Intercultural Education in the Post-Primary School - National Council ...

CLASSROOM PLANNING 4CHECKLIST: WHAT INFORMATION SHOULD THESUBJECT TEACHER HAVE WHEN A NEWSTUDENT JOINS THE CLASS?How are the names of the student andtheir parents correctly pronounced?What language(s) does the student have,and what is their level of proficiency inthese language(s)?How does one say some key phrases inthe student’s first language, such as agreeting, ‘please/thank you’, ‘join in’,‘stop’, ‘well done/very good’, etc?Are there subjects the student will not betaking and what will they be doing duringthose times?Are there any cultural practices thatmight affect classroom interaction? Arethere actions which are deemedinappropriate or rude in the student’shome culture but which may not causeoffence to members of the dominantethnic group, or vice versa (showingsomeone an open palm or the soles of thefoot may be rude in some cultures; ayoung person making eye contact with anadult may be rude in some Africancultures while in Traveller culture youngpeople often speak very directly andopenly to adults, something which issometimes seen as rude in schools;standing close to a person may bedeemed rude in some cultures, while itmay be normal in others etc.)? How isteaching the student the culture of theschool to be handled?What is the student’s religion, how is itpractised, and has this any implicationsfor classroom planning?Will the student have specificrequirements concerning food, jewelleryor clothing (for example, the range oftastes catered for by the school canteenor the symbolism of the schools crest onthe school uniform)?CREATING A SUPPORTIVE LANGUAGEENVIRONMENTLanguage is a key component of a person’sidentity as well as playing a central part inthe learning process. Ireland is, and hashistorically been, characterised by linguisticdiversity, with both Irish and Englishexisting as first languages. To this must beadded the range of languages of recentimmigrants. The right to have one’s ownlanguage is important in enabling people todevelop a strong positive self-image. Peoplealso generally find it easier to developcomplex thinking in their first language.For both ethical and educational reasons,then, it is important that the student’s firstlanguage is valued and affirmed within theschool context. It is also important tocreate an environment that supports thelearning of a second language.Learning in a multi-lingual environmentcan be a positive experience for allstudents. It highlights concretely thediversity of languages and cultures in theworld and, as such, constitutes animportant resource for developingintercultural capacities and abilities in allstudents irrespective of their ethnicity.Recognition and affirmation of thestudent’s first language can be achievedthrough• the teacher and students learningsome key words or phrases (greetings,simple instructions, etc.) in the students’first language• communicating positive attitudestowards linguistic diversity andmulti-lingual student’s skills andrecognising the capacities of secondlanguage learners rather than identifyingthem primarily as people with ‘languageneeds’• providing multilingual resourceswhere possible.Intercultural Education in the Post-Primary School 45