Developing Culturally Proficient Teachers for Dual-Language Classrooms

Abstract

Preparing effective dual-language global teachers who will be culturally proficient is paramount not because of state licensure mandates but because society owes it to its school children. This chapter discusses cultural proficiency as a theoretical framework to develop culturally proficient global dual-language teachers. The goal is to prepare them to teach in culturally proficient globally minded schools and classrooms. A brief context on how dual-language education in US schools has evolved, and a description of cultural proficiency as it relates to dual-language educator preparation is presented. Six points of the cultural proficiency continuum are introduced to promote the development of cultural proficient dual-language programs and teachers. The cultural proficiency continuum includes cultural destructiveness, incapacity, blindness, precompetence, competence, and cultural proficiency. The 5 essential elements—assessing cultural knowledge, valuing diversity, managing the dynamics of difference, adapting to diversity, and institutionalizing cultural knowledge—are also discussed supporting cultural proficiency.