Designing a Foreign Language Curriculum in Postsecondary Education Drawing from the Multiliteracy, Functionalist, and Genre-Based Approachess

Abstract

As a result of today’s multicultural societies, globalization, and the advent of the communication and information technology the demand has increased for second/foreign language abilities that far exceed those typically associated with communicative competence. In this essay I suggest that the curriculum in a postsecondary foreign language department should be conceptualized to enable students to develop cognitive and socio-cultural sensitivity to the language, and to mature advanced language skills. I argue that the synthesis of multiliteracy, funtionalist, and genre-based approaches in second/foreign language teaching is particularly effective to achieve these goals. Mastering advanced language levels and becoming a multicompetent and culturally multiliterate foreign language user has enormous advantages in our globalized societies.