Presentations at the 2026 ICC Conference

The presentations below include papers (in-person and virtual), symposia (in-person and virtual), posters (virtual), and the post-conference workshops.

In addition, the three plenary presentations are:

When Intercultural Competence Isn’t Enough: Hospicing Modernity and the Limits of Translation – Vanessa de Oliveira Andreotti (University of Victoria, Canada)
Intercultural Communication in Action: Exploring Conflict Styles and Fostering Empathy through Virtual Exchange – Irina Golubeva (University of Maryland Baltimore County, USA)
Building Cultures of Hope: On the Transformative Power of Critical Hope and Eco-cosmopolitanism in Cultural Learning – Ricardo Römhild (University of Münster).

Paper Presentations

A Model Proposal of Intercultural Empathy for Higher Education – Ivett Guntersdorfer (University of Salzburg, Austria) and Irina Golubeva (University of Maryland at Baltimore County, USA)

A Teacher’s Learning Trajectory Toward Global Citizenship – Elizabeth Smolcic (Pennsylvania State University, USA) and SoYoung Han (Cyber Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, South Korea)

An Initiative to Enhance Intercultural Competence and Its Assessment Tools – Kazumi Matsumoto (Ball State University, USA)

Assessing Intercultural Competence in Language Education Using AI – Weejeong Jeong (Indiana University Bloomington, USA), Sun-Kwang Bae (Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, USA), Joshua McGraw (Indiana University Bloomington, USA), and Elijah Kim (Indiana University Bloomington, USA)

Beyond Anthropocentrism: For an Ecocentric Intercultural Language Pedagogy – Luigia Maiellaro (Northeastern University, USA)

Beyond Borders: A Progressive Learning Journey at Deggendorf Institute of Technology – Michelle J. Cummings-Koether (Deggendorf Institute of Technology, Germany), Jessica Ohnesorg (Deggendorf Institute of Technology, Germany), Franziska Durner (Deggendorf Institute of Technology, Germany), and Matthias Hümmer (Deggendorf Institute of Technology, Germany)

Bilingual Pragmatic Competence, Intercultural Style, Identity, and ICC – Hyoun-A Joo (Georgia Institute of Technology, USA)

Bridging Languages, Building Resilience – Tiasia O’Brien (co:census, USA) and Nygel Jones (co:census, USA)

Building Bridges: Service Learning Alongside Catholic Sisters in Africa – Rosemary Shaver (Africa Sisters Education Collaborative/Marywood University, USA), Sarah Martin (Africa Sisters Education Collaborative/Marywood University, USA), and Isabelle Samantha Henry (Africa Sisters Education Collaborative/Marywood University, USA)

Building Communicative Skills and SDG Engagement in Plain-Japanese COIL – Jana M. Townsend (Hiroshima Shudo University, Japan) and Hiroko G. Hino (Arizona State University, USA)

Business as a Catalyst for Ethnic Cultural Heritage Revival – Yihuai Hu (City University of Macau, China), Xinyue Zhong (Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, China), and Mengxi Liu (Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, China)

Cognitive Sociolinguistics of Satire in the Intercultural Classroom – Sadia Khan (Aligarh Muslim University, India) and Bairam Khan (Vanderbilt University, USA)

Contextual Operationalization of IC in First-Year Writing Courses Across Institutions – Phuong Minh Tran (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, USA)

Cultural and Language Experiences in a TESL Program with Ecuador Immersion – Freyca Calderon (Pennsylvania State University, USA), Kevin Donley (Georgetown University, USA), Maure Carolina Aguirre Ortega (Pennsylvania State University, USA), and May Lee (Pennsylvania State University, USA)

Cultural Competence in LIS Research: Toward Inclusive, Sustainable Change – Michele A. L. Villagran (San Jose State University, USA)

Culminating Intercultural Learning Experiences: The Capstone Seminar – Elsa Belmont Flores (Brown University, USA)

