This book explores the benefits of teaching reflection upon one's own
culture to develop intercultural competence and looks into the
relationship between the proficiency level of the second language and
the target culture. It introduces new debates on the concept of
'critical cultural awareness' in intercultural learning and teaching,
for example the indiscriminate use of terminologies related to the idea
of 'intercultural encounters'. Also, it provides insight into the
relationship between language and culture using a new tool such as the
Autobiography of Intercultural Encounters through Visual Media. The
presentation of different approaches, tools, barriers, educational and
cultural realities, online intercultural exchange projects and concepts
such as motivation, attitudes, stereotyping, otherization, and critical
cultural awareness makes this book an excellent instrument not only for
teachers but also for researchers, policy-makers and private and public
institutions that want to explore culture and interculturality and to
promote an intercultural competence and global citizenship among its
learners / users / clients and / or an interculturally-oriented language
education.