2024 ICC Conference

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In 2024, the Ninth International Conference on the
Development and Assessment of Intercultural Competence

focused on the theme of

Intercultural Learning, Global Citizenship and Peacebuilding

This hybrid event took place February 22-25, 2024, at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona (USA), and online.

Plenary Presentations
Larisa Kasumagić Kafedžić, University of Sarajevo
Adam Strom, Re-Imagining Migration

In 2015, The United Nations (UN) adopted a 2030 agenda, which included peace at its core. Based on this blueprint, the UN member states agreed to…

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. 

Peacebuilding here is focused at the macrolevel of government actors and institutions, including educational organizations; however, work within language and culture education (e.g. Oxford et al, 2020) suggests that individuals, including those in conflict-ridden parts of the world, often cite inner and interpersonal dimensions of peace as central. What roles might intercultural learning play in fostering peace across and between these disparate levels? What might an intercultural education for peacebuilding that is cognizant of disparity and pain look like (see Bigelow, 2016; Porto & Zembylas, 2022)? What kinds of connections between intercultural peace and other dimensions including inner peace and ecological peace can our language curricula and programs help students to explore (see Oxford, 2017)?

The peer-reviewed proposals were asked to address these questions. Around 100 presentations were accepted or invited for ICC 2024, with authors located at institutions in 30 countries and in 27 US states. Presentations include pre- and post-conference workshops (in-person only), papers (in-person and virtual), symposia (in-person and virtual), and posters (in-person and virtual).

ICC 2024 was held on the University of Arizona campus with Friday and Saturday events in the Health Sciences Innovation Building (1670 E Drachman St, Tucson, AZ 85721); events on Thursday and Sunday were at the Graduate hotel (930 E 2nd St, Tucson, AZ 85719) . Full-time K12 teachers and graduate students could apply for a limited number of scholarships to attend this event.

Attendees accessed the conference through the Cvent web platform and mobile ap. That is where all the conference details were located during the event, and where livestreams were accessed.

To view the plenary presentation abstracts, click the presentation title below each author’s biographical statement.

Larisa Kasumagić-Kafedžić is Associate Professor at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Sarajevo, Department of English Language and Literature. Her teaching, writing and research interests focus on intercultural, critical and peace pedagogies in teacher education and language and culture didactics. She holds an MPS in International Development and Education from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in English Language Pedagogy and Intercultural Education from Sarajevo University. She is a 2003-04 Cornell University Hubert Humphrey Fellow Alumni. During 2022-2023 she was a Visiting Professor under the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Fellowship in residence at Cornell University, where she was lecturing and conducting research on Teachers as Agents of Change: Education for Peace and Social Responsibility. She is the founder and president of the Peace Education Hub, which was established at the University of Sarajevo in early 2020. She is the co-editor of the book Peace Pedagogies in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Theory and Practice in Formal Education (Kasumagic-Kafedzic, L. & Clarke-Habibi, S., Editors, Springer, 2023).

Peace in Language Education: A Romanticized Ideal or an Urgently Needed Educational Paradigm

Peace in Language Education: A Romanticized Ideal or an Urgently Needed Educational Paradigm

Abstract

This talk will present different interdisciplinary perspectives on educating for and about peace in multiple formal educational settings, where humanities and education sciences have been repeatedly marginalized, and within global and diverse cultural contexts where our humanity is continuously struggling. It will provide an overview of the key theories, pedagogies and practices which underscore the multiple roles that teachers play in fostering socially transformative learning at the time of important crossroads of our human history and the global erosion of our democratic and humanistic values. The presentation will highlight examples from local voices, initiatives and practices in Bosnia and Herzegovina, of how classrooms can be connected to communities, globally relevant topics, and language teacher development programs. The talk will invite “a critical exploration of peace pedagogy as an imagined ideal and fluid space between post-war educational politics, institutional and curricular constraints, and the lived experiences and identities of teachers and students in socially and historically situated communities” (Kasumagic-Kafedzic, L. & Clarke-Habibi, S., 2023), the lessons of which can be transferred across borders to address various culture-, education- and context-specific challenges in today’s societies. As efforts towards peacebuilding in language education in different corners of the world have been fragmented and marginalized but are continuously developing, this talk will contribute to those reflections which have attempted to highlight the relevance and urgency of the how and why of peace teaching despite a great number of complexities in language pedagogy and numerous challenges in the education systems and our humanity of today. The presentation will include specific examples of peacebuilding strategies, activities and didactic tools and materials from language classrooms, intercultural learning projects, peace education hubs, and language teacher education programs.

Adam Strom has a proven track record of leveraging education to build belonging and develop an understanding of the roots of polarization and hate. He is the Executive Director of Re-Imagining Migration, a non-profit organization whose mission is to advance the education and well-being of immigrant-origin youth, decrease bias and hatred against young people of diverse origins, and help rising generations develop the understanding and habits of heart and mind that are necessary to build and sustain welcoming and inclusive communities. Before helping to found Re-Imagining Migration, Strom was a long-time member of the senior leadership team at Facing History and Ourselves, where he led the content development team.

The educational resources developed under Strom’s direction have been used in tens of thousands of classrooms and experienced by millions of students worldwide, including numerous resource books, study guides, and films on identity, immigration, and prejudice.

Reimagining Belonging in an Age of Migration

Reimagining Belonging in an Age of Migration

Abstract

In this presentation, Re-Imagining Migration’s Adam Strom will explore the shifting educational landscape in a world of migration. It is imperative that all children develop the habits, competencies, and dispositions that will enable them to thrive in communities marked by demographic diversification and change. In the United States, there are approximately 77 million k12 students, of these, 27% are first or second-generation residents, facing unique challenges alongside their 56.2 million peers. The American school system, the crucible of belonging and true integration, is where immigrant-origin youth, predominantly people of color, strive for success. Yet, systemic inequities persist, denying them equal opportunities and undermining the nation’s democratic fabric.

The global demographic shift is profound: by 2050, one in three children in the U.S. will have an immigrant parent. These children’s experiences vary widely, influenced by parental education, poverty, newcomer status, language barriers, racialization, and immigration policies. Both immigrant and non-immigrant students often attend under-resourced schools that struggle to support their diverse needs.

This generation’s future hinges on reimagining the role of intercultural competence the lives of schools. More than half of Fortune 100 companies assert that education in diverse settings is vital for economic prosperity. However, current educator training predominantly around issues of migration focuses on language acquisition, neglecting the holistic needs of immigrant students, their peers, and their changing communities.

As immigration propels U.S. population growth and economic vitality, with immigrant-origin workers contributing significantly to the economy and founding 44% of Fortune 500 companies, the stakes are high. Prejudices fueled by fear, and activated by politicians and networks of extremists, threaten to undermine societal cohesion and economic prospects. This presentation offers a vision where all students learn from each other, appreciate diversity, understand migration’s role, and are prepared to address inequities—a vision essential for a thriving society in an era of unprecedented demographic change.

2024 ICC Conference

See the schedule of presentations here [PDF]The schedule provides the in-person/virtual status of each presentation.

Around 100 presentations were accepted or invited for ICC 2024, with authors located at institutions in 30 countries and in 27 US states. There were about 140 presenters at this conference. Presentations included pre- and post-conference workshops (in-person only), papers (in-person and virtual), symposia (in-person, hybrid, and virtual), and posters (in-person and virtual). About a third of the presentations were virtual; the rest were presented in-person, in Tucson, Arizona.

The list of presentations below includes proposals accepted for ICC 2024 after anonymous review by our scientific committee, and confirmed for presentation by the authors. Click on the individual presentation titles to see short summaries and symposia details. Further information was available to registrants in the conference app.

Symposia

A symposium is a set of papers that were submitted together for ICC 2024. Symposia provide a venue for a group of presenters to present a set of papers based on a shared theme or topic related to one of the conference strands. The papers may present complementary aspects or contrasting perspectives.

Fulbright-Hays GPA as Experiential Professional Development - Abby S. Limmer (University of Arizona), Julie Ellison (University of Arizona), Mickey Marsee (Chandler-Gilbert Community College), & Rosa Clara Salazar (United High School)

In 2022 the Center for Middle Eastern Studies (http://cmes.arizona.edu) led a Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad to Uzbekistan & Tajikistan: Persianate Cultures in Central Asia: Coexistence and Integration. This program took 12 educators abroad to learn from local scholars, educators, & students. After returning, they created lesson plans based on their overseas experiences.

