Universities: Promoting Globalization Through Language and Culture Education - Essay Sample

Introduction

Universities can promote and embrace globalization by encouraging foreign language and culture education. Language and culture are two identical things; to understand the culture of people, it is crucial to learn their language too (Jefferess, 2008). Communication is a vital link between people coming from different cultures. Learning a foreign language allows people to have a glimpse of people's culture and way of life; understanding other people's culture allows easy communication and understanding. Culture is also a valuable tool to create a relationship between people of different nations (Zemach-Bersin, 2007). Most people are being coursed to learn a foreign language depending on their nation's economic and social strategies. Governments promote in their institution's learning of foreign languages that they have economic or social in the age of globalization (Pires, 2000). This administrative memo will provide the Quick Enhancement Plans for the University of South Florida and Florida International University to promote global citizenship ideals and culture in the schools.

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Description of QEP

The University of South Florida and Florida International University Global Citizenship QEP

Global citizens refer to the ability to associate themselves with the worldwide community by being concerned by matters that affect the entire world, such as climate change, famine, disease epidemics, and even poverty (Jefferess, 2008). The universities can be able to advance their global citizenship agenda by encouraging a curriculum that focus on resolving international problems and fostering a global sense of belonging through intercultural interactions and exchanges which can help learners from different parts of the world to engage in exchange programs which can promote more significant students exposure to international problems and diverse cultures (Green, 2012). The international student exchange program initiative by both Florida International University and the University of South Florida can promote greater cultural empathy, which will encourage learners to see the world as a global village and humanity as one entity (Pires, 2000). The international exchanges program will allow the learners to further experience new culture and interconnectedness through cross-cultural professional networks, which encourages learners to engage constructively and to share experiences on how they can resolve the contemporary universal problems such as climate change (Jefferess, 2008).

Learning a foreign language is an ambitious approach towards the spirit of globalization most people. Most people are going to global tours where they can meet people with different cultures and languages. To understand people's culture and way of life of other people is an essential method of improving bilateral relations as well as having a basic knowledge of other people (Jefferess, 2008). Information on other people and nations is a critical approach to understanding other people and their likes; this improves communication and cultural exchange between people. It is essential to learn other people's language as a nation to promote trade and education exchange. This helps people exchange scientific research and social practices that increase unity amongst people who would have regarded themselves as different from each other (Zemach-Bersin, 2007).

Another critical avenue through which the Florida International University and the University of South Florida can attain and promote global citizenship mindset is by expanding their respective curriculum (Zemach-Bersin, 2007). Expanding the curriculum ensures that the international perspective in the curriculum provides that knowledge is not focused on only the American context. The universities should expand their capacity to host international students (Pires, 2000). All these efforts will be instrumental in enlarging the horizon of the students, which will help overcome stereotypes and push collaborative change and solutions for the whole of humanity.

Florida International University and University of South Florida Rationales

A global citizen is a state of mind, and institutions of high learning such as the University of South Florida can play an instrumental role by advocating for more significant students' participation in projects that seek to address global issues (Zemach-Bersin, 2007). Global issues do not have a specific boundary, such as environmental issues, economic issues, and political issues. Introducing Global Citizen Education at the University of South Florida and Florida International University can play an instrumental role in expanding the university alumni involvement in resolving global matters (Bourn, 2009). Global citizen quick enhancement plan involves inculcating a culture of a sense of belonging to shared humanity and putting efforts in resolving the global and local issues without prejudice because they are highly interconnected.

Florida International University and the University of South Florida efforts to attain global citizenship mindset can be boosted by incorporating the ideals of international cooperation and mutual respect in the school's mission and vision statements which will be instrumental in ensuring that the learners and the school environment are aligned towards a global citizen state of mind and perspectives (Bourn, 2009). These efforts will play a significant role in reducing the negative culture and labeling towards learners from different national backgrounds and encourage the learners and the faculty to be able to accommodate that are racially different or comes from different national backgrounds in the international exchange programs (Green, 2012).

Conclusion

Quick Enhancement Plans provide an excellent avenue for universities to be able to promote globalization by encouraging learners to develop international perspectives. It is essential to inculcate curriculum and the institutional culture with cultural competence, which will be instrumental in ending stereotypical thoughts and encouraging mutual respect of learners from different backgrounds. Education is a valuable tool to use to promote global citizen mentality and also develop a culture that appreciates diversity. Therefore, as a Quick Enhancement Plan, global citizenship encourages greater sharing and international cultural competence.

References

Bourn, D. (2009). Students as Global Citizens. In Internationalization and the student voice (pp. 44-55). Routledge. Retrieved from https://content.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/download?dac=C2009-0-11935-7&isbn=9781135262389&doi=10.4324/9780203865309-10&format=pdf

Green, M. F. (2012). Global Citizenship: What Are We Talking About, And Why Does It Matter. Trends and Insights for International Education Leaders, 1-3. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Madeleine_Green2/publication/265438069_Global_Citizenship_What_Are_We_Talking_About_and_Why_Does_It_Matter/links/568d117f08aefb48d4bf7640/Global-Citizenship-What-Are-We-Talking-About-and-Why-Does-It-Matter.pdf

Jefferess, D. (2008). Global Citizenship and the Cultural Politics of Benevolence. Critical Literacy: Theories and Practices, 2(1), 27-36. Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/download/43553615/3_critical_literacy_global_citizenship.pdf

Pires, M. (2000). Study-Abroad And Cultural Exchange Programs To Africa: America's Image of a Continent. African Issues, 28(1-2), 39-45. Retrieved from https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/african-issues/article/studyabroad-and-cultural-exchange-programs-to-africa-americas-image-of-a-continent/17EFC8308E3EFD342DFCCCC0421A81DD

Zemach-Bersin, T. (2007). Global Citizenship And Study Abroad: It's All About The US. Critical Literacy: Theories and Practices, 1(2), 16-28. Retrieved from https://blog.ufes.br/kyriafinardi/files/2019/08/CRITICAL-LITERACY-LYNN-MARIO-ANDREOTTI-cljournalissue2volume1.pdf#page=16