Data-Driven Approaches to Sustainable Models for Language Teacher Education – Onur Ural Burns (University of Arizona, USA)

Designing Ethical AI Tools for Inclusive Language Teaching – Caroline Scheuer Neves (University of Arizona, USA)

Developing Intercultural Competence Through Student-AI Interactions – Yesul (Rosa) Han (University of Virginia, USA) and Yunjeong Chang (University at Buffalo, USA)

Development of Intercultural Awareness Training for Study Abroad Students – Anastasia Stavridou (University of Manchester, United Kingdom) and Nanna Pedley (University of Manchester, United Kingdom)

Do Virtual Exchanges Build Students’ Intercultural Competence? – Susana Pérez Castillejo (University of St. Thomas, USA) and Tzu-Yiu Chen (Universidad de Barcelona, Spain)

Effects of YouTube Algorithms on College Students’ Intercultural Awareness – I-Chung Ke (Yuan Ze University, Taiwan)

Embedding Intercultural Competence in Summer Study Abroad – Mina Soroosh (University of Southern California, USA)

Empathy and Intercultural Approaches to Sectarianism in Northern Ireland – John-Guy Perrem (Muroran Institute of Technology (National University Japan), Japan)

Empathy Through AI: Transformative Writing in EFL for Intercultural Growth – Sabina A. Nowak (University of the National Education Commission, Poland), and Werona Krol-Gierat (University of the National Education Commission, Poland)

Engaging International Students in a College Classroom – Angelina Serratos (University of Arizona, USA)

Enhancing Intercultural Competence in EFL Learners Through Literary Texts – Samira Moussaoui (Sultan Qaboos University, Oman) and Muneer Al-Hadhrami (Sultan Qaboos University, Oman)

Enhancing Multidialectal Sociopragmatic Competence in L2 Arabic – Mahmoud Azaz (University of Arizona, USA) and Ayman Mohamed (Michigan State University, USA)

Exploring Netiquette of Pakistani Social Media Users – Laraib Fatima (Air University, Islamabad, Pakistan) and Fizza Farrukh (Air University, Islamabad, Pakistan)

Exploring the Evolving Ethical Stances of Future L2 Teachers Toward AI – Kristen Michelson (Texas Tech University, USA)

Exploring the Link Between Language Learning and Intercultural Competence – Janel Pettes Guikema (Grand Valley State University, USA) and Majd Al-Mallah (Grand Valley State University, USA)

Fostering Competence for Democratic Culture through CLIL in Japan – Hongtao Jing (Kanto Gakuin University, Japan)

Fostering Digital Citizenship in Teacher Education – An AI-Based Approach – Markus Ritter (Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany) and Nils Mueller (Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany)

Fostering Intercultural Citizenship in Global English Classrooms – Gareth Humphreys (Sojo University, Japan)

Fostering Professional Development for Sustainability-Focused L2 Pedagogy – Laura Florand (Duke University, USA) and Sandra Valnes Quammen (Duke University, USA)

From Correction to Culture: AI Feedback for Intercultural Writing in EFL – Yuxin Zhong (University of South Florida, USA)

From Survival to Agency: Language Learning for a Sustainable Future – Kaitlyn Ricks (College of Western Idaho, USA)

From UX to LX: Building Better Language Learners Through Design Thinking – Ruben Dawagne (Michigan State University, USA)

Gender, Identity, and Performativity in Pakistani Series Burka Avenger – Maheen Nadeem (Air University Islamabad, Pakistan), Maryum Nadeem (Air University Islamabad, Pakistan), and Fizza Farrukh (Air University Islamabad, Pakistan)

Generative AI: A Viable Option for Developing Pragmatic and IC Competence? – Robert Godwin-Jones (Virginia Commonwealth University, USA)

How Communication Happens in a Multicultural Staff: A Language School in VA – Lia Herrera-Lasso (ICA Language Services and Creighton University, USA)

How Do We Know? Fostering Global Leaders Through Graduate Study Abroad – Sharon Radd (St. Catherine University, USA) and Ericka Schmidt (St Catherine University, USA)

