Less a textbook than a forum for language teachers to share examples of what worked for them in teaching learners both in multicultural societies and in the study of other societies. Some common themes that the 17 chapters emphasize include: having learners become aware of the cultural phenomena of their own society as well as others; the development of analytic and interpretive skills in unfamiliar social and cultural settings; the value of collecting firsthand data outside the classroom; and the use of literary texts to stimulate emotional as well as cognitive understanding of "otherness." The contributors are academics and classroom teachers working in the UK, Europe, and Japan. Distributed by UTP Distribution.
Michael Byram taught languages in secondary school and adult education. At Durham University since 1980, now emeritus, he has researched the education of linguistic minorities and foreign language education. His most recent book is From Foreign Language Education to Education for Intercultural Citizenship (Multilingual Matters) and he is the editor of the Routledge Encyclopedia of Language Teaching and Learning.