This book offers theoretical foundations and practical proposals for the development of critical cultural awareness and intercultural communication competence among prospective and practising foreign language/culture educators. It proposes an enhanced cultural and political role for educators in this area.

Manuela Guilherme has been a teacher of foreign languages and cultures for the past 30 years both at secondary school and university levels, in Portugal as well as in Great Britain. She has also been a teacher trainer and a researcher in this area for the past 15 years. The research she presents in this book was awarded the 2001 Emma Birkmaier Award by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages and the Modern Language Journal and her contribution to the study of language and culture worldwide was also recognised by the California Language Teaching Profession.