interculturality in the esl/esol/tefl classroom

The business of teaching culture in the English language classroom is hardly straightforward - although you can try with the sort of focussed activities from the British Council.

This is quite explicit - but it is much more difficult to dig down to what is not in the open - that is, the hidden curriculum:

"[lessons] which are learned but not openly intended”[1] such as the transmission of norms, values, and beliefs conveyed in the classroom and the social environment.[2]

A problem in digging deep is that it gets us into the culture wars and so gets very politicised, whether it's Brexit and the culture wars, different understandings of the First World War, more generally the rewriting of history, or where we are today with register: populism, culture wars and woke.

How can we get round these rather toxic debates? We can challenge a few stereotypes and ask a few questions - such as What is British culture?

Because, actually, going back to the British Council, language and culture in the EFL classroom can be a real positive: 

This is a great topic for discussion because although all of us teachers are busy teaching our students English, we cannot forget that teaching a language is as much a cultural exchange as it is anything else.

And to enable real 'cultural exchange', we need to develop the cultural sensitivity in the ESL classroom of everyone - both teachers and students.

The idea of 'intercultural competence' has been part of the English classroom for a good thirty years by now. This very good piece from the EFL Café was put together very recently - and looks at the issues and strategies for the classroom:

In today’s increasingly interconnected world, the concept of intercultural competence has gained significant importance, particularly in the field of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and English as a Second Language (ESL) education. 

Intercultural competence refers to the ability to interact effectively and appropriately with people from different cultural backgrounds. It encompasses a set of cognitive, affective, and behavioral skills that enable individuals to navigate and mediate cultural differences and to communicate with people from other cultures respectfully and effectively. 

As noted by Byram (1997) and Deardorff (2006), intercultural competence is not merely about knowing another culture; it involves developing a deep understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity and the ability to apply this understanding in communication and interaction. 

For EFL/ESL learners, who are often exposed to a variety of cultures through language learning, the development of intercultural competence is particularly vital. 

Language and culture are intrinsically linked, and proficiency in a language requires more than just grammatical or lexical knowledge; it also requires an understanding of the cultural contexts in which the language operates. 

Thus, intercultural competence becomes an essential component of language learning, enabling learners to not only use the language more effectively but also to engage in meaningful communication across cultural boundaries.

How to Develop EFL/ESL Learners’ Intercultural Competence

How to Develop EFL/ESL Learners’ Intercultural Competence – EFLCafe.net

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