Challenging National Identities through A Transcultural Approach to English Language Teaching

What is it about?

This article examines a project where secondary school students from Spain and Poland learned English in a way that focused on sharing and understanding different cultures. Using online communication, the students stayed connected throughout the programme. The study shows how this transcultural approach influenced their ideas about their own national identities. While Spanish and Polish students showed different views at first, their perceptions changed during the project, gradually reducing the importance of traditional national identities and opening new questions about how transcultural learning affects self-perception.

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Why is it important?

This article is important because it shows that intercultural education in language learning can influence how young people see themselves in relation to their national communities. By exploring the development of transcultural competence, it challenges assumptions that such learning always brings individuals closer to other cultures without affecting their sense of identity. Instead, it suggests that deep intercultural engagement may help reduce the boundaries of national identity, offering valuable insights for language teaching and social integration.

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