Natsuno Funada

DPhil, Education, University of Oxford (UK)
MSc, Applied Linguistics, University of Oxford (UK)

I have over ten years of experience in teaching and research. Such experience has enabled me to explore and understand the process of learning a foreign language in various respects, including the impact of social context on language learning and use, the complexity of learners’ attitudes toward ‘language,’ factors affecting these attitudes, and implications for curriculum change. This led to a book, exploring how English as a global language could be understood and taught in the 21st century published in Multilingual Matters and a research article on Japanese university students’ attitudes toward the English language and English language teaching published in TESOL Quarterly. I am currently applying such knowledge and experience to practice in the GLA and ALESS/ALESA courses."

We now have increasing opportunities to interact with people from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds, such as through GLA courses. Previous studies have explored various contact situations and identified relevant challenges. Based on the intergroup contact and language attitude research, my GLA course offers a safe space for both local and international students to engage in cross-cultural communication and develop international friendships.