PREPARING TEACHERS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN GLOBAL EDUCATION

Our nation is in critical need of a globally competent citizenry. Educational leaders have increasingly called upon second language teachers to accept partial responsibility for preparing today's students for tomorrow's complex, interdependent world. Given the inseparable nature of language and culture and the complexities of intercultural communication, language teachers are uniquely placed to teach their students cultural understanding and intercultural skills. Unfortunately, many teachers lack a comprehension of the essence of culture and of the culture-learning process, both of which are fundamental to teaching culture in a progressive, skill-building fashion. Through no fault of their own, they may not have the tools necessary to teach for global understanding. This article describes an experimental course. This course tested the hypothesis that teachers, given an in-depth understanding of culture and culture-learning theory, and given the experiences necessary to discern the process both affectively and cognitively, could successfully develop the meaningful, skill-building, cultural curricula necessary for increased global skills and understanding.