Cross-Cultural Composition and the Development of Cultural Intelligence

Theories of mainstreaming ESL students in college composition tend to focus on the advantages for the ESL student in building linguistic competence and confidence. Yet the experience of some schools has shown that the cross-cultural experience involved in this kind of composition classroom can benefit the native speakers as well. Richard D. Bucher’s 2007 book, Building Cultural Intelligence (CQ): Nine Megaskills, for example, outlines the ways in which employers are beginning to train employees in cross-cultural awareness beyond the usual sharing of “food, flags, and festivals.” Purdue University, for example, has offered a Cross-cultural Composition class, the results of which were successful and popular, especially among the entering freshmen in the school of business.

Many schools have the opportunity to offer a Cross-Cultural Composition class – a class that integrates ESL students with native speakers with the curriculum centered on the issue of cross-cultural communication – because many schools have significant ESL or international populations. What kinds of experiences have professors had regarding mainstreaming ESL students and native speakers in higher education composition classes?

Papers or presentations are invited for a discussion group on the results of having offered composition classes in which ESL and native speakers are integrated.

Please respond by Sept. 15, 2011 to:
Dr. Pamela Haji
Bergen Community College
English Basic Skills Department
400 Paramus Rd.
Paramus, NJ 07652
phaji@bergen.edu
(201) 689-7004