DEVELOPING THE INTERCULTURAL DIMENSION IN LANGUAGE TEACHING A PRACTICAL INTRODUCTION FOR TEACHERS (original) (raw)
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Council of Europe, Strasbourg, 2002
It has been widely recognised in the language teaching profession that learners need not just knowledge and skill in the grammar of a language but also the ability to use the language in socially and culturally appropriate ways. This was the major innovation of 'communicative language teaching'. At the same time, the 'communicative approach' introduced changes in methods of teaching, the materials used, the description of what is to be learnt and assessment of learning. The Council of Europe's 'Common European Framework of Reference' embodies these innovations and also emphasises the importance of 'intercultural awareness', 'intercultural skills', and 'existential competence' (see Appendix 1). The 'Common European Framework', like other recent publications, thus introduces the 'Intercultural Dimension' into the aims of language teaching. Its essence of is to help language learners to interact with speakers of other languages on equal terms, and to be aware of their own identities and those of their interlocutors. It is the hope that language learners who thus become 'intercultural speakers' will be successful not only in communicating information but also in developing a human relationship with people of other languages and cultures.
Incorporating intercultural communicative competence in language teaching education
2003
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2012
The pacific coexistence of the European nations, as well as their economic development, depends upon the mutual understanding and cooperation of the European states, based on the equality of rights and duties. Contact areas, where cultures and languages have interwoven and nations have coexisted for ages, represent the European laboratory for mutual coexistence and understanding, born of political and historical challenges well before the implementation of EU strategies. Communication and information exchange are cornerstones that help to improve an understanding of the economic, social and cultural situations of the nations that have decided to follow a common path. Yet, acquiring a satisfactory level of proficiency in a foreign language for communication is no longer sufficient. Participants in conversations bring into their interpersonal communication individual aspects and cultural elements of the environment in which they live. Content transmission depends not only on the langu...
An intercultural approach to foreign language teaching
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This paper focuses on an intercultural approach to the teaching of English as a foreign language (TEFL) in Swedish schools and its consequences for teacher education. The approach is described in the context of international and national policy documents and introduced in an age of internationalisation and growing local responsibility for curriculum development. I relate the approach to two theoretical concepts: intercultural communicative competence (Byram) and the intercultural speaker (Kramsch). My ongoing research aims to understanding the possibilities and problems for the above approach based on studies of relevant documents and interviews with teachers and teacher educators. The forthcoming findings may be used to interpret teaching/learning processes in teacher education and in curriculum and teacher development aimed at intercultural understanding. Background English as a foreign language in Swedish schools. English is a compulsory subject for all young Swedes from year 4 t...
Developing learners' intercultural competence in English language learning classroom
this article aims to investigate the most common intercultural commination in learning classroom different theoretical views from linguists. This article is a theoretically including concepts of intercultural, two different approaches that representing in the classroom learning. How intercultural competence, has devised a model to develop an integrated didactics of intercultural linguistic competences. In general, globalization has found that its way into schools and one of teaching the tasks of education, is to prepare students for this globalized world. An intercultural approach to language teaching gives one outlook on how this this can achieve.
INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING AND LEARNING: STRATEGIES AND CHALLENGES
Journal of International Scientific Publications www.scientific-publications.net, 2023
In the field of foreign language teaching in higher education, the scope goes beyond mere language acquisition to include the cultivation of intercultural competence in both teachers and learners. The importance of intercultural competence in foreign language teaching lies in its ability to equip learners with the necessary skills to navigate successfully in diverse cultural environments, especially for students who intend to study abroad or in a multicultural context. The development of such a competence therefore enables them not only to interact effectively with people from different cultural backgrounds, but also to gain a deeper understanding of their own culture and of the cultural nuances embedded in the target language. However, developing this competence is by no means a simple matter; it requires specialised training and continuous professional development for teachers. Teachers are expected to have extensive experience, sensitivity and some knowledge of the cultural implications associated with the language being taught, which presents its own set of challenges. It is therefore essential to provide teachers with ample opportunities to interact with different cultures, to encourage them to reflect on their experiences and to critically analyse their preconceptions and assumptions about other cultures. Drawing on current research, this paper briefly outlines the theoretical underpinnings of intercultural competence in language learning and emphasises the importance of developing awareness and sensitivity for effective classroom interactions. It also discusses strategies used to promote intercultural competence in the foreign language classroom and examines the obstacles teachers face in this endeavour. In addition, the paper examines how teachers can integrate intercultural competence into their curriculum and possible methods for assessing intercultural competence. Finally, the paper emphasises the need to integrate intercultural competence into teacher education programmes from the outset and into ongoing professional development.
Language teaching and intercultural education: making critical connections
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 14675986 2012 664750, 2012
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