It has become a generally accepted standard that learning a foreign language should involve developing linguistic and intercultural competence. Intercultural competence refers to a person’s ability to communicate appropriately and effectively across different cultures. This reader-response study has shown that using English-language haiku can be essential for raising Japanese students’ cross-cultural awareness in the English as a foreign language (EFL) classroom, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. English-language haiku is a short poetic form that employs relatively simple language, which encourages students to be more actively engaged in discussing it and allows for incorporating this genre as an English language teaching (ELT) medium in higher education. Based on qualitative and quantitative data of the study, Japanese students have shown a willingness to explore English-language haiku further and discover cultural differences and similarities through reading it, thereby improving their intercultural competence in the EFL classroom.

Authors:
Anna Shershnova, Kyoto University of Advanced Science, Japan

About the Presenter(s)
Originally from Ukraine, Anna Shershnova, a professor of English, is currently a visiting scholar at Kyoto University of Advanced Science. Her research interests include English-language haiku, cognitive stylistics, and intercultural competence.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Monday Schedule

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