Enhancing the Intercultural Competence of College Students: A Consideration of Applied Teaching Techniques

Abstract

Many higher education instructions have set forth explicit objectives to improve college students’ intercultural sensitivity and communication. However, there currently exits considerable heterogeneity in terms of the extent and methods that higher education institutions undertake in order to achieve these important goals. This praxis essay provides a framework to understand the process of intercultural learning in college students, the core features of academic cultural psychology, and makes specific recommendations for effective and innovative ways to teach a cultural psychology course to a broad range of undergraduate students. Specific teaching techniques are offered to target specific intercultural learning areas.