Intercultural competence: the role of language learning

Languages are often gateways to other cultures. Language learning therefore gives teachers multiple opportunities to help pupils develop their intercultural competences besides their linguistic competence.

The intercultural dimension in language teaching prepares pupils for interaction with people of other cultures. It also develops pupils’ capacity to understand and accept people from other cultures as individuals, often with different opinions, values and behaviours.

In its guide, the Council of Europe emphasises the importance of plurilingual and intercultural education as part of the core curriculum. It is a response to the requirements of quality education, including acquisition of competences and knowledge, diversity of learning experiences, and construction of individual and collective cultural identities.

Promoting multiculturality through language learning

The European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML), supported by the European Commission, aims to promote intercultural communication and excellence in language teaching. It provides funding to creative initiatives that produce new materials and methods of instruction, thereby helping teachers throughout Europe to put efficient language acquisition techniques into practice.

ECML has developed numerous projects on intercultural learning. For example, the TePA project develops scenarios for teacher education to promote pluralistic approaches to languages and cultures.

The EOL tool also helps schools to improve language education by developing supportive learning environments that foster multilingualism and cross-cultural comprehension. It provides tools to develop intercultural skills, e.g. through international partnership or parental involvement.

Mobility activities to embrace diversity

Mobility activities, for example those enabled by the Erasmus+ Programme, are a natural occasion to put pupils’ language and intercultural skills into practice.

Learning mobility can have multiple benefits. For example, it triggers pupils’ social and personal development and increases their awareness and understanding of the diversity of European societies. Pupils encounter new situations where they use a foreign language, while taking more responsibility for themselves.

ECML’s PluriMobil initiative has created materials for teachers to develop pupils’ ability to discover other languages, cultures and people, along with new areas of knowledge. It offers a handbook and lesson plans that can be used before, during and after pupil mobility periods.

These initiatives aim to improve students’ academic and career opportunities by equipping them with the language and intercultural abilities they need to prosper in a multicultural society.