A complex systems perspective on developing intercultural communicative competence of teachers of English in autonomy-supportive settings – reflections from a summer school

Abstract

Although research into foreign language teachers’ intercultural competence has undergone a number of transformations over the last 20 years, one of the least discussed lines of inquiry is that examining the development of intercultural competence in autonomous contexts and/or discussing the results within a unified framework. We point to a potential contribution that complex systems theory can bring to research on the intercultural learning of teachers of English in autonomy-supportive settings from a theoretical perspective. We present data illustrating how different types of autonomy interact dynamically with intercultural competence to produce unexpected results. It is thus postulated that there is a need for a complex systems perspective in interpreting the interplay between autonomy-supportive factors and intercultural competence.

Keywords

• kompetencja interkulturowa
• kształcenie nauczycieli
• autonomia
• teoria systemów złożonych