Foreign Languages in Higher Education:The foreignness condition and the search for transcending disciplinary frontiers

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to discuss the notion of foreignnesspresent in the work processes of teaching Foreign Languages at Universidad Nacional de San Luis, so as to put foward policies that foster interdisciplinary actions in pursuit of academic “literacy”.To think over the reasons why foreign languages are included in the university curricula means to examine, from the analysis of prescriptive documents, the intentions of the institutional actors when designing formation plans. Furthermore, it impliesto inquire into the value of the Foreign Languages Areaas a disciplinary space, in relation to the practices and the praxisof those who take part in the specific fields of study, both teachers and students. The concept of foreignnessrefers here to a feeling of estrangement due tothe psycho-social representations arisen from the conflict of facing and internalizing a foreign language. This sensation is also correlated to the social, academic and institutional conditions regulating teacher’s work. On the basis of an epistemological, methodological and socio-political-cultural view, this work proposes ways of releasing the constraints imposed by disciplinary frontiers. In this sense, participation strategies favoring collaborative group work are considered to be an appropriate response to the demands of an exolingual setting.