From interpreters to partners
A cross-cultural approach to activating student identity
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15173/ijsap.v10i1.6785Keywords:
students as partners, identity-based learning, purpose-driven tasks, cross-cultural language settings, role-play pedagogyAbstract
Identity-based tasks can transform students from passive recipients to active partners in cross-cultural language settings. This case study demonstrates such a transformation by introducing the pedagogical framework, Guo’s Triangular Activation Model (GTAM), which effectively integrates purpose-driven, identity-based, and context-embedded learning. Originally developed in China and later adapted in Canadian settings, the framework has been applied across K–12 (kindergarten through Grade 12) and postsecondary contexts. As a result, across these contexts, students moved from passive recipients to active contributors, demonstrating cultural agency, ownership, and motivation. This progression showsthat activating student identity fosters relational engagement and complex learning, aligning with the students-as-partners (SaP) approach. The paper reflects on how identity-based tasks can build authentic partnerships between educators and students. The study offers implications for adapting this identity-based framework to diverse cultural and institutional settings. It also discusses how meaningful, task-driven roles can deepen student participation.
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