ABSTRACT
Any approach in learning and teaching is not developed in a vacuum but is part of contemporary theoretical, technological and contextual developments. This chapter discusses developments in applied linguistics. It provides an overview of the development of intercultural approaches in language learning, the cognitive/social debate in second language acquisition, and argues for an extension of the cognitive and the social to consider the personal. The potential of tandem learning to contribute to understanding these perspectives is discussed. The relationship between one's own and another cultural identity has been recognised by many as fundamental to a development of intercultural competence. The chapter argues that an intercultural focus needs to extend to three dimensions the cognitive, the social and the personal. The recognition of the cultural value of language and its inseparability has influenced many contemporary approaches to language learning. It may be the case that an intercultural focus in second language acquisition shifts the emphasis more towards a social approach.