Indigeneity, Sustainability, and Activism in Kanaky and Ma’ohi Nui – Karen Turman (Harvard University, USA)

Integrating Spanish and Sustainability: Free Access and Real-World Impact – Maria Galvan (University of Michigan, USA) and Federico Fabbri (University of Michigan, USA)

Interactional Functions of Student Tellings in Arabic Study Abroad – Seth McCombie (Brigham Young University, USA) and Khaled Al Masaaed (Carnegie Mellon University, USA)

Intercultural Competence and GenAI: Students’ Critical Discourse Analysis – Rocío Fuentes (Central Connecticut State University, USA) and Alice Emery (National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico)

Intercultural Competence Through COIL in Intermediate Japanese Courses – Kazuaki Nakazawa (Yuan Ze University, Taiwan) and Reiko Habuto Ileleji (Ball State University, USA)

Intercultural Language Education Through Sustainability – Teresa Gimenez (University of Pennsylvania, USA)

Intercultural Sensitivity Development in Short-Term Study Abroad – Hossam Elsherbiny (Rice University, USA), Helade Scutti Santos (Rice University, USA), and Ronae Joseph (Rice University, USA)

Intercultural Storytelling as Pedagogy to Foster Awareness and Narrative – Ke Zhao (Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, China) and Huiyu Tan (Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, China, and University of Helsinki, Finland)

Leveraging Discussions with Guest Speakers in the Virtual Classroom – Sarah Dietrich (Southeast Missouri State University, USA)

Leveraging Dissonant Edges to Foster Sustainable Intercultural Competence – Stephanie Mikulasek (George Mason University, USA)

Mitigating “SDGs Burnout” by Integrating Local and Global Perspectives – Robert Sheridan (Kindai University, Japan)

Modeling a Divided Berlin in German and Russian Language Classes – Irina Walsh (Bryn Mawr College, USA) and Margaret Strair (Bryn Mawr College, USA)

Multilingual Peace Education for Sustainable Intercultural Global Competence – Yousra Abourehab (University of Arizona, USA)

Multilingual Storytelling in Teacher Sustainability Education – Dennis Tark (University of Rostock, Germany)

Multiliteracies, the Portfolio, and Equitable Assessment for Understanding – Amy Williams (Arizona School for the Arts, USA)

Narrative Competence and Intercultural Competence in US Medical Spanish – Juan Pablo Cominguez (Columbia University, USA)

Navigating Intercultural Relationships via Ethnographic Journals – Carl Ruest (University of British Columbia, Canada)

Navigating New Standards: K-12 World Language Teachers Teaching Culture – Seyyedeh Mobina Mobina Hosseini (State University of New York at Buffalo, USA)

Playful Pedagogy for Global Citizenship in Study Abroad Language Learning – Nadia Cristiani (Loyola University Chicago, Italy)

Plurilingualism and Interculturalism in Mexico’s New Primary School Texts – Gonzalo Isidro Bruno (Independent Researcher, Mexico)

Preparing Students to Dialogue Regarding the SDGs in Virtual Exchanges – Isabel María Kentengian (College of New Jersey, USA)

Promoting Global Sustainability with Literacies-Oriented Approaches – Alberta Gatti (City University of New York, CILC, USA) and Borbala Gaspar (University of Arizona, USA)

Redesigning Education for Future Speech Pathologists: Disrupting Systems – Traci M Love (Southside Chatter Collective, LLC, USA)

Role Models Kindle Motivation, Listening Skill and Intercultural Competence – Jack Pudelek (Rikkyo University, Japan)

Scaffolding the Design and Implementation of Virtual Field Experiences – Jill Castek (University of Arizona, USA), Yousra Abourehab (University of Arizona, USA), Mimoun Akhiat (University of Arizona, USA), and Yulia Mikheeva (University of Arizona, USA)

