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

• students can explore the contribution ofdiverse cultures to our mathematicalculture• students can learn to value ‘the hiddenmathematics embedded in culturaleconomicactivity’. For example, themaths practiced by identifiable culturalgroups, by tribal societies, by thosewithout formal education, and so on.A detailed audit of the opportunities forincluding intercultural themes inMathematics as well as sample lessons canbe found on the CD-ROM and atwww.ncca.ie.Modern LanguagesThe Junior Certificate modern languagessyllabus makes several specific referencesto the importance of culture under itsgeneral educational aims, including ‘to givepupils an awareness of another culture andthus a more objective perspective onaspects of their own culture’. Similarly, atsenior cycle, the general aims of thesyllabus include ‘to equip learners with abroad acquaintance with the cultural,social and political complexities of thecountries in which the target language is anormal medium of communication andthus to help raise their awareness ofcultural, social and political diversitygenerally.’Culture infuses every area of languageteaching: for example, learning any verb inFrench involves learning the familiar tuform and the polite (or plural) vous form,with implications of register andappropriateness. Learning about howChristmas is celebrated in Spain willinvolve learning about los Reyes Magosand turrón. It is second nature to languageteachers to then make comparisons withthe students’ own language and culture,thereby inevitably raising their awarenessof other cultures and sensitising them tosimilarities and differences.There is scope for taking the interculturalbasis which already exists a step further: toconsider more consciously and deliberatelythe diverse cultures and ways of life in thecountry (or countries) of the targetlanguage; to consider the diverse culturesin Ireland; to consider specifically issues ofhuman rights and responsibilities andconflict and conflict resolution.When students are discussing interculturalissues in the target language, they mayhave difficulty in expressing complicatedideas or responses. However, the verystruggle to express themselves will sensitisestudents to the difficulties which may beexperienced by non-native speakers ofEnglish now living in Ireland. If there arenon-native speakers of English in the class,a language class can also provide theproverbial level playing field, whereEnglish-speaking students are notautomatically at an advantage as they maybe in, say, a history or geography class.In an inclusive modern languageprogramme• students are sensitised to culturaldifferences with the country or countriesof the target language and elsewhere• students are exposed to a range ofmaterials, including literature, whichpresents a variety of perspectives andallows them to explore values andattitudes• materials touching on issues of humanrights and responsibilities,discrimination and equality, and conflictand conflict resolution are used assource material for practising bothreceptive and productive use of thetarget language• language is not approached simply asthe study of language as a tool ofcommunication or even as the study of a70Intercultural Education in the Post-Primary School