Primary Teacher Trainees’ Intercultural Education The Italian case

Abstract

This study focuses on the importance of strengthening intercultural awareness among future Primary School teachers. Intercultural communicative competence plays a fundamental role in developing an honest and productive dialogue among people, whatever their origin, language or cultural heritage, and prospective teachers will be responsible for training the ‘good interculturalists’ of tomorrow. A survey was conducted among students attending a degree course for Primary Education Teachers to highlight what knowledge, practices and skills they have acquired regarding intercultural competence and whether they are able to deal with and successfully apply the notions of plurilingual and intercultural competence to their teaching practices.