In this book, we share how a group of educators set out to systematically implement theory of Intercultural Competence (IC) in their world (foreign) language classrooms. The projects described here stem from a collaboration between colleagues at universities and in public schools. This started as a small community of practice between the editors and turned into a larger community including graduate students and volunteer teachers.

In retrospect, we realize just how well our stars must have been aligned for this book to materialize. Our stars are, of course, the participants in the projects. The book would not have been possible without the outstanding support of Rita Oleksak, Director of Foreign Languages and English Language Learning at Glastonbury Public Schools, the teachers and graduate students who volunteered for this project, and the students in Glastonbury Public Schools. We are grateful to them all, many of whom must remain anonymous.

We are also indebted to Professor Aleidine Moeller, President-elect of the American Council of the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), who generously agreed to write a foreword for us. Her keen observations of current practices and the lack of information about the development of IC epitomize our rationale for embarking on our journey. When we started this project we could not anticipate just how humbled we would be by the commitment, patience, and perseverance of the educators involved in this endeavor. We hope that the materials and experiences from the collaborative projects shared in this book will help language educators to design and implement theory of IC in their own contexts.