The forces of globalization have reached the language classroom, necessitating a reconceptualization of what material is taught and how it is taught. In this book, Kumaravadivelu trains his eye on the effects of globalization on the understanding of culture, particularly in relation to language teaching. He critiques the “predominantly lingua-cultural orientation” (p. 230) of contemporary language pedagogy in favor of more complex and multidimensional concepts and offers instead cultural realism,

Identity as a key aspect of learning is core to this notion. Cultural realism’s postmodernist view of identity “as something that is actively constructed on an ongoing basis” (p. 143) offers language students an active role in deciding how adding linguistic repertoires can enable participation in new cultures and which aspects of their identity might be added, exchanged, or temporarily suspended for better assimilation.

Moving beyond assimilationist notions of diversity and cultural sensitivity, Kumaravadivelu provides a comprehensive critical synthesis of theories of globalization, colonialism, and culture in chapters 2–7. This synthesis provides a strong theoretical foundation for crafting a teaching framework of cultural realism that responds to globalization. His well-written and engaging text leads the reader through definitions of globalization and illuminates notions of cultural stereotyping, assimilation, pluralism, and hybridity, key ideas for students and scholars alike. In chapter 8, Kumaravadivelu expands on the notion of cultural realism and proposes that it incorporates four realities “that contribute to identity formation [...] global reality, national reality, social reality, and individual reality” (p. 146). He explains these realities through examples such as the sociocultural challenges of European Union unification and expansion related to identity issues, including religion.

Chapters 9 and 10 illustrate five crucial shifts in thinking that comprise pedagogic principles for implementing cultural realism. First, a shift from a “targeted language community to targeted cultural community” (p. 172) must be undertaken to help students develop a “global cultural consciousness” (p. 173)—that is, a consciousness that does not equate culture with particular national borders, languages, and customs but rather consists of a “multiplicity of realities” (p. 173). Moreover, a targeted cultural community refers to a “cluster of cultural communities” (p. 174) rather than one culture (e.g., Chinese, Spanish). Second, a shift “from linguistic articulation to cultural affiliation” (p. 175) that draws on sociocultural theory’s understanding of learning as increasing participation in new practices is required: Cultural knowledge entails understanding the practices of cultures, not just the peoples’ use of language. Third, a shift “from cultural information to cultural transformation” (p. 178) is needed to recognize that students already possess much information about various cultures gleaned from multimedia sources and personal interactions. Transformation thus “entails a long journey into a rediscovery, and a consequent redesigning, of one’s own identity” (p. 180) in relation to others and other cultures. Fourth, a shift “from passive reception to critical reflection” (p. 181) is needed for students to develop a critical and analytic perspective on the relationship between the four realities and identity formation—that is, ideas about “self and society” (p. 181), the role of one’s socio-politico-historical environment in shaping identity, how stereotypes work, and how sometimes difficult dialogues can change attitudes. Finally, a shift from “interested text to informed context” (p. 186) is necessary for a more critical consideration of teaching materials, including textbooks.

Somewhat oddly, the book’s final two chapters veer away from pedagogical concerns to discuss intercultural communication more theoretically and present a brief treatise on map-making—interesting and related to the main topics of the book but perhaps more effectively incorporated earlier. Additionally, given the prominence of language education in the title, it was surprising that a discussion of the applications of cultural realism to teaching appeared so late in the text. More numerous and varied examples of means to achieve the goal of “promoting a global cultural consciousness in students” (p. 208) would have been welcome. Nonetheless, this work would be extremely useful for graduate students in making sense of culture in an era of globalization as well as scholars looking for useful summaries and illuminating synthesis of a range of theories relevant to culture and globalization.