Making the most of general education foreign language requirements

Abstract

Given that most postsecondary institutions have recognized the need to prepare interculturally competent undergraduates, this study used the Intercultural Development Inventory to measure the extent to which one group of undergraduate learners demonstrated increased intercultural competence after taking a first‐semester foreign language (FL) course. Drawing on research on the role of culture in the FL curriculum and on intercultural competence development, the findings illustrate that (a) beginner‐level language courses contribute minimally to students’ intercultural competence development, and (b) FL departments need to substantially redesign their beginner‐level curriculum if they hope to contribute in meaningful ways to their institution's intercultural, diversity, global learning, and/or 21st‐century goals. The data suggest that in addition to re‐envisioning the beginner and intermediate FL instructional sequence, universities need more robust FL requirements for general education.

Benefits of foreign language learning and bilingualism: An analysis of published empirical research 2012–2019

“…The researchers proposed that the accumulation of years of language learning can positively impact the development of cross‐cultural awareness and communicative competence in language learners. Similarly, Barski and Wilkerson‐Barker () investigated gains in intercultural competence in 25 undergraduate students who took a beginner level language course for one semester. These courses were designed to build linguistic and cultural competencies and included a variety of activities to build upon these skills.…”

The impact of explicit instruction in intercultural competence in the world language classroom

“…As noted in the literature review, there are few studies that have examined the development of IC in elementary language students in general, and there are even fewer studies that have implemented a curricular revision to include IC training in a sequence of courses. Barski and Wilkerson–Barker (2019) used the IDI to measure IC development in first‐semester Spanish and French courses with no activities designed to target IC development. They found no significant IC growth in either population.…”

“…The sixth, verbal and nonverbal communication, was excluded since we do not include intercultural communicative competence as a programmatic goal at the elementary level. As Barski and Wilkerson–Barker (2019) pointed out, “The VALUE rubrics are widely used by colleges and universities in the United States (see Sullivan & McConnell, 2018) and thus have enormous potential to create common reference points and models in the sea of scholarly literature devoted to culture and intercultural competence” (p. 495). Moreover, the AAC&U also uses Bennett's (2008) definition of IC as “a set of cognitive, affective, and behavioral skills and characteristics that support effective and appropriate interaction in a variety of cultural contexts.” The levels of this rubric are informed in part by Bennett's (1993) developmental model of intercultural sensitivity, which is the foundation of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI).…”

“…Barski and Wilkerson–Barker (2019) examined IC development after first semester of Spanish and French courses at an institution where the language requirement is one course. The courses did not include activities designed to target IC development.…”

“…Most progressions represented movement beyond the Denial and the Polarization levels; two students who were rated at the Minimization level progressed beyond that level by Test 2. (Barski & Wilkerson–Barker, 2019, p. 499)…”