Introduction

The primary goals of this project were to examine theoretical models of intercultural competence (IC) and put the theory into practice by revising an existing 6th grade world language classroom curriculum to include activities that would enhance students' IC. These activities would aim to expand students' knowledge and awareness and challenge their attitudes about other cultures and their own. The following question thus guided our project:

To answer this question, we modified an existing unit of teaching in a 6th grade Spanish classroom (see Table 3.2 below) in order to include objectives associated with IC, as defined in Byram's (1997) model of IC, described in the Introduction to this book. Current classroom activities were modified or new activities were created to address as many objectives as possible related to IC not being met by the current curriculum. The remainder of this chapter details the implementation of these activities, the outcomes observed, challenges faced, and how these activities align with objectives associated with IC in theory. The activities are presented in the order in which they were implemented in the classroom.

The students

The study took place in five 6th-grade Spanish classes at Glastonbury Middle School with an average of 25–27 students per class. The students were between ten and 12 years of age and had studied Spanish from grade 1. Each of the five classes per week lasted about 40 minutes. Table 3.1 gives an overview of the participants and their courses.