Steps towards intercultural education and the role of language learning

Abstract

1 IntroductionIntercultural education and foreign language teaching become more and more crucial components of an educational process oriented to the building of a European as well as international citizenship in a global world1. However, literature either in the field of pedagogy of foreign languages or in the field of intercultural education, exhibits the awareness of a number of inadequacies. In particular, despite the declarations that appear in anyone of the two fields about the importance of the other, the attempts to make them converge towards an organic and coordinated teaching programme are rather poor, so that these remain two separate domains, apparently with no perspective of integration, although the general feeling is that this step is highly desirable, if not necessary.Both fields have a research side, often rooted in anthropology, linguistics, and sociology, as well as an applicative side, mostly expressed in the declarations of international organizations involved in programs of intercultural and social integration.On one side the definitions of intercultural education appear to be often imprecise, incomplete, and even simplistic. It is, in general, considered a method to teach in multi-ethnic classrooms avoiding behaviours of intolerance or even racism. In addition, although some of the political documents show awareness of some kind of relation of foreign language learning to intercultural education, the way how one affects the other and vice-versa is not completely explored.On the other hand, also language teaching, as defined in particular by the EU, has the final objective of making learners able to read any kind of text without difficulties and speak fluently about any subject, but an explicit mention of the integration between language and culture is missing.Nevertheless, many documents released by international organizations stress the importance of such an integrated educational program, in view of the increasing demand of reciprocal understanding between different cultures, due to phenomena such as an increasing flow of migrations or the economic, social, and cultural globalization.A better understanding of these concepts and the relations they have with one another is expected to be the base of a realistic educational programme, which goes beyond the many different and untested recipes.In the following paragraphs I will inspect both the institutional definitions and some of the scientific approaches. At the end I will propose to distinguish different levels or ways of language teaching, a hierarchy of intercultural education objectives, and an integration between the two.2 Intercultural education2.1 A basic definitionIntercultural education is promoted and, therefore, defined by international organizations such as UNESCO and EU.UNESCO Guidelines on Intercultural Education (ED-2006/WS/59) qualify it as a way to promote quality education for all. The frame of reference is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948). According to this document,The major challenge when discussing the issue of education and multiculturalism is dealing with some of the inherent tensions that arise in reconciling competing world views with each other. Such tensions reflect the diversity of values, which co-exist in a multicultural world. Often, they cannot be resolved in a single 'either/or' solution. However, the dynamic interchange between competing aspects is what lends richness to the debate on education and multiculturalism. (p. 10)On a more practical ground, the European document Intercultural Education in Schools (IP/B/FWC/2006-169-Lot2-C01-SC02 27/04/2008) suggests thatEducation is intercultural when it recognises the fact of linguistic and socio-cultural plurality/diversity at the levels of organisation, curriculum content and teaching methods. In all subject matters, different perspectives are included, compared and analysed critically. …