When Foreign Students Teach Local Children

Inverting the Intercultural Lens

Abstract

This reflective article explores an intercultural learning experience that emerged during the Joint Cultural Camp 2023, hosted by Universitas Negeri Gorontalo (UNG) in collaboration with Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS), Indonesia. Originally designed to introduce Gorontalo’s local culture to international students, the program unexpectedly transformed when participants were invited to teach in a local primary school. Through this brief yet meaningful encounter, participants and local schoolchildren experienced a reversal of roles in which teaching became a shared act of cultural discovery. Drawing on concepts of intercultural communicative competence (Byram, 1997) and experiential learning (Kolb, 1984), this article reflects on how authentic, face-to-face interactions can promote empathy, curiosity, and pedagogical humility. It also discusses implications for English language teacher education by explaining how such localized intercultural encounters can serve as a reflective place where teachers learn to negotiate meaning, embrace diversity, and consider language as a platform to bridge gaps.