Papers in this symposium:
Middle Eastern Outreach and Fulbright Hays Group Projects Abroad, by Abby Limmer (University of Arizona)

This talk introduces the Title VI National Resource Centers, especially the University of Arizona’s Center for Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) and one of CMES’ programs, the Fulbright Hays Group Projects Abroad (FHGPA ). This will serve as an introduction to the remainder of the symposium session, which will focus on the 2022 FHGPA to Persianate Central Asia.

Persianate Cultures in Central Asia: Coexistence and Integration, by Julie Ellison (University of Arizona)

This paper outlines the FHGPA Central Asia trip and the modifications/ additions that occurred as a result of postponements and on the ground realities. FHGPA’s experiential learning model allowed educators to engage with locals and develop curriculum that reflects aspects of cultures not accessible from a distance.

Developing Communication through an Olfactory Journey through Uzbekistan, by Mickey Marsee (Chandler-Gilbert Community College)

This presentation explores the use of smell history to develop intercultural communications in a freshman composition course. The aim was to engage students in a sensory experience to increase descriptive skills, develop empathy, use critical thinking, and develop a sense of place.

Uzbek Koreans: Who Are the Koryo-Saram and Why Haven’t I Heard of them? by Rosa Clara Salazar (United High School)

In this lesson, students investigate the story of ethnic Koreans in Uzbekistan, the Koryo-Saram, their 1860s migration to Russia’s Far East and forced 1937 deportation. Students explore their lives today, how they grapple with discrimination and develop a sense of identity. Students conclude with an introspective reflection on their own identity.

Places, Peace and Keuka College - Steven S. Kapica (Keuka College), Ann Emo (Keuka College), Jennifer Alessi (Keuka College), Eric Detar (Keuka College), Malia Spofford Xavier (Keuka College), Broyer Wang (Jimei University/Keuka College), Kathy Waye (Keuka College), & Tim White (Keuka College)

At Keuka College, we operate our robust international and global initiatives primarily through our Global Affairs office and our one-of-a-kind Field Period® program. For our symposium, we provide a multi-tiered snapshot of our collaborative work—from program administration and curriculum building, to faculty instructional design and delivery, to the student experience. This bird’s eye view of our institution will serve as an introduction to the work we have done to meet the UN’s goals by proxy of our mission, a potential blueprint for other educational institutions, and ignite conversations about the enduring value of a small, liberal arts college’s community-level commitment to peace and inclusion. We offer a broad perspective of intercultural opportunity through curricular, co/extra-curricular institutional programs. These are faculty/staff and student centered, credit and non-credit bearing. Papers focus on experiential learning, international exchange, diversity, and students as partners in building community in educational spaces.

Papers in this symposium:

Experiential Learning: Making Meaning beyond the Classroom, by Ann Emo and Malia Spofford Xavier (Keuka College)

Experiential Learning, including study abroad and projects engaging with diverse populations in a variety of situations, offers students, faculty and partners the opportunity to explore values, knowledge and skills that build bridges in our global society. Using structured reflection tools we make meaning of the world around us empowering change.

Reading London: Intercultural Learning through Place, by Steven Kapica, Jennifer Alessi and Kathy Waye (Keuka College)

“Reading London” is an international Field Period designed to help Keuka College students consider the cultural and rhetorical construction of place. Using “Reading London” as evidence, this paper reflects on the efficacy of international travel as a means of helping students understand and navigate cultural difference.

More than a Mile: Using Short Films to Foster Intercultural Competency, by Steven Kapica, Eric Detar and Tim White (Keuka College)

Prompted by a generous donation and directive from an alum, Keuka College launched a Diversity Film Series, fostering intercultural competence on its small rural campus. By bringing short films and their makers to campus, the series opens space for students to engage a variety of cultural disparities and “walk a mile in someone else’s shoes.”

Alternative Spring Break and our Six Words of Service, by Eric Detar and Tim White (Keuka College)

Alternative Spring Break, an interfaith experience of cultural immersion, community service/volunteerism, community building, and leadership development. It is a time of personal reflection, as students wrestle with challenges they face. Students explore their own and others’ worldviews reinforcing the value of service and social responsibility.

Navigating Cultural Competencies, One Student at a Time, by Jennifer Alessi (Keuka College), Kathy Waye (Keuka College), and Broyer Wang (Jimei University/Keuka College)

Creating multicultural awareness helps students with diverse backgrounds succeed, encouraging acceptance, peaceful existence, preparing students to thrive in an expanding diverse world. We share three perspectives: support to international students, supervising international student work and the Chinese student living at a rural college in the U.S.

Maximizing Engagement with Diverse Cultures via Student-Focused Curricula - Lauren Halberstadt (Pennsylvania State University), Jason Laine (Pennsylvania State University), & Eleonora Sartoni (Pennsylvania State University)

This symposium details curricula designed to support students through three steps of learning to build future leaders who better understand themselves and the world around them, responsible for their role in fostering peace and cognizant of disparity. To build global citizens, we create spaces for minority student voices to be heard and minority cultures to be explored in traditional education abroad locations. We provide insight into curriculum designed over many years and share three applicable activities that can be implemented immediately in classrooms, guiding educators through a student-focused program of study.

Papers in this symposium:

Where am I coming from? by Jason Laine (The Pennsylvania State University)

For students to maximize learning in a foreign context, they need to first position themselves within contexts that they know (or think they know). Understanding positionality opens paths to cultural humility, intercultural partnerships and global citizenship. Activity: Developing discussion using open source materials: What’s Up With Culture?

Where am I going? by Eleonora Sartoni (The Pennsylvania State University)

Students don’t often learn about the minority cultures in their target destinations. They must look at culture from a historic and modern lens to understand the diverse spaces they are entering and how to situate themselves in these spaces. Activity: Students work on an interactive map with colonial histories and reflect with guided discussion.

What do I do when I get there? by Lauren Halberstadt (The Pennsylvania State University)

Traveling with diverse students, we must intentionally design opportunities to interact with minority cultures in the new location to foster a dynamic sense of the community and help our students interpret emerging aspects of their own identities. Activity: Leading an intercultural activity abroad and strategically unpacking student observations.

Access, Benefits and Challenges in Global VE Programs for Young Learners - Liudmila Klimanova (University of Arizona), Mirjam C. Hauck (The Open University), Loye Ashton (Class-to-Class), James A. Elwood (Meiji University), Kwesi Ewoodzie (Culture Beyond Borders, USA-Ghana), Samantha Abi Saab (Modern University for Business and Science, Lebanon)

This symposium discusses the impact of VE on K-12 institutions around the world. Our approach is guided by critical VE, i.e., VE through the equality, diversity, and inclusion lens and with a focus on social justice and peace-making. We will present and discuss large data on the VE programs involving younger learners in six geopolitical regions.

Papers in this symposium:

Survey of VE Research on Young Learners: Current Trends and Challenges. Regional focus: South and Latin America, by Mirjam Hauck (The Open University, UK) and Liudmila Klimanova (University of Arizona)

With a considerable amount of existing research on VE in higher education institutions, the impact of VE on young learners in the K-12 sector has received far less attention. This presentation will introduce the audience to the key trends of VE research on young learners and discuss specific challenges associated with this kind of scholarship.

The ABCs of Young People and Virtual Exchange (VE): Global Research on K-12 Programs and Outcomes. Regional focus: MENA, South and Central Africa, by Samantha Abi Saab (Modern University for Business and Science, Lebanon) and Kwesi Ewoodzie (Culture Beyond Borders, USA-Ghana)

This presentation will report on the global, multi-site study of VE programming for young students. Drawing on collaborative action research and narrative analysis, the presenter will discuss the findings in relation to content and format of VE-based instruction in K-12 section worldwide. Implications will be made regarding the importance of future research on young learners in VE.

