Webinar Presented by Manuela Wagner, Professor in the Department of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages at the University of Connecticut.
In this webinar we start by reflecting on connections between teaching languages and preparing our students for the challenges they (and we as a society) face (see UN global issues). Questions include: What should students learn in and take away from language education? Should language education go beyond the goal of teaching language proficiency? If so, what are some objectives language education can realistically pursue? Together we will reflect on the increasing demand for students to learn how to engage in intercultural dialogue, as evidenced by national and international initiatives to include intercultural competence (IC) in education in meaningful ways (e.g., ACTFL, Council of Europe, PISA assessments 2018).
Wagner will introduce some examples in which the models of Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC, Byram, 1997) and Intercultural Citizenship (ICit, Byram, 2008) were applied to help students acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to engage in intercultural dialogue and solve problems together. Through interactive activities, participants will 1) discuss and reflect on the role of culture and ICC and ICit in language education, 2) discuss the implementation of models of ICC in sample activities, and 3) come up with connections to their own teaching. Participants will think about possible challenges and concerns regarding this way of teaching. Challenges and lessons learned from prior projects will be shared to allow for a beginning conversation about applying this theory to practice in different contexts. Finally, participants will reflect on how this way of teaching is linked to teaching for social justice, anti-racism, and decolonization.
This event is one in a two-part webinar series on exploring Intercultural communication in the L2 classroom. The other webinar is presented by Natalie Amgott.
See presentation slides here (PDF).
Bio:
Manuela Wagner is Professor in the Department of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages at the University of Connecticut. In her research, teaching, and service she focuses on the integration of intercultural dialogue and citizenship and social justice in education. An important goal in this work is to foster an environment in which students sustain different parts of their identities. She is particularly interested in the interplay of theory and practice and enjoys collaborating with colleagues in a variety of contexts and disciplines. Examples of projects can be found in her co-authored and co-edited volumes: Teaching Intercultural Citizenship Across the Curriculum: The Role of Language Education (2019), Teaching Intercultural Competence Across the Age Range: From Theory to Practice(2018), Education for Intercultural Citizenship: Principles in Practice (2017). Other research interests include intellectual humility and conviction, humor in a variety of contexts (language education, German-speaking cultures), and first language acquisition (pragmatic development in infants and children and language development in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder).
Registration closes at 5PM (Arizona) on May 25, 2021.