Warmest greetings from Vancouver!

Patriann and I are excited to present the second of ICIS’s thematic newsletters: “Intercultural Communication: A Critical Perspective.” This theme came to us after the 2015 TESOL convention, which featured numerous critically oriented presentations and stimulating postconvention discussions. Being critical here does not mean being negative, but, rather, being aware of the complexities of our practice and consequences that our research and teaching carry into our students’ everyday lives.

As educators working with learners of English as an additional language, we cannot turn our backs on the challenges that our students face, especially in regards to the use of “cultural misunderstanding” as a blanket excuse for larger social issues. It is our social responsibility to continually question and address injustice in its many forms and shapes, and to equip our learners with tools to do the same. That is why in this issue we feature practice-based articles, conceptual pieces, and a thought-provoking interview. We hope that you will enjoy reading this issue just as much as we enjoyed working on it!

We are always on the lookout for new ideas that can inspire our community to do our best work and keep pushing boundaries. We would like to use this opportunity and thank all the colleagues who continually contribute to InterCom. Your submissions reflect the diversity within our field, and we thank you for your work!

All the best,

Natalia Balyasnikova and Patriann Smith

Natalia Balyasnikova is a doctoral student in language and literacy education at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. Originally from Russia, Natalia moved to Canada in 2013 to pursue her degree in TESL with a focus on intercultural communication. Natalia writes about her life as a graduate student and a newcomer to Canada in her blog.

Patriann Smith, PhD, is an assistant professor of language, diversity, and literacy studies at Texas Tech University who relies on tenets of intercultural communication in her cross-cultural work to better understand how immigrant teachers to the United States address their ideologies about nonstandardized languages that affect literacy instruction. The intersections of Patriann’s research can better understood by taking a look at her recently released co-edited Handbook of Research on Cross-Cultural Approaches to Language and Literacy Development.