A Comprehensive Report on Case Studies of VE Implementation in Europe, Central Asia, East Asia, by Loye Ashton (Class2Class, USA), Liudmila Klimanova (University of Arizona), and James Elwood (Meiji University, Japan)

The last presentation of this symposium will take the audience on an imaginary tour around the world and introduce them to VE K-12 educators in 22 countries and their stories. Relying on the case study approach, a selection of vignettes from the global data will be presented and unique conditions and needs of educators in six geopolitical regions of the world will be discussed.

Fostering Empathy and Diverse Mindset through International Exchanges - Noriko Okubo (Knox English Network, NPO), Tomoko Graham (Harvard University), Naemi McPherson (Brown University), Yoshihiro Nakajima (Osaka Metropolitan University), & Elena Yoo (Hawaii Baptist Academy)

This symposium showcases cross-cultural collaborative exchanges to foster empathy and diverse mindset of K-16 learners in the United States and Japan. Discover how the process of inquiry, reflection and transformation helps broaden learners’ perspectives as global citizens. It shares practical insights applicable for educators in their curriculum.

Papers in this symposium:

Cultivating Cross-Cultural Competence through Diverse Virtual Exchanges, by Noriko Okubo (Knox English Network, NPO) and Tomoko Graham (retired from Harvard University, 2022)

This presentation discusses outcomes and findings obtained through intercultural exchanges for K-16 English learners in Japan and Japanese learners in the United States. The Global Talk program annually hosts approximately 30 exchanges. Fostering participants’ cross-cultural communication skills is examined based on their reflection and awareness.

Beyond Textbook-Learning: Global Talk for Beginning Japanese Learners, by Naemi McPherson (Brown University)

This presentation explores how a virtual exchange experience enhances the learning journey of beginning-level Japanese learners, fostering intercultural communication skills and mutual understanding. It discusses how it can complement traditional textbook-based learning, empowering students in early language learning through experiential learning.

Bridging Cultures: High School Japanese Language Learning and Exchanges, by Elena Yoo (Hawaii Baptist Academy)

This presentation delves into the experiences of American (Hawaii state) participants who engaged in a unique combination of online and in-person interactions, fostering cross-cultural understanding and language development & highlights the impact on language learning outcomes, communication skills and their social and emotional learning factors.

Intercultural Competence Gained through the Comparison of Social Systems, by Yoshihiro Nakajima (Osaka Metropolitan University)

It is crucial for students to cultivate problem identification and resolution skills. This presentation introduces an online collaboration between Japanese and Filipino economics classes, and examines the outcome. How students can transcend the confines of societal norms and start thinking from global perspectives will be discussed.

Paper Presentations

These presentations showcase completed research or scholarly work on a topic related to one of the conference strands. Papers will be organized into sessions containing four papers.

Seeds of Peace: Cross-Cultural Talk on the Middle East - Adi Raz (The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor), Behrad Aghaei (The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor), Nilay Sevinc (The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor), & Sosy Mishoyan (The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor)

This paper describes a course that brings together language learners of Hebrew, Turkish, Persian, and Armenian with the explicit intention of exploring commonalities and currents of cross-cultural contact between cultures that intersect with Islam, Christianity, and Judaism in multifarious ways.

Kuliah Kerja Nyata (KKN) and Cross-Cultural Community-Based Learning in Indonesian Universities - Aditya Rizky (Universitas Islam Indonesia), Indah Azura (Universitas Islam Indonesia) & Fiellah Muttaqiyyah (Universitas Islam Indonesia)

Kuliah Kerja Nyata (KKN) is an Indonesian university program that combines academic education with community service, fostering student growth, civic responsibility, and intercultural competence. This research examines KKN’s transformative impact on Global Citizenship, Community Impact, Cross-Cultural Experiences, and Student Learning in Indonesia.

Mediators for Peace: Multilingual and Transnational Language Teachers - Aiko Minematsu (University at Buffalo, State University of New York)

This presentation describes how multilingual and transnational individuals teaching English in Japan discuss and co-construct their sense of transnational and multilingual self in a professional learning community, particularly in how their sense-making processes influence their practices as mediators between differences in their teaching contexts.

Preparing Teachers for Global Citizenship Education through Study Abroad - Allison J. Spenader (College of St. Benedict and St. John's University) & Adriana L. Medina (The University of North Carolina at Charlotte)

Our presentation explores the value of faculty-led study abroad as part of teacher preparation programs. Our findings illustrate how 40 teachers’ study abroad experiences led them to the practices of Global Citizenship Education including curricular globalization, increased advocacy for marginalized students, and the adoption of a global mindset.

Short-Term Study Abroad as Intercultural Learning for World Language Teachers - Aminah Jahad Raysor (SUNY at Buffalo)

This presents an exploratory, autoethnographic case study, highlighting the role that self-discovery has in a world languages teacher turned intercultural researcher’s personal intercultural learning. Through carefully-designed study abroad programs, world languages teachers can develop their own interculturality and develop their pedagogical stance and approach at the same time.

"Am I IC? Maybe, ask my peers." Peer assessment of Intercultural Competence in COIL Virtual Exchange - Amy B. McHugh (University at Buffalo, University of Sydney)

This exploratory case study aimed to ascertain whether it is possible and ethical to measure a students’ intercultural competence from the perspective of their peers in a COIL collaboration. Results revealed that, overall, students rated their peers as interculturally competent, however outlier data provides insight into the need for ‘safer spaces’ in virtual exchange.

Intercultural Dialogue, Peace, and the Hope for Hope in Afghan Voices - Amy Jo Minett (Salem State University)

This paper traces the critical construct of hope expressed by Afghan participants interviewed first after an online intercultural service learning project focused on English language tutoring; and second, by Afghan participants able to leave Afghanistan after the fall to the Taliban, and those who have been left behind and remain in hiding.

Strategies to Challenge Stereotypes and Embrace Shifting Identities - Anne Haggerson (US Department of State's English Language Programs)

Starting a cultural unit in a language classroom with essential questions and guiding questions can open doorways to cultural sharing and mutual understanding. These kinds of initial inquiries in the classroom invert the power dynamics between teachers and students and are a powerful curricular tool that can create respect and peace among cultures.

CEFR Companion Volume and its Key Aspects for Culturally Diverse Societies - Aysel Eyerci (Atatürk University)

In this study, we examined the Common European Framework of Reference for languages: learning, teaching, assessment (CEFR) Companion Volume to discover what competences learners should acquire to live harmoniously in a democratic multicultural society. The study aims to raise awareness among education stakeholders about the importance of preparing learners for life as equals in culturally diverse communities.

International Graduate Students’ Acculturation and Acculturative Stress - Bing Gao (University of Iowa) & Pamela M. Wesely (University of Iowa)

This study conducts interviews with ten international graduate students in the United States to investigate their acculturative stressors, explore factors influencing their acculturative stress, and examine coping strategies they utilized to mitigate acculturative stressors.

Charting L2 Learners’ Intercultural Development During Post-Secondary Study - Bing Mu (University of Rhode Island)

This study explores the development of L2 learners’ intercultural competence during their post-secondary studies. A total of 79 students completed the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI). The results explore the distribution and development of students’ intercultural competence, emphasizing the necessity for targeted interventions for students’ intercultural development. 

 

Effects of Educational Policies on Intergenerational Transmission of Tuvan - Rossina Soyan (Carnegie Mellon University) & Katharine E. Burns (Carnegie Mellon University)

Since the 2000s, educational policies in Russia have had detrimental effects on its indigenous languages. The Tuvan language, which was considered relatively stable, is no longer acquired by the younger generation. The study argues for the reinstitution of Tuvan-medium education in kindergartens and schools in Tuva to promote additive bilingualism.

Transnational Civic Literacies at a Community-Based Organization - Chloe Bellows (Rutgers University Graduate School of Education)

Immigrants are often excluded from civic action, but nonetheless assert agency in diverse spaces. This session shares an ethnographic study on how transnational Latinx youth and adults develop civic literacies through horizontal and intergenerational education and organizing at a community-based organization for immigrant and worker rights.

Teachers Cultivating Interculturality and Criticality during Study Abroad - Christelle Palpacuer Lee (Rutgers Graduate School of Education, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey) & Erin Kearney (Graduate School of Education, University at Buffalo)

In this communication, we propose and document ways to intentionally cultivate critical intercultural citizenship and pedagogy in language teachers, and analyze the processes through which teachers’ critical pedagogies develop.

