Explores the rarely heard voices of US-based tutors of EAL and adult Afghan English learners

This book maps the discursive terrain and potential of person to person peacebuilding as it intersects with, and is embedded in, intercultural communication. It foregrounds the voices and discourses of participants who came together in the virtual intercultural borderlands of online exchange through a service-learning project with a non-profit organization which focused on peace through education in Afghanistan, primarily through English language tutoring. By analyzing the voices and perspectives of US-based tutors who are pre-service teachers of English as an Additional Language, in equal measure with the voices and perspectives of adult English learners in Afghanistan, the authors examine how intercultural interactants begin to work as peacebuilders. The participants describe the profound transformations they undergo throughout their intercultural tutoring journeys, transformations which evidence three dimensions of person to person peacebuilding: the personal, relational and structural. Inspired by these voices, the book further explores ways teachers and teacher educators of language and intercultural communication can more deliberately leverage the affordance of peacebuilding, whether face to face or in the virtual intercultural borderlands of online exchange.

"This timely and highly relevant volume illuminates voices of those at the intersections of language learning, intercultural communication and person to person peacebuilding. Featuring Afghan voices, this volume serves as an invaluable resource for educators who see education as a means to peacebuilding, particularly in the ‘virtual intercultural borderlands’ of online exchange." - Darla K. Deardorff, Duke University, USA

"This beautifully written book is a timely reminder of the value of virtual exchange as a tool for peacebuilding and intercultural dialogue. It will be of great interest to educators who wish to engage their students in online intercultural dialogue with members of other cultures." - Robert O'Dowd, University of León, Spain

"This engaging book effectively utilizes theoretical frameworks and personal reflections to illustrate the power of person to person peacebuilding through teaching language and intercultural communication. It offers educators important insights and direction for intentionally building peace, on various levels, through their language teaching." - Diane J. Goodman, Equity consultant, educator and author