Serious Games Design Principles for Intercultural Education in EFL Context – Helen Zipei Liu (University of Auckland, New Zealand)

Shaping Identity and Action: Intercultural Growth in Mexican Students – Gloria Angelica Ortiz (Universidad Popular Autónoma del Estado de Puebla, Mexico)

Sociability as a Praxis: “You Just Get to Sit Down and Talk to People” – Marina Feldman (Rutgers University Graduate School of Education, USA)

Social Justice and EFL Materials in the Global South: An Argentine Case – Ana Cecilia Cad (Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina) and María Gimena San Martín (Universidad Nacional de Cordoba, Argentina)

Social Media for Climate Crisis Language Learning – Tehreem Zahra (Institute of Southern Punjab, Pakistan) and Francesco Perono Cacciafoco (Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, China)

Social Support as a Pathway to Sustainable Intercultural Learning – Anita Gregory (Tiffin University, USA)

Sustainability at the Core: Intercultural German for Global Citizenship – Budimka Uskokovic (Ohio State University, USA)

Sustainable ESP Test Design: Intercultural Competence in Algerian Contexts – Zemali Salem (University of Eloued, Algeria) and Mohammed Naoua (El Oued University, Algeria)

Sustainable Intercultural Community Engagement On and Off-Campus – Claudia Kunschak (Ritsumeikan University, Japan)

Telecollaborative Professional Development for Intercultural Competence and Positive Peace in EFL – SoYoung Han (Cyber Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, South Korea)

The Development of Global Citizenship Through Virtual Exchange – Diane Ceo-DiFrancesco (Xavier University, USA), Gloria Pacas (Universidad Centroamericana, El Salvador), Oscar Mora (Pontificia Universidad Javeriana Cali, Colombia), and Xóchitl León Oyarzábal (Universidad Iberoamericana, México)

The Hidden Language of Trust: Presence as a Bridge Across Cultures – Patrice Bisiot (Image Impact Index LLC, USA)

The Impact of Bilingual COIL on Community Building – Tetsuya Takeno (Konan University, Japan), Shari Yamamoto (Konan University, Japan), and Kazuhiro Nomura (Konan University, Japan)

The Meeting of Culture and Joy: ICC and FLE Among Tunisian Undergraduates – Mohamed Ala Sghaier (Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of Tunis, Tunisia)

The Role of Intercultural Competence in Creating a Sustainable World – Sandhya Shanker (Ohio State University, USA)

Together Alone: Interculturality in ELF Virtual Exchange in Canada and Jordan – Hiba Ibrahim (York University, Canada)

Transborder Telecollaboration: Learning About Oneself Through the Other – Yuri Kumagai (Smith College, USA)

Transformative Intercultural Learning in Southeast Asian Exchange Programs – Thinh Mai Phuc (Can Tho University, Vietnam)

Understanding IC in Chinese Higher Education Through Students’ Critical Reflexivity – Huiyu Tan (Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, China, and University of Helsinki, Finland), and Ke Zhao (Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, China)

Welcoming Resettled Families to Schools: A Community-Informed PD Model – Xiaowen Qiu (Rutgers Graduate School of Education, USA), Marina Feldman (Rutgers Graduate School of Education, USA), and Mary E Curran (Rutgers Graduate School of Education, USA)

What if? Language Teachers’ Speculative Scenarios for Sustainable Futures – Christelle Palpacuer Lee (Graduate School of Education, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, USA), Erin Kearney (Graduate School of Education, State University of New York at Buffalo, USA), Sarah Woodward-Jones (University at Buffalo, USA), and Aminah Raysor (University at Buffalo, USA)

World Music and Soundscapes: Linking Culture, Nature, and Sustainability – Min-Jung Son (Korea National University of Education, Republic of Korea)

Symposia

Exploring Contested Spaces of Culture Through Translation – Stephanie Ravillon (Brown University, USA), Elsa Amanatidou (Brown University, USA), Claudia Esposito (University of Massachusetts, USA), and Nikolas Kakkoufa (Columbia University, USA)