Global Citizenship and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2: Food Banks as Sites of Intercultural Learning - Claudia Kunschak (Ritsumeikan University) & Julia K. Harper (Ritsumeikan University)

This presentation will illustrate how community-based learning can be an effective modality for developing global citizenship among students by fostering a sense of intercultural responsibility, providing a platform for social capital generation, and offering an opportunity to contribute to positive peace.

English Language Teacher Candidates’ Intercultural Competence: A Review - Daniela Appelgren (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile)

The presentation will focus on the results of a literature review which explored intercultural knowledge, skills and attitudes English language teacher candidates demonstrate in the context of initial teacher education.

Raising Awareness of World Englishes in Language Teacher Preparation - Diego Fernando Macias Villegas (Universidad Surcolombiana)

A classroom-based experience aimed to raise awareness of English varieties in a teacher education program in Colombia. The results revealed participants’ disposition to challenge the traditional dependence on the native speaker model, and a tendency to position themselves as ‘glocal’ English users with an increased awareness of other cultures.

Community Building: Cross-Border Competence in Foreign Language Education - Marta Janachowska-Budych (Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu), Monika Kowalonek-Janczarek (Adam Mickiewicz University) & Tomasz Lis (Christian Albrechts University Kiel)

In the centre of reflection stands the notion of cross-border competence seen as part of the intercultural competence and a chance for building a community within teaching and learning neighbouring languages in the border regions. The definition, the results of self-conducted studies as well as recommendations in this regard will be presented.

Virtual Exchange as Teacher Education and Peacebuilding - Sarah Dietrich (Southeast Missouri State University)

This presentation explores the perspectives of graduate students in TESOL paired with adult learners of English in Afghanistan for synchronous online tutoring. Data, in the form of written reflections, offer evidence of peacebuilding (Minett et al., 2022) in the form of changes in teachers’ perspectives of themselves, the “other,” and the world.

Creating Interactive Modules for Video-Mediated Intercultural Encounters - Budimka Uskokovic (The Ohio State University)

This presentation concerns the ways in which German language learners can improve their Intercultural Communicative Competence, especially while talking with native speakers about peacebuilding. It presents a module that prepared intermediate learners of German for successful interactions with native speakers along with a transcript and reflection.

Intercultural Learning: A Digital Journey Through Virtual Exchange - Kaishan Kong (University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire)

This presentation will share a virtual exchange project that connects students in the U.S. and China to discuss cultural topics and explore ways to enhance intercultural empathy as global citizens. Examples and suggestions will be offered for the audience to consider when creating respectful and inclusive cultural learning activities.

Understanding the Intercultural Sensitivity of Personnel in US Armed Forces - Maria Sheila Balosbalos Arado (Defense Language Institute-Foreign Language Center) & Sandra Leavitt (Naval Postgraduate School)

This study addresses the growing interest in incorporating cultural learning into U.S. military training to enhance the ability of military personnel to respond effectively to international security challenges. Understanding the factors influencing intercultural sensitivity can help training programs to prepare military personnel for international engagements.

Nurturing and Assessing Intercultural Development in Teacher Education - Roxanna M Senyshyn (Pennsylvania State University, Abington College)

How can teacher educators successfully engage preservice teachers in intercultural learning and the development of intercultural competence? This presentation aims to answer this question by discussing a study that investigated the intercultural development of preservice teachers enrolled in English as a Second Language (ESL) Foudations course.

Decolonial Practices in Study Abroad: Programs to Build Global Citizenship - Elizabeth A. Smolcic (Pennsylvania State University), Daniela Martin (Pennsylvania State University, Brandywine), Freyca Calderon (Pennsylvania State University, Altoona), & Magdalena Madany-Saa (Penn State University)

Study abroad offers potential to depart from colonizing activity and towards partnerships inspiring engagement for all stakeholders. We outline essential components and curricular structures of international programming to build interculturality and global mindsets drawing from our own research and hands-on experience leading such programs.

Intercultural Diaries to Promote Cultural Literacy in MBA Programs - Elke Schuch (Technische Hochschule Köln)

The paper will outline an international research project based on the analysis of journal entries written by a multinational cohort of German, Polish, Asian and US-American Master students during a time span of 15 months.

CALL for Global Learning: World 101 in an Online TESOL Methods Course - Estela Ene (IUPUI)

This presentation illustrates the usefulness of World 101, a multi-module online material by the Council on Foreign Relations, for teacher training and teaching ESL. In an online course on methods of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), the participants used World 101 materials to design globally-minded lesson plans.

Co-Development of Intercultural Awareness and Language Skills - Fumiko Nazikian (Columbia University)

This study presents the implementation of an intercultural based project and demonstrates how through the project the learner demonstrated greater intercultural awareness and improved cross-cultural communication skills.

Supporting Faculty Professional Development in Intercultural Competence - Galicia Blackman (Centre for Teaching and Learning)

The Centre for Teaching and Learning has expanded its programming to include robust professional development for educators. This session describes the program called Developing Intercultural Competence in Higher Education. The session will benefit university units that are tasked with supporting faculty professional development.

Investment for Peace: A Hui Muslim Student's Journey in a Lingua Franca Virtual Exchange - Hiba B. Ibrahim (York University)

This presentation follows Eric, a Chinese-speaking Muslim student, in a virtual exchange (VE) that connected university students in two ESL courses in Canada and Jordan. Using the construct of ‘investment’ (Darvin & Norton, 2015), I highlight both Eric’s struggles and practices to navigate his possible identity as Muslim Chinese in the VE.

Enhancing Language Education through Service-Learning - Huai-Rhin Kim (Purdue University)

Korean language course with Purdue Korean Community School had a profound impact, fostering community engagement, cultural understanding, and language proficiency. This service-learning course demonstrates transformative power of experiential learning and potential for impactful partnerships in language education.

Intercultural Competency Development in an Engineering Design Course - Hyun-Sook Kang (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) & James LaFave (University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign)

This presentation reports a case study of incorporating a set of cross-cultural intervention modules into a semester-long course at a U.S. university. Students showed gains in intercultural competencies related to their own behavioral flexibility and interaction relaxation when interacting with group members.

What Promise Does VR Technology Hold for Intercultural Learning? - Irina V. Golubeva (UMBC) & Anita Komlodi (University of Maryland Baltimore County)

In this paper, we discuss the potential and limitations of the use of Virtual Reality (VR) for intercultural communication education, based on the empirical study. The primary goal of this research was to explore the effectiveness of VR in developing students’ empathy and intercultural competence.

Giving Credit Where Credit is Due: Undergraduate Certificates - Jane Sokolosky (Brown University)

This presentation reports on the successful initiative to implement a certificate in intercultural competence for undergraduates. Attendees will learn of concrete steps taken at the institutional and departmental level to offer a certificate that gives students credit for developing skills through study abroad, internships and language learning.

Intercultural Competence, Global Citizenship and Medical Spanish in the US - Juan Pablo Cominguez (Columbia University)

This paper describes a case study about the design, execution, teaching, and learning outcomes of an upper-intermediate course in Spanish with focus on health-related topics, and the development of intercultural communicative competence in the target language, in the context of the ACTFL standards and their adaptation to this LSP class.

Alpine Culture: Interdisciplinary Connections & Study Abroad at Home - Kacy Peckenpaugh (Weber State University) & Cass Morgan (Weber State University)

Covid19 projected an increasing light onto the question of whether students need to travel abroad in order to become more culturally competent. The researchers designed a study abroad at home course with the goal of fostering intercultural competence via simulations and an international student buddy program within the backdrop of alpine studies.

Language, Culture, and Inner Peace in an Undergraduate Bilingualism Course - Katharine E. Burns (Carnegie Mellon University)

How does a course on bilingualism affect a) conceptualizations of bilingualism; b) participants’ relationship to bilingualism for personal identity? Case studies of two students indicate that, in problematizing preconceived notions of bilingualism, participants find a greater sense of inner peace about their own bilingual practices & identities.

Using Humor for Intercultural Learning: South Korea’s Psick Show - Kathy Lee (Korea University) & Joohyun Bae (Korea University)

This presentation shares how Korean language teachers can incorporate Psick Show as a resource to help learners navigate Korean’s complex honorific system. The show’s comedic role-playing in English and Korean can be instructive in understanding Korean cultural particularities such as gift-giving and interacting with younger friends and siblings.

