On Speaking Terms with Elder Brother: A Narrative Approach to Intercultural Research and Teaching

Abstract

This article was stimulated by an opportunity to introduce the authors' intercultural research - to 'narrate' it - for an international conference and respond to the open-ended and highly creative theme of 'speaking cross-culturally'. We have tried to address this topic in the spirit intended, both as a creative application of narrative theory and as a form of narrative in itself - a genre of 'crosscultural speaking' exemplifying many discourses, from traditional storytelling to social semiotics and research writing. Our focus is on the potential of literature for 'intercultural' teaching of Chinese language and culture to senior secondary and tertiary students of diverse backgrounds in Australia. We begin by discussing literature in English about China and proceed to the implications for diagnostic research in intercultural pedagogy.