Welcome to iLEAD: An Introduction to Intercultural Communication for Intensive English Program Students

Presentation introduces participants to the rationale, curriculum, and outcomes of the iLEAD intercultural communication program

A Handbook and Materials for iLEAD: An Intercultural Communication Program Between Intensive English Program and Teacher Education Students

iLEAD is an intercultural communication program for university students that focuses on developing intercultural competence through guided conversations and shared activities. iLEAD stands for “International Language Exchange and Dialogue.” It was developed through a partnership between the Intensive English Program and the Department of Teacher Education at the University of Dayton. The educational context: There is a stark difference in how domestic and international students experience the university. The majority of university students fit into the description of traditional, residential students. However, many international students do not fit the traditional, residential student demographic. Many of our international students who come from Middle Eastern countries are married, have children, and are pursuing graduate degrees. In addition, many international students who are pursuing undergraduate degrees request exemptions to live off campus, which further separates them from interaction with their American peers. Consequently, many of them do not experience the same integrated learning experience that residential university students receive. With international students making up 13% of the university’s 10,828 students in 2016, the need for meaningful interactions between these diverse populations in an effort to build community across difference continues to increase. The iLEAD program responds to this growing need In addition, the iLEAD programs builds toward specific student learning outcomes

An Extensive, Critical, and Academic Listening Module for Advanced English Language Learners

Listening and note-taking is a challenging skill for many advanced English language learners because it involves multiple cognitive processes: listening, writing, and reading. Even with targeted instruction of listening strategies, a recurring complaint from advanced English learners is that they simply cannot handle listening to long stretches of English. In this paper, the author presents a supplemental instructional component that provides extensive, critical, and academic listening practice for students who need to strengthen their listening skills

Attending to conditions that facilitate intercultural competence: A reciprocal service-learning approach

Although service-learning can support the development of intercultural competence, it has also maintained power differentials, reinforced privileged perspectives, and strengthened deficit thinking. Recent research has investigated the conditions within service-learning associated with positive change in diversity-related attitudes. We extend that work, conceptualizing a reciprocal service-learning (RSL) approach that integrates conditions posited by contact theory and the process model of intercultural competence into service-learning’s core features of reflection and reciprocity. In an RSL approach, transformational reciprocity at the participant level supports cultural awareness, interdependence, and parity between participant groups. We created an RSL experience and measured change in three attitudes fundamental to the development of intercultural competence with quantitative pre- and post-surveys. Results indicate that both participant groups—native English-speaking undergraduate students and international English language learners—experienced significant growth. This study responds to calls for quantitative pre- and post-research methods and the assessment of outcomes for all service-learning participants