Developing Global Citizenship: Local & Global Service-Learning Comparisons - Leah Dunn (Xavier University) & Diane Ceo-DiFrancesco (Xavier University)

Proponents of global service-learning (SL) suggest its necessity for student global citizenship. Pre-occupational therapy students were required to complete SL, locally or during a language and cultural immersion in Guatemala. We compared perspectives, along with the development of cultural competency as it connects to global citizenship.

A Developmental Approach to Intercultural Learning in Spanish - Lorena García-Barroso (Columbia University)

A study at Hostos Community College finds that incorporating Spanish content in English classrooms for adult immigrant learners can challenge negative stereotypes. Pedagogical interventions foster cultural and linguistic pride, mitigating pervasive stereotypes and emphasizing the importance of inclusive language policies.

A Hermeneutics for Expanding Interpretation and Dialogue in Intercultural Competence -Luigia Maiellaro (Northeastern University)

The presentation explores a college-level curriculum for IC, advocating the expansion of interpretation and dialogue skills. It cautions against excessive criticality, which may lead to rigid oversimplification, and instead encourages exploring the aesthetic, imaginative, dialogic, and emotional aspects of cultural texts in intercultural education.

Language, Digital Peacebuilding and Pakistani Social Media Influencers - Maria Azam (Air University) & Fizza Farrukh (Air University)

Focused on digital peacebuilding, this qualitative study analyzes Pakistani influencers on Instagram through their writings. Through coding and analysis, implicit and multifunctional peacebuilding initiatives were found in the data.

Learning from Them and about Myself: Conversation, Assets, and Connections - Marina Feldman (Rutgers University Graduate School of Education)

This paper draws on the experiences and learning of a cohort of undergraduate students in a community-engaged language education program. This group of students, majorly from immigrant backgrounds, demonstrated an intuitive asset-based approach to immigrant community members, reinforced by their continued engagements and self-reflections.

Learning to Bend through Virtual Transnational Exchanges - Mary E. Curran (Rutgers University), Daniel Otieno (Kenyatta University), Babatunde Olabode (Teba Edut Development Initiative International), & Esra Alamami (Libyan International Medical University)

Chinese, Kenyan, Libyan, Mexican, Nigerian, and United States faculty engaged in a critical global citizenship virtual exchange to more deeply understand how we learn and teach languages/cultures; model virtual exchange practices; and deepen students’ intercultural competence. We work to “bend toward justice,” putting peace education into action.

Fostering Interculturality through Difference in a COIL Exchange - Mickey Marsee (Chandler-Gilbert Community College) & Jorge Eduardo Pineda Hoyos (Universidad de Antioquia)

This study explores a comparative cultural assignment in a COIL exchange between students in Colombia and the U.S. The aim was to move past similarities and address differences in cultural values. Content analysis of student projects suggests the experience fostered empathy, tolerance, community, and mutual respect by recognizing differences.

Fostering Global Citizens through Language and Culture Learning - Mizuki Mazzotta (Emory University) & Yutaka Yamauchi (Soka University)

This presentation addresses this research gap by reporting the classroom applications of Transformative Language Learning in Teaching (TLLT) in an English-medium content course on language usage in Japanese society at a private university in the US.

Linguistic Representation of Memory as Strategy for Intercultural Dialogue - Cecilia Noemi Silva (Tohoku University)

This work focuses on the concepts of individual and collective memory and intercultural dialogue. It describes a workshop tasks – the exploration of painful memories in the novel Noor – accomplished by English educators. The underpinning idea is using language productively to handle painful past events and elaborate on a multimodal response to them.

Effects of Conflict Mediation Training on Intercultural Development - Naoko Taguchi (Northern Arizona University)

This study developed original instructional materials teaching intercultural conflict mediation strategies. The materials’ effectiveness (students’ intercultural development) was evaluated based on students’ use of conflict mediation strategies in a simulation task and their responses to a standardized survey assessing intercultural competence.

Decolonizing Secondary Foreign Language Curriculum for Peacebuilding - Natalia Tereshchenko (Network International School)

Decolonizing education is currently en vogue, but how realistic is it and what does it exactly entail? This presentation will explore the opportunities and limits of language education decolonization, and provide a rationale for it in relation to the nurturing of common humanity, tolerance and appreciation among next generation global citizens.

Cultivating Praxis for Justice: Attention/Tension/Intention - Netta Avineri (Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey)

We will explore approaches to cultivating praxis for justice, balancing theory and reflection for action, for intercultural and language scholars, practitioners, educators, and students. We discuss the dialogic pedagogical practice of “paying attention to the tension to set intention” to move from “what is” and “what has been” to “what could be”.

Using Intercultural Assignments and Assessments in Upper Russian Courses - Olga Scarborough (U.S. Air Force Academy)

Developing and evaluating student intercultural competence in upper Russian classes is an important aspect of teaching that aims to build a more peaceful future. Utilizing target language assignments and standardized intercultural development assessment aids in the examination of student sensitivity to cross-cultural similarities and differences.

A Decolonial Intercultural Teaching Approach in the Language Classroom - Peju Alfred (University of Arizona)

This presentation describes a decolonial approach to teaching interculturality in the intermediate German as FLE classroom. It illustrates a teaching design which takes students’ multilayered and/or intersectional cultural identities as a foundational aspect in intercultural teaching and learning.

Democracy & Citizenship Learning Cycle with Pre-Service Language Teachers - Rebecca Stuvland (Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences and University of Stavanger, Norway)

This paper presents findings from a Learning Cycle on Democracy and Citizenship in Norwegian teacher education, based on observations, student work, and interviews. The 5-step learning cycle encourages individual and collaborative digitally supported work to make links between research and practice in Global Citizenship and Intercultural learning.

Vision 2025: Reporting on Troy University's Quality Enhancement Plan - Richard Ledet (Troy University), Wendy Huckabee Broyles (Troy University), Mary Anne Templeton (Troy University), & Johanna Alberich (Troy University)

Troy University aims to reinforce its status as Alabama’s “International Institution” with a multi-faceted Intercultural Competency initiative designed to promote cultural awareness among employees working in traditional and online settings, and facilitate interactions between employees and students from different cultural backgrounds.

Arts and Museums Developing Intercultural Competence Across Curricula - Rosamaría León (Yale University)

This presentation will outline two conceptual findings about intercultural competence. First, a systematic approach to visual art plays a crucial role in developing intercultural competence elements (Skills, Attitudes and Knowledge). Second, this approach can be implemented into all course curricula.

Nexus Analysis as Conceptual Framework for Intercultural Learning Research - Roswita Dressler (University of Calgary), Jean Kaya (University of Windsor), Anita Wee (University of Calgary), & Kim Lenters (University of Calgary)

We demonstrate how, in lieu of approaches that embrace the language – no language dichotomy, nexus analysis (NA) may be a useful conceptual framework in examining intercultural competence. Data from interviews with 14 culturally and linguistically diverse pre-service teachers from a Canadian university illustrates how to apply NA.

Hors de France’s Cultural Products & Practices to Foster Global Citizenship - Ruth Olayemi Adeniyi (University of Wisconsin-Madison) & Favour Olaosebikan (University of Wisconsin-Madison)

Incorporating authentic materials from francophone countries in our First-year French classes at UW-Madison & UW-Milwaukee helps to build intercultural competence in our learners with the aim of promoting peacebuilding. Explore how adopting these Outside-France French Materials using multiliteracies and communicative approaches can foster Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).

Advancing Communication Skills in Undergraduates: An Intervention Program - Sabine H. Smith (Kennesaw State University)

US undergraduates reportedly lack critical communication skills, but remediation is often costly and ineffective. We report on a sustainable program focused on students’ iterative practice of intercultural communication. Tested in a 2021 mixed-method study with engineering students in two course modalities, the program offers a promising template.

Fostering Inclusivity and Global Citizenship: Beyond Standard French - Sandra Descourtis (Emory University) & Kimberly Rooney (University of Wisconsin-Madison)

Presentation of a module on French language variations taught in university language class, and inspired by concepts of Standard Language ideology, raciolinguistics and ‘appropriateness’. The various activities (surveys, readings, round table discussion) challenge language stigmatization, foster intercultural learning and empower global citizens.

