ABSTRACT

Research on intercultural communication does not merely discover, describe and analyse communicative practices that already exist in an objective manner, but actively co-constructs them (Holliday, 2011; Lavanchy, Dervin & Gajardo, 2011; Risager, 2011). Researchers adopt, as in any other field of investigation, particular epistemological and ontological perspectives about, for instance, the nature of and relation between language and culture and structure and agency. On the basis of these philosophical and conceptual decisions, they design their research projects in specific ways, arrive at particular findings and, at times, develop concrete recommendations for pedagogic practice. Approaches to intercultural research thus exert a considerable influence on how academics-and indirectly teachers and consultantsattempt to overcome the ills of stereotypes, prejudices and ethnocentrism, and how learners, students and clients think about, relate to and interact with others. It is this unquantifiable discursive and conceptual power that makes criticality and self-reflection imperative for not only educators but also researchers in this field.