AbstractThe 2007 Modern Language Association (MLA) report called for a transformation
in the governance, curricula, and aims of modern language programs. Specifically,
it urged language educators and program directors to shift their curricular emphasis
away from divisive disciplinary agendas to the shared goals of translingual and
transcultural competence. The emergence of new course offerings, particularly in
the area of community service learning (CSL), reflects these concerns. Yet while
much of the language scholarship on translingual and transcultural competence
focuses on the acquisition of linguistic skills, cultural knowledge, and critical thinking
skills, less attention has been given to the development of cognitive orientations
critical to the acquisition of intercultural competence. Drawing on developmental
and process models of intercultural sensitivity, this chapter contributes to the
existing literature in illuminating the role and value of CSL in developing attitudes
and mindsets conducive to the acquisition and development of intercultural competence.
This chapter presents the findings of a study of intercultural sensitivity development
(ISD) in the context of a CSL project titled Creating Communities, Engaged
Scholarship (CruCES). The study sought to assess how and to what extent service
learning helps to foster the development of intercultural sensitivity among students
in language courses. Implications for Language Program Directors (LPDs) to deploy
this model on a programmatic scale are presented.
Works published here are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.