Integrating Intercultural Competence and DEI-AR in the Higher Education Curriculum - Sandra Lopez-Rocha (University of Waterloo)

This presentation focuses on the challenges practitioners and administrators in Higher Education (HE) face incorporating intercultural competence in spaces where diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism are seen as more prominent. The intention is to debunk some existing ideas and provide examples of how these two areas can be integrated in the curriculum.

Hospitality as the Organizing Principle for Language and Culture Learning - Sebastien Dubreil (Carnegie Mellon University)

Taking as a point of departure the double meaning of the French “hôte” as both host and guest, this paper posits hospitality as a worldview, a mindset, and an intellectual posture geared toward social action to structure LC2 education. We’ll examine examples of pedagogical interventions to create spaces of hospitality in and outside the classroom.

Critical Virtual Exchange to Address Teachers’ Needs in Times of Conflict - Shannon Sauro (University of Maryland, Baltimore County), Pia Sundqvist (University of Oslo), Gréta Björk Guðmundsdóttir (University of Oslo), & Anna Nicolaou (Cyprus University of Technology)

This study presents the outcomes of a “critical virtual exchange” project which aimed at connecting teachers who were working with Ukrainian students displaced by the war. The study sheds light on the potential of virtual exchange in addressing critical pedagogical goals in crisis-affected contexts and ways to establish virtual support communities.

Global Language Teacher Education: Overseas Teaching Practicums - Shannon Tanghe (Metropolitan State University)

This study examines experiences in a global summer program in South Korea with participants from around the world. A DEIB/CLA framework is used to explore the development of global and intercultural competences in language teacher education. Session participants will walk away with multiple perspectives and practical implementation strategies.

Blended Mobility as a Tool for the Development of Global Citizenship - Sina Werner (Ruhr-Universität Bochum, University), Robert O'Dowd (Universidad de León), & Markus Ritter (Ruhr-Universität Bochum)

This study explores a Blended Intensive Program (BIP) where student teachers from different countries collaborate on topics of foreign language education. Using qualitative methods it provides insights into students’ experiences, focusing on intercultural development and global citizenship. Implications for future blended mobility programs will be derived.

Developing Augmented Reality Applications to Promote Intercultural Exchange - Stella Hadjistassou (KIOS Research and Innovation Center of Excellence, University of Cyprus), Shaunna Joannidou (University of Cyprus) & Pedro J. Molina (University of Cyprus)

This presentation addresses the following questions: (1) What is the role of an interdisciplinary, intercultural team in developing AR applications for learning and teacher training? (2) What is the role of these technologies in enacting linguistically and culturally rich experiences to immerse students in engaging learning experiences?

Cultivating Self-Awareness of Global Students through Leadership Programs - Stephanie Calley (Biola University)

Cultivating the self-awareness of global students is foundational in their journeys to becoming global citizens.  The findings of this empirical qualitative research on the experiences of 26 global students provide insight into how faculty and staff can faciliatate this learning through high impact programs such as leadership programs.

The Bilingual Potential of COIL Project between Japanese and English L2 Learners - Tetsuya Takeno (University of Arizona)

This presentation demonstrates the development of a Collaborative Online International Learning project between an L2 Japanese language class in the US and an L2 English language class in Japan. It focuses on promoting cultural and language exchange through three-stage synchronous/asynchronous interactions on the topic of “sustainability in Japan.”

The ‘Interculturally Effective Person’ and its Emerging Applications - Theo Breedon (Global Affairs Canada) & Sarah Power (Global Affairs Canada)

The Centre for Intercultural Learning will explore how it is supporting the application of its publication,  A Profile of the Interculturally Effective Person, in an increasingly complex world, including linking intercultural effectiveness with efforts to foster an inclusive workplace, and its relevance in all contexts, both local and global.

Global Citizenship and Multilingual Competences - Tony Johnstone Young (Newcastle University, UK)

The Global Citizenship and Multilingual Competences toolkit is a product of a European Commision-funded project with partners across Europe. It provides free online resources for secondary teachers of all subjects about how to integrate global citizenship goals and plurilingual pedagogies into their practices in a sustainable way.

How Elusive are Allusions in Culturally Loaded Languages? - Valentina Bayer (Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center)

In cultures that avoid direct messaging, understanding allusions becomes especially important for the foreign language learner. This presentation offers ways to understand a complicated confluence of language, literature and history, and lays out a course to build background knowledge and to use language effectively in such avoidance cultures.

Fostering Sustainability Literacy: A Small-Scale Content-Based Instruction Intervention - Valentina Vinokurova (University of Arizona)

This study investigated the effectiveness of a small-scale intervention that complemented regular Russian language instruction with lessons based on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. The presentation will discuss learner perceptions of these lessons and their gains in sustainability literacy.

The Creators Co-Space: A Global, Inclusive Environment for Learning - Veronica Oguilve (Universidad Técnica Nacional and Universidad Estatal a Distancia)

This study explores how an informal online community develops, evolves, and thrives among multilingual and global participants.  Members’ experiences, behaviors, and decisions were analyzed. Implications address learning motivations. Examples of topical prompts, perspective-taking, learners’ preferences, and participation patterns will be shared.

K-12 Chinese Language Teachers’ Professional Identity in Times of Tension - Wenhao Diao (University of Arizona), Yi Xu (University of Pittsburgh), & Yang Xiao-Desai (San Francisco State University)

This study focuses on Chinese language teachers’ professional identities in American K-12 schools during the COVID-19 pandemic era, when the surging anti-Chinese racism coincided with the deteriorating Sino-US relationship. Our findings illuminate the racial, political, and epistemic tensions that these teachers had to negotiate.

Co-Constructing Intercultural Citizenship and Praxis: The Solidarity Files - Xiaowen Qiu (Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey), Chloe Bellows (Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey) & Christelle Palpacuer Lee (Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey)

Through exploratory practice, instructors of ELL and world language methods courses and pre-service educators dialogically negotiate and critically explore the meanings, entanglements, tensions and possibilities around the notion and pedagogies of solidarity for re-imagining social justice praxis.

Intercultural Communication in US Schools of Education - Yesul Han (University of Virginia)

This research explores teaching/learning strategies and perceptions of international graduate students and faculty in US schools of education. Adopting mixed methods, it delves into their experiences and highlights the importance of in-depth communication for academic support.

Fostering Intercultural Competence Through Virtual Exchange - Yoko Matsumoto (Monash University)

This research project investigates the experiences of Japanese university students who participate in virtual exchange programs and aims to expand our understanding of how intercultural competence is manifested and developed in online contexts.

Reconceptualising Intercultural Competence for Sustainable Futures - Yoko Munezane (Rikkyo University)

This presentation attempts to provide the definitions of intercultural competence and present the new conceptual model of intercultural competence by integrating the insights from previously understudied three groups of key stakeholders, language learners, language teachers, and people who work in the public arena.

Cultivating Intercultural Understanding: Four-Tiered Language Exchange - Yoshihiro Nakajima (Osaka Metropolitan University), Kazuko Saito (Hunter College, City University of New York), & Chizuko K. Wallestad (Osaka Metropolitan University)

American college Japanese language courses cooperate with a Japanese university in a four-tiered structure deepening students’ intercultural understanding: Virtual Language Tables, Collaborative Online International Learning, short- and long-term exchanges. It fosters global citizenship in line with World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages.

Global Literacy and Intercultural Learning with Virtual Field Experiences - Yousra Abourehab (University of Arizona), Jill Castek (University of Arizona), & Veronica Oguilve (Universidad Tecnica Nacional & Universidad Estatal a Distancia)

This session explores teachers’ designing Virtual Field Experiences (VFEs) and shifts in global digital literacies through a Professional Learning Series. Findings show VFEs: 1) connect digital literacies and intercultural awareness; 2) expand views of the global and digital world, 3) demonstrate co-design that intersect with students’ interests.

Posters

In these posters, presenters exhibit preliminary results of work in progress or work that lends itself to visual displays and representations. Presenters engage in informal discussion with conference attendees. For in-person posters, multiple posters will share a room during the poster session on February 22nd, and authors have been asked to share their image in the conference app. Virtual posters will be available in the conference app, where asynchronous discussion can take place.

