21st-century Internationalization in Higher Education

I immediately saw the potential for improving the foreign language curriculum by connecting it to international education and the internationalization movement in higher education. I view international university partnerships as an ideal opportunity for language teachers to collaborate with peer colleagues abroad. My collaborations with educators abroad have allowed me to:

• Pair domestic language students with vetted EFL learners abroad for rich online language immersion experiences;
• Build online global communities of telecollaboration practitioners in the U.S. and abroad;
• Co-teach with international peers to fill real needs in the language curriculum.

Whether coordinating virtual language and cultural exchanges, study abroad trips, service-learning projects, or community engagement activities, collaborations with ESL/EFL teachers and language center directors abroad can exponentially improve the quality and depth of the world language curriculum and subject areas with an international dimension.