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ICIS Community,
On many of our campuses and within our communities, student
populations spend a great amount of time interacting with others who
identify similarly in “home” culture and native language. This limited
diversity extends beyond social groups to study groups and other
academic peer interactions, as well. It is incumbent upon us, in the
field of intercultural communication, to provide a foundation of
openness that fosters empathy and understanding among groups of any
background, even those who have never met, perhaps even in their own
classrooms.
This interaction and dialogue are critical to the success of
our student populations regardless of the identities they hold. And now
more than ever, providing the scaffolding for students to feel empowered
to explore their own identities, their interculturality, and the
intersections within which they move (Kim, 2015) sets the stage for
ultimately crossing those boundaries to actively engage with others,
intentionally listen to first-person accounts and experiences of
diversity, and increase engagement with their world—wherever they find
themselves now or in the future.
Within this ideal reality, greater creativity and academic and
professional success can be realized for all of us. It is incumbent upon
interculturalists—all of us, whether we label ourselves as such or
not—to facilitate this through our teaching as well as our learning. We must all reflect thoughtfully on
our own positionality within our communities, our institutions, our
field, our world and seek out and contribute tools to enrich this
process for our professional learning communities within and beyond
TESOL. How will we be defined by the growing pains we are currently
experiencing in hopes of bringing equity to all—our colleagues, our
students, our families, our friends, our neighbors? I encourage you to
engage with us in this critical inquiry and dialogue.
ICIS is hosting a number of webinars and coffee hour
conversations in an effort to achieve greater community and
collaboration around the issues we are collectively passionate about.
Will you join us? Your voice is valued and needed here. You will also
find another phenomenal way to actively join this dynamic professional
exchange in the article introducing you to HubICL (pronounced
/hʌ:bɪkl/). The ICIS leadership team is excited to explore the many ways
we can broaden our depth and scope of knowledge and exchange through
this “gift to the world” from Purdue’s Center for Intercultural
Learning, Mentorship, Assessment and Research. Join us on the
journey!
Community is at the heart of ICIS and all that we do. You are
an integral part of that community. Connect with us as you are able and
comfortable:
ICIS Recent Webinars
On behalf of the leadership team,
Amy Alice Chastain, Co-Chair 2020–21
Reference
Kim, Y. (2015). Finding a “home” beyond culture: The emergence
of intercultural personhood in the globalizing world. International Journal of Intercultural Relations,
46, 3-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2015.03.018 |