Intercultural Competence and Building Resilience for Ukrainian Refugees - Alona Kladieva (University of Arizona) & Anastasiia Gorlova (The University of Arizona)

The war in Ukraine has resulted in a large number of refugees seeking shelter in countries around the world. This poster presents a curriculum and approach to curriculum development that is designed to foster resilience, intercultural competence and sensitively address uncomfortable and challenging topics related to war and trauma.

Teaching for Global Competence with Literature - April A. Mattix Foster (George Mason University), Kathleen Ramos (George Mason University), Sarah Rich (George Mason University), & Rebecca Eisenberg (George Mason University)

This work focuses on strategies for teaching for global competence and anti-racist education, specifically using children’s and adolescent literature and global thinking routines to foster inquiry, engage learners in perspective-taking of others’ viewpoints, invite respectful dialog, and spark thinking around advocating for a more just world.

A Global Humanities Approach to the UN SDGs: Public Health Pioneers Fight - Seung Eun Chang (Georgia Institute of Technology)

Exploring a documentary film in a language and culture course integrated with SDGs is a great tool for the learners, enhancing their global citizenship as well as helping them develop linguistic and intercultural competence. The session discusses the sample curriculum development of the global humanities approach to the UN SDGs (1,2,3,4 and 5.)

From Bullying to Belonging: Stories Build Peace and Ethnocultural Empathy - Emily White (University of Utah)

Language educators can empower global language learners to reduce bias, stereotypes and discrimination by teaching peacebuilding competencies such as intercultural empathy and cognitive flexibility. This presentation will offer second language educators two positive interventions that promote perspective taking, critical thinking and common humanity.

Peace as a Practice: Contemplative Cultural Competency in Russian Language and Cultural Content Classes, 2022-2023 - Galina Nicoll (University of Colorado Boulder) & Andriy Matiashchuk

In the era of sudden traumatic events, such as recent war in Ukraine and the new conflict in Gaza, we experience an even greater need for contemplative infusion of mindfulness, compassion and understanding into our educational settings. This poster discusses the work of a volunteer, Andriy Matiashchuk (a FIFA certified coach and a former Ukrainian Olympic Committee affiliate) of the Ukrainian League of helpers with 6 different cohorts of students at CU Boulder studying Russian language or cultural history. In our report we present summaries of student interactions and feedback; examples of artwork that communicates response to trauma; images of class interactions with Andriy where embodied cognition exercises were implemented, either in paralleling language structures or embodying a personal choice in a “mindset” of a Ukrainian person. It has been our students’ experience that such interactions offered remarkable respite to them and an avenue to process fear and grief associated with these traumatic events. Language interactions specifically offered considerable openings through immersing students in a new language and cross-language experience with deep cultural commentary that was relayed live by a witness of the events.

Equity Audit of a Teacher Education Program: Promoting Inclusion - Josh Tolbert (Indiana University East) & Amanda Shufflebarger (Tucson Unified School District)

This poster presents a study of an equity audit which attempts to improve outcomes and experiences of non-white rural P-12 learners by increasing the equity literacy of faculty and pre-service teachers in a rural university teacher education program.

Intercultural Peacebuilding Education with the Hiroshima-Hawaii Connections - Mitsuko Takei (Hiroshima Shudo University)

This study reports on an intercultural peacebuilding education course that focuses on the historical connections between Hiroshima and Hawaii, involving Japanese Americans. The course aims to foster mutual respect, establish enduring bonds between Japanese students and local communities, and promote meaningful and respectful interactions.

Elevating Students’ Intercultural Competency to Promote Peacebuilding - Peng Yu (University of New Mexico)

This presentation aims to demonstrate an advanced-level Chinese language thematic unit focusing on the “Harmony-oriented” mindset in Chinese culture. Understanding this core value in Chinese society can help language learners develop fundamental intercultural skills when communicating with Chinese native speakers.

Embodied Trauma, Engendered Peace: Teaching about Gender-Based Violence - Therese Tardio (Carnegie Mellon University)

This poster will share pedagogical practices and activities from two distinct courses to explore how we teach about Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and its relationship to peace-building processes. GBV must be addressed fully as part of any broader peace-building initiative, yet is often overlooked, and is a challenging topic for students to discuss.

Cultivating Interculturality: El Cafecito - Verónica Moraga (The University of Chicago)

El Cafecito is a culturally immersive activity series at the University of Chicago that engages participants with target language enclaves to promote intercultural exchange by elevating the voices and perspectives of guests from target enclaves within the Latinx community.

 

ICC 2024: Pre- and Post-Conference Workshop Information

In-person pre- and post-conference workshops took place on Thursday February 22nd and Sunday February 25th; they did not conflict with any of the presentations during the main body of the conference. Participants registered separately for individual workshops, as they were not included in the registration fee for the main conference. A certificate of attendance for Continuing Education (3 hours) was provided to participants at the end of each event.

Participants could register only for workshop(s), if they were not attending the main conference.

Presenter: Susana Pérez Castillejo (University of St. Thomas, in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States)

Multinational businesses can contribute to sustainable peace by promoting economic growth, exercising backchannel diplomacy, practicing workplace equity, and fostering understanding among employes from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds (Fort & Schipani, 2004). An interculturally competent workforce is key for businesses to serve as peace-building agents, and business language courses provide an excellent opportunity for the development of interculturally competent professionals (Hager, 2012).

A challenge in business language courses is that commercially available materials usually focus on developing workplace vocabulary and culture-specific knowledge. This workshop argues that the development of intercultural communication skills requires a culture-general approach based on broader frameworks that can be applied in multiple contexts, domestically and abroad.

This workshop will demonstrate how to develop materials for business language courses to foster intercultural competence through a culture-general lens. It introduces basic concepts from intercultural communication theory and shows how to apply those concepts in the creation of instructional activities that promote cross-cultural competence, language development, and professional communication skills. Although examples come from a Business Spanish course, participants will be able to adapt them to their own teaching environments because of the culture-general approach they follow.

Participants will leave the workshop with 1) a better understanding of current theoretical frameworks applied in intercultural business communication, and 2) multiple activity examples they can adapt for their own teaching contexts. The workshop is intended for business language teachers and curriculum developers.

References Cited:

Fort, Timothy L. & Cindy A. Schipani (2004). The Role of Business in Fostering Peaceful Societies.

Hager, Michael (2012). Culture: The Basis for Learning Business in a Foreign Language. Global Business Languages, 17(4), 31-52.

Susana Pérez Castillejo (University of St. Thomas)

Susana Pérez Castillejo is Associate Professor in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages at the University of St. Thomas, in Minnesota, in the United States. Her research focuses on multilingualism, language variation, and the role of individual characteristics in language development. She regularly teaches Spanish for professional purposes courses.

 

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Presenters: Liudmila Klimanova (University of Arizona, United States) and Lara Lomicka Anderson (University of South Carolina, United States)

Facilitated by Lincoln Bain and Mourad Abdennebi (University of Arizona)

Learning about a culture does not happen in isolation from the place and space where culture is maintained, practiced, and\or contested. Places have a profound impact on what and how we learn (Holden & Sykes, 2011). In language classrooms, however, place is often conceived as an abstraction, or broad generalization about a monolithic nation where language is often isolated from the communities in which it is spoken (Kramsch, 2014). Local investigation of a place and space allows instructors to challenge the ideologies of monolithic cultures and engage students in building a holistic understanding of places where the character, history, and needs of a place emerge more vividly (Klimanova & Hellmich, 2021).

In this three-hour workshop intended for K-16 educators, the presenters offer an overview of place-based pedagogies and engage participants in culturally rich and linguistically diverse spaces around Tucson to learn how local heritage, cultural practices, and linguistic landscapes can serve as the basis for teaching languages and intercultural concepts. The session offers an overview of critical pedagogies and map-based tools related to place-based language learning design. Participants spend time “in the field” applying what they have learned in order to develop ideas about their own place-based language learning lesson. Participants gain hands-on experience with designing place-oriented cultural activities for at home and for study-abroad contexts.

