Interculturality in FL Teaching

Foreign Language teachers recognize the importance of sociocultural aspects in interactions between individuals from diverse linguistic backgrounds, understanding that language acquisition extends beyond vocabulary and grammar. Learning a language involves engaging with a unique worldview and societal norms, as languages are not abstract systems but integral to social communication.

Contemporary FL education aims for interdisciplinary approaches in content selection, prioritizing respect for differences and acknowledging identity traits as agents of solidarity.

Teaching materials play a crucial role in shaping lessons, balancing skill development, and guiding language use.

Educators encourage learners to seek authenticity in understanding FL, bridging local productions with unfamiliar cultural contexts. Learners, by engaging in co-authorship of interculturally developed texts, connect learning with personal experiences, fostering critical reflections and reshaping self-perception and global understanding.

While the communicative approach facilitates explicit cultural teaching, it poses challenges, potentially overshadowing local identities. In a globalized world, learners aspire to grasp FL without cultural erasure, seeking to embrace diverse identities without silencing their own.

(Adapted from: SCHEYERL, D.; BARROS, K.; ESPÍRITO SANTO, D. A perspectiva intercultural para o ensino de línguas, 2014)