Negociación de posturas culturales en un contexto hibrido urdentro de una clase hibrida, Urbana / rural de inglés

Abstract

Rural areas are suffering transformations due to the influence of globalization and migration issues. The curriculum for rural schools does not respond to the rapid changes rural regions face. Specifically, the courses’ contents are mostly developed from a foreign perspective that does not match students’ socio-cultural reality. This provokes a conflict with the local community and its members’ values. This study seeks to understand how English language learners negotiate cultural stances in EFL classes within a hybrid urban-rural context. Using Kumaravadivelu´s (2008) characterizations of English language learners as the main theoretical framework for this study, I expect to understand what type of cultural positioning students adopt as they negotiate cultural views. The project is framed in a qualitative descriptive and -interpretative approach to analyze students’ insights and introspective statements. Nine tenth graders, from different socio-cultural backgrounds, accepted my invitation to take part in this research process. Data collection instruments were mainly artifacts and the transcript of video recording. The data analyzed through a grounded approach revealed that students tend to adopt a globalized position, but they value their own culture as they become critical toward cultural issues. Then, they might become glocalizers which is a hybrid stance between globalization and localization.