Sharon Johnson

Sharon Johnson (Foreign Languages and Literatures), in her six years at Virginia Tech, has distinguished herself as a pioneer in the pursuit of innovative pedagogical and scholarly initiatives for cross-cultural communication and education. This has gained her recognition in many ways, including a Certificate of Teaching Excellence in 2001. Perhaps most notable is her creation of the Images, Myths, and Realities Across Cultures (IMRAC) project involving students at Virginia Tech, the Sorbonne in Paris, and the Institut National des Telecommunications, one of France's top ten business and engineering schools. The project is designed to provide students with the opportunity to exchange ideas on a selection of themes and contemporary cultural issues by having them analyze and discuss images and texts pertaining to France and the United States through web-based chats, email, and simultaneous, live video-conferencing. It is this project that is the topic of her discussion today titled, The Pleasures and Paradoxes of Cross-cultural Pedagogy: How Linguistic and Cultural Discord Engenders Cross Cultural Understanding. Building on the goals of IMRAC, Sharon worked to transform the curriculum, and was co-writer and one of three principal investigators for a $390,000 US Department of Education Title VI grant. Out of this, three new courses have been approved, five Virginia Tech courses have been modified, and three new study abroad opportunities have been approved, as well as internship possibilities in French companies. Two new French for Business minors and a French for Business Certificate have been approved, and a Concentration in French for Business has been implemented. These successful collaborations across two colleges were recognized with the University Exemplary Department Award in Fall 2003. Additionally, Sharon has helped to revitalize the French curriculum at Virginia Tech by creating one course, co-developing three courses, and redesigning another.