A British foreign language educator, Byram has been asking questions about culture and its relationship to the teaching of languages for over 20 years. His most recent work, a book of essays, is divided into two parts: “Foreign Language Education” and “Intercultural Citizenship Education.” Here, Byram speaks to foreign language educators interested in change and progress, educational policy, and intercultural citizenship. His audience does not include all language teachers but rather those “who wish to think about their teaching in the wider context, to see the bigger picture, clarify or renew their vision and their work in the classroom” (p. 2). Although his experience and examples are European, Byram’s theories and practices can be generalized to other contexts.

The themes that run through the first nine essays on foreign language education include the social and historical context of education policies, definitions of an intercultural speaker, and issues of social identity. Some readers may prefer the essays on policy, such as the essay on how the educational policies of England, France, and Japan impact language teaching and intercultural awareness (chapter 2). Other readers may prefer the more pedagogical essays provided in chapter 5. In this chapter, Byram addresses the task of teaching intercultural competence in primary school and provides specific examples of what can be done in the classroom. The five essays on intercultural citizenship education elaborate on models that Byram has developed. Several of these essays provide classroom activities intended to increase intercultural competence; moreover, one detailed activity, an autobiography of intercultural encounters, is provided in the appendix. Those who have read Bryam’s other works may find this book slightly repetitive or pleasantly familiar, whereas those who have not read Byram, especially language teachers, may be energized and renewed by his hopeful models for intercultural citizenship as well as his classroom practices.