Goals:

  1. Introduce participants to the principles of place-based learning: models and frameworks.
  2. Engage participants in hands-on practice with place/mapping-based tools for implementation.
  3. Create a place-based activity that fits with participant goals

Activities:

  • Linguistic Landscape walk. Participants explore an area of Tucson and document their linguistic landscape.
  • LESCANT exploration with SIFTR app. Participants visit a culturally diverse space and engage in critical noticing and reflection.
  • “Slow Campus Walks” – Participants engage in “slow journalism” to explore urban borders and cultures.

Outcomes:

  • Participants gain an understanding of place-based learning and the theory/pedagogy surrounding it.
  • Participants receive instruction in using place-related tools.
  • Participants understand and articulate the benefits of using place-based tools in their language classes.
  • Participants conceive a multimedia project, based on the concepts and examples of place-oriented cultural pedagogy.

 

References Cited:

Holden, C., & Sykes, J. (2011). Leveraging mobile games for place-based language learning. International Journal of Game-based Learning, 1(2), 1-18.

Kramsch, C. (2014). Language and culture. AILA review, 27(1), 30-55.

Klimanova, L., & Hellmich, E. A. (2021). Putting local on the MAP: A model for engaging foreign language students with local cultures. Foreign Language Annals, 54(1), 158–184. https://doi.org/10.1111/flan.12493

Liudmila Klimanova (University of Arizona)

Liudmila Klimanova is Assistant Professor of Second Language Acquisition & Technology at the University of Arizona. Her research intersects the areas of learner psychology and CALL, digital humanistic pedagogy, and critical virtual exchange.

Lara Lomicka Anderson (University of South Carolina)

Lara Lomicka Anderson currently serves as Interim Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies at the University of South Carolina. She is a  Professor of French and Applied Linguistics with a focus on computer-assisted language learning.  In addition to numerous peer-reviewed publications, she has co-edited two books on technology and language learning, an edited special issue of Language Learning and & Technology (2023), and a recently published book, The Faculty Factor (2023).

 

Presenters: Robert O’Dowd (Universidad de León, Spain), Markus Ritter (Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany) and Sina Werner (Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany)

Virtual Exchange (VE) refers to the numerous online learning initiatives and methodologies which engage learners in online collaborative learning and interaction with partners from different cultural backgrounds as part of their study programmes and under the guidance of educators (O’Dowd, 2023). Although VE has been employed in Foreign Language education for over 25 years, it has received much greater attention since the recent pandemic and many practitioners are exploring its potential to develop intercultural competence and global citizenship in their classrooms (Porto, 2018; Ramirez, 2019; Trapé, 2018;

The aim of this workshop is to establish the basic steps for setting up and running a VE project focused on themes of Global Citizenship and to develop participants’ understanding of how to deal with the different challenges and barriers involved when designing such projects. While VE has much potential, it also brings with it challenges related to equity of engagement, learners’ rejection of difference and effective task design (O’Dowd, 2019).

The specific objectives of the workshop are the following:

  • Introduce the concept of VE and present an overview of how it can be employed to develop global citizenship.
  • Examine a series of case studies involving VE and examine data to explore its potential for developing global citizenship and also the challenges which can arise during such projects.
  • Give participants the opportunity to develop VE tasks focused on global citizenship and to discuss these with colleagues.

By taking part in the combination of presentations and group work in this workshop, participants will learn about how VE is being employed to develop global citizenship and they will have an opportunity to develop their own plans for running a VE programme in their own teaching.

The target audience is teachers working in high school or higher education interested in learning more about how online collaborative learning can be employed effectively to develop global citizenship. Colleagues who work in international mobility programmes and who are interested in promoting VE in their own institutions may also be interested.

References Cited:

O’Dowd, R. (2019). A transnational model of virtual exchange for global citizenship education. Language Teaching, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444819000077

Porto, M. (2018). Affordances, complexities, and challenges of intercultural citizenship for foreign language teachers. Foreign Language Annals, 52(1), 141–164. https://doi.org/10.1111/flan.12375

Ramirez, C. K. de. (2019). Global Citizenship Education Through Collaborative Online International Learning in the Borderlands: A Case of the Arizona–Sonora Megaregion: Journal of Studies in International Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315319888886

Trapè, R. (2019). Building Empathy and Intercultural Citizenship through a Virtual Exchange Project. Le Simplegadi, 19, 167–180. https://doi.org/10.17456/SIMPLE-136

Robert O’Dowd (Universidad de León)

Robert O’Dowd is Full Professor for English Studies at the University of León, Spain. He has published extensively about Virtual Exchange in higher education. His most recent book is Internationalising Higher Education and the Role of Virtual Exchange (2023, Routledge).

Sina Werner (Ruhr-Universität Bochum)

Sina Werner is a PhD candidate and research assistant at the Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany. Her research interests are in the areas of CALL, TBLT, and teacher education. After her teacher training and second state exam, she started her dissertation in which she investigates patterns of task-based group interactions in breakout rooms.

Markus Ritter (Ruhr-Universität Bochum)

Markus Ritter is full professor and chair of EFL Didactics at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany. His major research interests include digital transformation in EFL education, early foreign language learning, and learning outcomes of virtual exchanges. One of his more recent grants is the state-funded Dialoge project [Digital literacy in teacher education]. A recent publication is ‘The impact of early foreign language learning on language proficiency development from middle to high school’ (System 2022).

ICC 2024 Scientific Committee

Anonymous proposals were reviewed by the following scientific committee members:
  • Mehtap Açar (Qatar University, Qatar)
  • José Aldemar Alvarez Valencia (Universidad del Valle, Colombia)
  • Jane Andrews (University of Bristol, UK)
  • Elisabeth Arevalo-Guerrero (University of Maryland, Baltimore County)
  • Mahmoud Azaz (University of Arizona)
  • Theresa Catalano (University of Nebraska–Lincoln)
  • Wenhao Diao (University of Arizona)
  • Adriana Diaz (University of Queensland, Australia)
  • Sarah Dietrich (Southeast Missouri State University)
  • Peter Ecke (University of Arizona)
  • Didem Ekici (University of San Francisco)
  • Julieta Fernandez (University of Arizona)
  • Marta Giralt (University of Limerick, Ireland)
  • Federica Goldoni (Georgia Gwinett College)
  • Irina Golubeva (University of Maryland, Baltimore County)
  • David Gramling (University of British Columbia, Canada)
  • Muriel Grosbois (Cnam, France)
  • Barbara Hanna (University of Queensland, Australia)
  • Tara Hashemi (California State University, Fresno)
  • Mirjam Hauck (Open University, UK)
  • Emily Hellmich (University of California, Berkeley)
  • Marta Janachowska-Budych (Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu, Poland)
  • Erin Kearney (University of Buffalo)
  • Kris Knisely (University of Arizona)
  • David Malinowski (San Jose State University)
  • Maria Manni (University of Maryland, Baltimore County)
  • Janice McGregor (University of Arizona)
  • Kristen Michelson (Texas Tech University)
  • Amy Jo Minnett (Salem State University)
  • Nicole Mills (Harvard University)
  • Robert O’Dowd (Universidad de Léon, Spain)
  • Maria Matilde Olivero (Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto, Argentina)
  • Christelle Palpacuer Lee (Rutgers University)
  • Suzanne Panferov-Reese (University of Arizona)
  • Kacy Peckenpaugh (Weber State University)
  • Beatriz Maria Peña Dix (Universidad de los Andes, Colombia)
  • Elyse Petit (Santa Rosa Junior College)
  • Tracy Quan (University of Colorado, Boulder)
  • Diane Richardson (University of Delaware)
  • Julio Rodriguez (University of Hawaii, Manoa)
  • Roxanna M Senyshyn (Pennsylvania State University, Abington College)
  • Elizabeth Smolcic (Pennsylvania State University)
  • Allison Spenader (College of Saint Benedict)
  • Joshua Thoms (Utah State University)
  • Emma Trentman (University of New Mexico)
  • Kimberly Vinall (University of California, Berkeley)
  • Adnan Yilmaz (University of Stirling, UK)
  • Manuela Wagner (University of Connecticut)
  • Yi Wang (Stony Brook University)
  • Pamela Wesely (University of Iowa)
  • Naouel Zoghlami (Cnam, France)