This study explores whether and how interactions with art works can amplify and enrich language-and-culture learning in foreign and community language contexts with a focus on Arabic and the work of artist Ali Omar Ermes. The central cross-curricular orientation draws significantly on a range of other theoretical perspectives, both general and…

There has been a dramatic increase in the number of multilingual and multicultural students in U.S. schools. Because of high-stakes testing and English-only mandates, instructional practices and curricula in most urban school districts neglect the cultural and linguistic interests of their diverse student populations. In this interpretive study,…

In this brief article, elementary Spanish teacher, Dorie Perugini describes a classroom project that not only enabled students to explore their own culture and cultures around the world, but motivated them to create a beautiful piece of art. Like most elementary language teachers, Perugini needed to teach her class about food. While planning her…

In this work we report on a collaborative project at a large Northeastern University, in which we explored how to best collaborate to develop interdisciplinary teaching units, which integrate intercultural citizenship (Byram, 2008) into world languages, mathematics and social studies sixth grade curricula. We argue for the importance of addressing…

This essay offers some direction for greater integration of Austria and Switzerland into every level of the German language and culture curriculum. By excavating a number of now nearly forgotten intercultural connections between these alpine countries and the U.S., it is possible to present a more complete and complex picture of German-speaking…

The author works as a biliteracy teacher in a bilingual school that serves students from K-5th grade. She and her coteacher provide instruction in both English and Spanish to 4th and 5th graders. They have two language arts blocks so that students receive literacy instruction in both their native and second languages, and they teach math, social…

Traditional folktales constitute a social institution that reflects the value, customs, and lifestyles of the culture and are a natural way for students to explore the historical past, the belief systems of varied societies, and diverse factual information. A carefully selected folktale can be a powerful tool to bring culture to the foreign…

Draws on numerous different content areas in the development of a 4-to-6 week long unit with the culminating activity of a simulated Mexican cafe. Students assume the roles of restaurant personnel and greet customers, take and fill orders, cook a variety of Mexican entrees, tally the check, and make change, all in the target language while…

This article illustrates how the scenario framework in the 1996 publication "Standards for Foreign Language Learning" can direct the production of a standards-based thematic unit on the family for a second year, first semester college level French course. The learning scenario in a standards document serves primarily as an illustrative…