BALEAP PIM Conference on Intercultural Communication & English for Academic purposes (EAP)

We are proud of our academic staff!

Dr. Kyriaki Koukouraki participated as a speaker and represented New York College at the BALEAP PIM Conference on Intercultural Communication and EAP which took place at Nottingham Trent University on the 18^th November. The event was organized by BALEAP and BAAL Intercultural Communication SIG in collaboration with Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham UK

The speakers who participated represented the most reputable Universities of the UK; Kings College London, Queen Mary University London, University of London, Bristol, Leeds, Reading, Birmingham, Portsmouth. Τhe keynote speaker was Prof. Adrian Holliday, Professor of Applied Linguistics and Intercultural Education at Canterbury Christ Church University.

Dr Kyriaki Koukouraki, lecturer of EAP, Academic Writing, and Translation Studies at New York College, Thessaloniki Campus discussed the topic of “Intercultural Competencies for Teaching in an Internationalised Higher Education Environment”. She supports the view that the rapid change in the profile of higher education within an increasingly globalised and internationalised world constitutes new challenges both for teachers and learners. Even more so, when working on English for Academic Purposes (EAP) university courses with students and colleagues from all over the world who bring a broad range of cultural perspectives to the learning environment and classroom communication.

Dr Koukouraki further argued that in order to be able to successfully manage this culturally diverse group and successfully deliver course content EAP professionals need initially to become aware of intercultural differences even within concepts of teaching and learning and subsequently (further) develop those competencies which will help to overcome the possible obstacles erected by intercultural differences.

Therefore, her presentation focused on these intercultural competencies required in such an internationalised tertiary education environment. Concepts like ‘culture’, ‘stereotyping’, and ‘intercultural communication skills’ were discussed, while raising the awareness of the importance for these skills. Her presentation closed by suggesting ways to develop these competencies and skills.