As time goes on, the relevancy and salience of intercultural communication and language education have become more and more apparent. And this is not only in regards to the increasingly interconnected world due to technological advances and human mobility, but also because the challenges of intercultural communication are the linguistic challenge of language learning, the discursive challenge of perception and bias, and the social challenge of justice and inclusion.

What do these challenges mean for TESOL professionals? First and foremost, these challenges provide opportunities to position Intercultural Communication Interest Section at the forefront of TESOL community professional learning. It means that language learning and teaching are aimed for intercultural dialogue and exploration. As Byram and Wagner (2018) argue, “Language education needs to play a leading role in the development of our students’ intercultural communicative competence, i.e., combining language skills with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that help them become ‘intercultural citizens,’ able to engage in intercultural communication, to think and act critically, and to negotiate the complexities of today’s world” (p.141). Social and cultural conflict in today’s world is unavoidable and language educators need to create space and environment for intercultural exploration and dialogue. Intercultural exploration in the context of social and cultural group relations often invites personal transformation as a way to enable individuals to communicate and work more effectively with each other. Therefore, as language teachers and teacher educators we need to engage ourselves and our students in exploration of our assumptions and perceptions and in critical reflection on our personal biases and those held by communities and groups that are part of the social fabric of our relationships at local, national and international levels. Creating a space and environment to engage in exploration and dialogue with those whose perspectives and worldviews are different from ours, is of critical importance for TESOL professionals.

As Chair-Elect, I look forward to working with the ICIS leadership team to cultivate opportunities for professional development that keep the above stated challenges and the concerns of our students, fellow TESOL professionals, and fellow IC membership at the forefront of our plans this coming year. I propose that ICIS sets the following as its goals for 2019:

1. Increase visibility of ICIS in the TESOL community as a resource to enhance to role of intercultural communication theory, inquiry, and practice in both language education and teacher preparation programs.

2. Connect intercultural communication theory, research, and advocacy for classroom practices as it relates to language education and teacher preparation programs.

3. Provide opportunities for ICIS members to share their expertise and to engage in professional development opportunities that benefit ICIS membership and other TESOL professionals.

Finally, I would like to encourage ICIS members to use myTESOL community group as a space to share information and insights related to professional experiences and activities and to discuss both challenges and goals highlighted above. Let’s engage in dialogue and exploration online, before we meet for next year’s convention in Atlanta, Georgia!

References

Byram, M., & Wagner, M. (2018). Making a difference: Language teaching for Intercultural and international dialogue.” Foreign Language Annals, 51, 140-151.