Learning Across Borders: Toward a Critical Cosmopolitan Framework for Language Teacher Education

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 8:00 am Four Seasons Ballroom 4
  In Roundtable Session: Centering Multilingual Perspectives in Teacher Education (Table 5)

Abstract

This study investigates the efficacy of transnational digital interactions in fostering critical cosmopolitanism among early career language teachers. Proposing a new Critical Cosmopolitan Framework for language teacher education, it examines communicative, mediational, and relational dimensions essential for promoting global awareness and equity in language teacher education. Through a qualitative case study, data from U.S. and Chinese teachers reveal how interactions on a digital platform facilitate reflective practices and nuanced understandings of global issues. Findings highlight the role of facilitation, reflexivity, and trust-building in cultivating cosmopolitan competencies. This research contributes theoretical insights into critical cosmopolitanism within educational contexts and offers practical implications for enhancing global perspectives in teacher preparation programs worldwide.

Author

• Yuxiang Zhu, Minnesota State University - Mankato