Chapter 2. Somewhere over the sunbow

Chapter 2. Somewhere over the sunbow

    Following up on the previous post - and also our following couple classes of this Curriculum Unit - I'd like to reflect upon the theme of 'intercultural dimension,' which we explored in class by reading the view of Michael Byram on his guide to teachers. This lesson taught me much about how I want to be as a teacher.

    It's certainly undoubtful that our world sustains numerous, incredibly diverse cultures, which raise and shape multiple peoples differently all over the globe. Moreover, nowadays, with the commonality, accessibility, and easiness of migrations from one country to another (or one region to another, within the same country), the idea that each culture lives and grows separately is gone. Numerous cultures have now been mixed up and embraced by others, and so many of them have ceased to exist. Traditions are no longer exclusive rituals of one specific people, as they have been globalized and introduced to others, who have taken them and made them into their own culture's tradition.

    As Byram (2002) states, “In contrast, the 'intercultural dimension' in language teaching aims to develop learners as intercultural speakers or mediators who are able to engage with complexity and multiple identities and to avoid the stereotyping which accompanies perceiving someone through a single identity. It is based on perceiving the interlocutor as an individual whose qualities are to be discovered, rather than as a representative of an externally ascribed identity. Intercultural communication is communication on the basis of respect for individuals and equality of human rights as the democratic basis for social interaction.” (Byram, 2002, p. 9) I fully agree with his ideas, especially since stereotypes are often so embedded in society and the school environment that it is necessary to block these generalized visions of the world, in order to avoid any feelings of isolation and embarassment related to ignorance towards diversity.

    Therefore, as teachers, we must be prepared to look beyond the scenery, face this reality, and familiarize our students with the concepts of 'intercultural dimension' and 'cultural identity,' making them aware of the differences and stereotypes that come with them, and teaching them how to be interested in cultural diversity and respect it simultaneously. That is what I'm hoping to achieve.

    References

Byram, M., Gribkova, B., & Starkey, H. (2002). Developing the Intercultural Dimension in Language Teaching: A Practical Introduction for Teachers, p. 9.