Reel Life Methodology Developing intercultural competence through film fragments and dialogue in South Africa

Eva Lambertsson Björk; Jutta Eschenbach; Lynette Webb

doi:10.36923/jicc.v17i2.740

Article Intercultural Communication

Eva Lambertsson Björk ⁽¹⁾ , Jutta Eschenbach ⁽²⁾ , Lynette Webb ⁽³⁾

(1) Østfold University College , Norway

(2) Østfold University College , Norway

(3) Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University , South Africa

https://doi.org/10.36923/jicc.v17i2.740

Issue
Vol. 17 No. 2 (2017)

Submitted
August 18, 2015

Published
July 10, 2017

Keywords:

Intercultural competence, South Africa, positioning, teachers, Reel Life

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Abstract

South Africa is a multicultural country; however, the politics of the past have resulted in teachers from diverse cultures being ignorant of the mores of others with whom they interact. Teachers thus risk transferring preconceived knowledge and attitudes into the classroom. The aim of this study was to explore to what extent the methodology of Reel Life can promote the development of intercultural competence among South African teachers. Film fragments were used to stimulate intercultural dialogue, and an environment was created in which teachers from different cultures could share their culture knowledge and begin to develop intercultural competence. Our results show that the teachers were able to shift their frames of reference in a movement between ethnic positions and a shared perspective of them all being South African.

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Authors

Eva Lambertsson Björk

Østfold University College

(Primary Contact)

Jutta Eschenbach

Østfold University College

Lynette Webb

Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

Björk, E. L., Eschenbach, J., & Webb, L. (2017). Reel Life Methodology Developing intercultural competence through film fragments and dialogue in South Africa. Journal of Intercultural Communication, 17(2), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.36923/jicc.v17i2.740

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