Third Level, Third Space

This book argues that intercultural communication generates a ‘third space’, between people, languages and cultures. It has a particularly important role to play in third level education. But those who teach about it need to be more aware of language, especially (but not only) in the context of Europe, which is characterised both by creative linguistic and cultural diversity and by obstacles to communication. The world is undergoing rapid and profound transformation. Internationalisation of the global economy, the communications revolution, and increased mobility have exponentially increased the scale of encounters between people and cultures. This has a far reaching transformative impact on the identities and values they carry. The chapters were first presented at colloquia of the Thematic Network in Languages at Antwerp and Boulogne in 1998 and 1999. They contain a wealth of reflection and good ideas, and identify a number of practical imperatives: ethical, political and institutional. The book presents a series of challenges, and invites the reader to consider how changes might be implemented in different contexts, so as to strengthen the ability of higher education to contribute to the successful development of a multi-cultural and multi-lingual Europe.

The Editors: Michael Kelly is Professor of French at Southampton University (UK). He has published widely on French culture and society, and on language and intercultural communication. He is a Board member of the European Language Council and joint editor of a new journal, Language and Intercultural Communication.
Imelda Elliott is a Senior Lecturer in English Studies at the Université du Littoral, Boulogne (France). She has published widely on Irish culture and society and more especially on issues of education policy. She also has considerable experience in curriculum development in an intercultural context.
Lars Fant is Professor of Spanish and Portuguese at Stockholm University (Sweden). His field of research over the past decade has been intercultural communication studies, especially within a north-south (Scandinavian/Hispanic) dimension, within the framework of discourse and conversation analysis.