Exploring cultural competence: A qualitative study of the role of culture emerging from undergraduate Italian language programs in the Midwest of the United States

Despite the recognized importance of foreign language teaching and learning in current times, research is still lacking with respect to the understanding and transmission of foreign culture in undergraduate language programs at the college level. Furthermore, most of the research which has been conducted has been of a quantitative nature, and it has focused on linguistic aspects of learners of second or foreign languages in order to measure and better understand the mechanics of their learning and acquisition.;This qualitative study was thus undertaken to draw attention to how foreign language programs, in this case Italian language programs, at the college level in the United States contribute to the understanding and diffusion of foreign cultures and how they comply with the national Foreign Language Standards (1999) with respect to the culturally oriented standards.;Specifically, this study explored how three large Italian undergraduate programs at the elementary level defined and operationalized the notion of cultural competence; what aspects of cultural competence the Italian undergraduate programs at the elementary level emphasized; in what ways these programs attempted to teach culture and/or cultural competence, and to what extent, if any, the curricula of Italian programs were aligned with the Standards (1999) regarding culture and cultural competence. The study consisted of a singular-entity case analysis approach as well as cross-case analysis of three Italian undergraduate programs, and it included the following data collecting methods: questionnaire, interview, observations, departmental document analysis, such as syllabi, textbooks, and evaluation tools (i.e. quizzes, exams, and projects).;One of the study's major findings suggests that the national standards do not receive significant attention with respect to culture and cultural competence, and, if an attempt is made to align the curriculum with these standards, the implementation in the elementary classroom, especially of 'perspectives' and 'practices' (two important components of the standards), is limited. In addition, the overall analysis of the data suggests that there is a lack of clarity and understanding when it comes to the key notion of cultural competence.;This qualitative study was the first investigation that attempted to measure the treatment of cultural competence across Italian undergraduate language programs (though the number of programs involved was limited). Instead of looking at just one program, this study sought to compare and contrast across programs in order to construct a more comprehensive picture of what takes place in the cultural domain. It is hoped that the exploration of the culturally-related situation found in the individual programs and across the three Italian programs investigated may provide useful data for future program assessment purposes and for documenting the status of culture and cultural competence since the publication of the standards in 1999. To summarize, this study was designed and intended to benefit a number of stakeholders: (a) educational law makers; (b) institutions providing foreign language courses; (c) educators and governmental institutions involved with and studying the impact of the national standards for foreign language learning; (d) pre-and in-service teacher education programs; (e) learners of Italian. To one degree or another, its findings offer valuable input for each of those groups. In addition, due to its transferability, it may provide useful information for programs teaching other foreign languages.