Paper 1: Τranslation and Translanguaging as Tools for the Development of Intercultural Competence and Critical Literacies – Elsa Amanatidou
Paper 2: Migration Speaks: Translation and Testimony for Social Change – Claudia Esposito
Paper 3: Designing Critical Futures: On Teaching Gender and Sexuality in the L2 Classroom – Nikolas Kakkoufa
Paper 4: Translating for Good: A Theoretical Framework – Stephanie Ravillon

K-16 Pipeline Building: A Summer Program on and for Sustainability – Wenhao Diao (University of Arizona, USA), Wenjing Grace Xie (Chandler Unified School District, USA), and Yanlin Wang (Texas Tech University, USA)

Paper 1: Background and Context: Why K-16 Pipeline Building? Wenhao Diao
Paper 2: Blending Language, Literacy, and STEM in the Curriculum on Sustainability – Grace Wenjing Xie
Paper 3: Meeting College-Level Language Learning Goals for High School Students – Yanlin Wang

Multilingual Parent Authors as Local Educators for Global Learning – Laura B. Liu (Indiana University Columbus, USA), Fabiana Costa (Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation, USA), Amy Shasanmi (Indiana University Indianapolis, USA), Clara Vaz Bauler (Adelphi University, USA), and Grace Mavhiza (STADIO Higher Education, South Africa)

Paper 1: Global and Local Funds of Knowledge: Chinese and U.S. Teacher Candidate Views – Laura B. Liu, Fabiana Costa and Amy Shasanmi

Paper 2: Translanguaging in South African English Classrooms: The Role of Parents – Grace Mavhiza

Paper 3: Funds of Knowledge as Ways of Languaging: Podcasting in Teacher Education – Clara Vaz Bauler

Virtual Posters

Creative Pathways to Intercultural Growth Through Service Learning – Diana Ruggiero (University of Memphis, USA)

Enhancing Intercultural Competence in Taiwanese Fifth Graders via Penpals – Mei-Yi Wu (Taipei Municipal Xinglong Elementary School, Taiwan)

Historical Literacy for Studying Abroad: Japan’s Ties With Hawaii and Korea – Mitsuko Takei (Hiroshima Shudo University, Japan), Kenta Babasaki (Hiroshima Shudo University, Japan), and Saki Miyauchi (Hiroshima Shudo University, Japan)

L’influence des cours de français et l’investissement social des immigrants – Niloufar Ataeepour (Université du Québec, Canada)

Media Curation of Culture Integrated into Language and Culture Courses – Seung Eun Chang (Georgia Institute of Technology, USA)

Perceptions of AI in Developing Intercultural Communicative Competence – Zeynep Saka Lloyd (Syracuse University, USA)

Reflection in Intercultural Communication: Learning from Critical Incidents – Nguyen B. Ngoc Jade (Yuan Ze University, Taiwan) and I-Chung Ke (Yuan Ze University, Taiwan)

The Arts as a Bridge: Insights from Diverse Adult EFL Classrooms in Ireland – Eirini Polychronaki (Trinity College Dublin, Ireland)

Post-Conference Workshops

Click here for workshop details.

Bridging Worlds: Teaching Language and Culture Through Translation – Sarah Albrecht (University of Houston-Downtown, USA)

From Culture Fit to Wave-Fit™: Rethinking Intercultural Competence – Taira Stuart (The Third Alternative LLC & Utah State University, USA)

Language Connected: Cultural Catalysts for Global Citizenship – Dulce Estévez (University of Arizona, USA), Alma Mota (University of Arizona, USA), Sergio Arenas (University of Arizona, USA), and Analú Aguirre (University of Arizona, USA)

Slow Looking and Poetic Dive for EDI and Intercultural Competence – Natalia Marakhovska (Mariupol State University, Ukraine)

What’s Your Mortar? Resilience that Hits Back – Tomina Ward (TWard Motivation LLC, USA)