Intercultural learning

„As a form of social, action-oriented, and emotional learning, it provides insights into different ways of learning, and specifically, in the form of cultural comparisons, it should lead both to a more accurate analysis and relativization of one’s own norms and social systems and to the reduction of prejudices and ethnocentric attitudes.“ (Rinschede 2007)

The topic of multiculturalism is increasingly in the foreground, so a variety of presuppositions about the phenomenon of interculturality prevail. Intercultural learning addresses this issue and sets itself the goal of raising awareness of interculturality. Based on the intercultural approach, the concept should enable the acquisition of intercultural competence.

Explanatory approaches

„The intercultural approach […] assumes that there are alleged and factual cultural differences, when they meet, ignorance, misunderstandings and problems arise or even prejudices come to light“ (Ouelsati 2013, 25). Intercultural learning is understood as a process with the intention of counteracting these stereotypes. As a definition of Intercultural Learning, Weidemann proposes two theses:

1.intercultural learning means psychological change due to experiences of cultural difference;

2.intercultural learning refers to psychological changes that relate to a changed perception of and a changed way of dealing with cultural difference“ (Weidemann 2007, 495).

The two definitions refer to different points of contact with interculturality. In the first definition, the learning process is triggered by a change in thinking due to subjective points of contact, while the second deals with a changed perception of and a way of dealing with it independent of one’s own experiences. Experiences that promote intercultural competence include, for example, stays abroad.

The mediation process mainly takes place in school institutions, where the process of learning is dealt with the most. Nevertheless, competence training is nowadays offered „especially in the fields of economics and politics“ (Bolten 2007, 89). The learning content is flexible and adapted to the group of learners. The aim is to recognize foreign cultures as well as one’s own and to assume cultural plurality, since the „human being […] is the bearer of different cultures and identities“ (Hartung/ Nöllenburg/ Deveci 2013, 8). People confront each other with different value attitudes, ideas as well as forms of perception, which is why actions of other people are classified as culturally known or foreign to them within a short period of time (cf. Ouelsati 2013, 25).

The awareness of the differences and the resulting actions form the intercultural competence. The resulting intercultural action process is ongoing and always changing.

Literature

Bolten, Jürgen (2007): Intercultural Competence. Erfurt: Landeszentrale für politische Bildung Thüringen.

Hartung, Regine/ Nöllenburg, Katty/ Deveci, Özlem (2013): Preface. In: ed. (Eds.): Intercultural Learning. A practical book. Schwalbach am Taunus: Debus Pädagogik.

Nothnagel, Steffi (2018): Intercultural learning. Reconstructing cultural difference experience based on narrative-biographical longitudinal studies. In: Sabisch, K./ Sorensen, E./ Straub, J. (Eds.): Schriftenreihe Kultur, Gesellschaft, Psyche. Social and cultural studies. Vol. 12. Bochum: Bochumer Universitätsverlag.

Ouelsati, Ramses Michael (2013): Intercultural education in schools. In: Hartung, Regine/ Nölleburg, Katty/ Deveci, Özlem (Eds.): Intercultural Learning. A practical book. Schwalbach am Taunus: Debus Pädagogik, 22-35.

Rinschede, Gisbert (2007): Geography didactics. Paderborn: Schöningh.

Schrüfer, Gabriele (2012): Intercultural learning. Steps on the way to intercultural sensitivity. In: Praxis Geographie 11, 10-11.

Weidemann, Doris (2007): Acculturation and intercultural learning. In: Straub, Jürgen/ Weidemann, Arne/ Weidemann, Doris (Eds.): Handbuch Interkulturelle Kommunikation und Kompetenz: Grundbegriffe – Theorien – Anwendungsfelder. Stuttgart/ Weimar: Metzler, 488-498.