Abstract
Globally, there is an increasing awareness of the need to prepare culturally competent citizens because of the diversity represented in the 21st-century classroom, new scenarios in the work industry, and current socio-political tensions throughout nations. What can we do as language educators to prepare students for a complex world? Scholars and teachers have started to argue that language involves more than grammar and communication, it also entails exploring our cultural positioning in plurilingual contexts. Promoting the development of intercultural competence requires a critical view of the curriculum and the changes to promote an intercultural mindset. Different disciplines have offered varied theories to explain intercultural competence (IC) development; however, more practical curriculum design and teaching strategies should be further developed to facilitate learning and prepare students for the complex cultural and linguistic landscapes created through globalization. This case study is specific to Spanish as a Foreign Language (SFL) secondary students and it seeks to document IC building through the implementation of maker-centered learning as an innovative thinking and learning framework and an analog form of physical mobility to develop IC. Samples of students’ IC lived experiences will be shared, as well as further suggestions regarding the specific use of MCL as a framework to build the students’ intercultural competence and empower them to shape a new interculturally competent world. The author also expands on the potential of this framework to be implemented in other subject areas as well as in professional development scenarios.
Presenters
Yerko SepulvedaFaculty and Diversity Council Coordinator, Classical and Foreign Languages and Literatures, Hawken School, Ohio, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Intercultural Competence, Teaching, Learning, Pedagogical Framework, Maker Centered Learning
