Fostering Foreign Language Student Teachers’ Glocal Competence Through Telecollaboration

Abstract

The interconnectivity of peoples worldwide is sufficient rationale for foreign language learners to develop the relevant competences for intercultural interactions in both local and global—glocal contexts. This study presents a conceptualisation of glocal competence for Jamaican foreign language teaching professionals from a content analysis of three relevant competence frameworks (PISA, and Byram’s and Deardorff’s ICC models). It further reports on Phases 1 and 2 of ClerKing, a FrancoJamaican telecollaborative project between Applied Foreign Languages (AFL) students of English from Clermont Auvergne University (UCA), France, and Modern Languages student teachers of French/ Spanish from Shortwood Teachers’ College (STC), Jamaica. Through qualitative content analysis, parameters of glocal competences were identified and examined against the different frameworks. Preliminary findings show that student teachers developed negotiation, adaptive, and collaborative skills in their professionalization process. However, local values impeded understanding of and appreciation for alternate worldviews on certain topics discussed.