10), 24-41.

9. Byram, M., Barrett, M., Ipgrave, J., Jackson, R. & Mendez Garcia, M. (2009). Autobiography of intercultural encounters. Language Policy Devision: Council of Europe. Retrieved from https://rm.coe.int/autobiography-of-intercultural-encounters/16806bf02d
10. Callen, B. (1999). Cross-cultural capability: The student diary as a research tool. In D. Killick & M. Parry (Eds.). Languages for Cross-Cultural Capability (pp. 241-248). Leeds: Leeds Metropolitan University.
11. Dant, W. (1995). Using Critical Incidents as a Tool for Reflection. In S. M. Fowler & M. G. Mumford (Eds.) Intercultural Sourcebook: Cross-Cultural Training Methods (pp. 141-146). Boston: Intercultural Press.
12. Dressler, R., Becker S., Kawalilak C. & Arthur N. (2018). The cross-cultural reflective model for post-sojourn debriefing, Reflective Practice, 19(4), 490-504.
13. Engelking, T. L. (2018). Joe’s Laundry: Using Critical Incidents to Develop Intercultural and Foreign Language Competence in Study Abroad and Beyond, Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, 30(2), 47-62.
14. Erdem Mete, D. (2018). Using Autobiography of Intercultural Encounters as a Framework to Write Narratives of Intercultural Encounters, Selçuk University Journal of Social Sciences Institute, 39, 201-215.
15. Farrell, T. S. C. (2013). Critical incident analysis through narrative reflective practice: A case study, Iranian Journal of Language Teaching Research, 1(1), 79-89.
16. Flanagan, J. C. (1954). The Critical Incident Technique, Psychological Bulletin, 51(4), 327-358.
17. Gibbs, G. (1988). Learning by doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods. London, UK: Further Education Unit (FEU).
18. Gómez Rodríguez, L. F. (2015). Critical Intercultural Learning through Topics of Deep Culture in an EFL Classroom, Ikala, Revista de Lenguaje y Cultura, 20(1): 43-59.
19. Hall, E. T. (1976). Beyond Culture. Garden City, NY: Anchor Press.
20. Hepple, E. (2018). Designing and implementing pre-sojourn intercultural workshops in an Australian university. In J. Jackson & S. Oguro (Eds.). Intercultural Interventions in Study Abroad (pp. 18-36). New York: Routledge.
21. Hofstede, G. (2001). Cultures’s Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions and Organizations Across Nations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
22. Jackson, J. (2005). Assessing Intercultural Learning through Introspective Accounts, Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, 11, 165-186.
23. Johns, C. (2010). Guided reflection: A narrative approach to advancing professional practice. Oxford, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.
24. Kilianska-Przybylo, G. (2012). “Stories from Abroad”-Students’ Narratives about Intercultural Encounters, TESOL Journal, 6, 123-133.
25. Knutson, S. (2003). Experiential Learning in Second-Language Classrooms. TESL Canada Journal, 20(2), 52-64.
26. Kolb, D. (1984). Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development. Englewood Cliffs: NJ Prentice-Hall, Inc.
27. Koyama, Y., Matsumoto, K., & Ohno, H. (2012). Teaching intercultural competence and critical thinking in EFL classes in Japan- Developing a framework and teaching material. Proceedings of the 17th Conference of PanPacific Association of Applied Linguistics (pp. 73-74). Retrieved from http://paaljapan.org/conference2012/proc_PAAL2012/pdf/poster/P-13.pdf
28. Lee, L. (2018). Employing telecollaborative exchange to extend intercultural learning after study abroad. In J. Jackson & S. Oguro (Eds.). Intercultural Interventions in Study Abroad (pp. 137-154). New York: Routledge.
29. McAllister, L., Whiteford, G., Hill, B., Thomas N., & Fitzgerald, M. (2006). Reflection in intercultural learning: examining the international experience through a critical incident approach, Reflective Practice, 7(3), 367-381.
30. McKinnon, S. (2018). Foregrounding intercultural learning during study abroad as part of a modern language degree. In J. Jackson & S. Oguro (Eds.) Intercultural Interventions in Study Abroad (pp. 103-118). New York: Routledge.
31. Méndez Garcia, M. C. (2017). Intercultural reflection through the Autobiography of Intercultural Encounters: students’ accounts of their images of alterity, Language and Intercultural Communication, 17(2), 90-117.
32. Patton, M. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods. California: Sage Publications, Inc.
33. Pellegrino, V. A. (1998). Student perspectives on language learning in a study abroad context. Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, 4(2), 91-120.
34. Rolfe, G., Freshwater, D., & Jasper, M. (2001). Critical reflection for nursing and the helping professions: A user’s guide. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave.
35. Schnickel, J. (2014). Student-Generated Critical Incidents Prior to Studying Abroad. Jissen Women’s University FLC Journal, 9, 61-73.
36. Spencer-Oatey, H. & Davidson, A. (2013). 3RA Intercultural Learning Journal Template: A tool to help recording and reflection on intercultural encounters. GlobalPAD Open House. Retrieved from http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/al/globalpad/openhouse/interculturalskills/
37. Steinwidder, S. (2016). EFL learners’ post-sojourn perceptions of the effects of study abroad, Comparative and International Education, 45(2), Article 5. Retrieved from http://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cie-eci/vol45/iss2/5
38. Strauss, A. & Corbin, J. (1998). Basics of qualitative research: Techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
39. Thiel, T. (1999). Reflections on Critical Incidents, Prospect, 14(1), 44-52.
40. Tracy, K. (2002). Everyday Talk. New York: Guilford Press.
41. Tran T. Q. T., Admiraal W. & Saab N. (2019): Effects of critical incident tasks on the intercultural competence of English non-majors, Intercultural Education, 30(6), 618-633.
42. Utley, D. (2004). Intercultural Resource Pack: Intercultural communication resources for language teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
43. Wagner, K. & Magistrale, T. (1999). Writing across Culture: An Introduction to Study Abroad and the Writing Process. New York: Peter Lang Publishing Co.
44. Walker, J. (2015). Using Critical Incidents to Understand ESL Student Satisfaction, TESL Canada Journal, 32(2), 95-111.
45. Wight, A. R. (1995). The Critical Incident as a Training Tool. In S. M. Fowler & M. G. Mumford (Eds.) Intercultural Sourcebook: Cross-Cultural Training Methods (pp. 127-140). Boston: Intercultural Press.
46. Williams, T. R. (2017). Using a PRISM for Reflecting: Providing Tools for Study Abroad Students to Increase Their Intercultural Competence. Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, 29(2), pp: 18-34.