Abstract

This ground-breaking book is the first to describe in detail how teachers, supported by university educators and education advisers, might plan and implement innovative ideas based on sound theoretical foundations. Focusing on the teaching and learning of intercultural communicative competence in foreign language classrooms in the USA, the authors describe a collaborative project in which graduate students and teachers planned, implemented and reported on units which integrated intercultural competence in a systematic way in classrooms ranging from elementary to university level. The authors are clear and honest about what worked and what didn’t, both in their classrooms and during the process of collaboration. This book will be required reading for both scholars and teachers interested in applying academic theory in the classroom, and in the teaching of intercultural competence.

Manuela Wagner is Associate Professor of Foreign Language Education and Director of the German Language and Culture Program at the University of Connecticut, USA.

Dorie Conlon Perugini is a Spanish teacher at Naubuc Elementary School in Glastonbury Public Schools, USA.

Michael Byram is Professor Emeritus at the University of Durham, UK and Guest Professor at the University of Luxembourg.

This long-awaited book bridges theory to practice in an accessible and engaging way; teachers explain to other teachers how they successfully integrated an intercultural component in their pre-existing unit plans. Each of the eight chapters models the optimal use of authentic cultural contexts and provides theoretical justifications for the inclusion of an intercultural component. This book is a valuable resource for new teachers, veteran teachers, and pre-service teachers.

This collection provides both inspiration and a practical roadmap for language teachers interested in supporting the development of intercultural competence. Clear, accessible, and focused on classroom practice (yet thoroughly grounded in theory and research), this an invaluable resource for teachers!

This is action research at its finest. Authors who feel like trusted colleagues design lessons and then adapt them in accordance with their observations of student behavior and learning. This work includes open and honest discussions about the triumphs and learning opportunities associated with their research, making suggestions for moving ahead with the project and adapting the project for future iterations.