Suchergebnisse

In foreign and second language teaching, a close relation between language and cultural learning is undisputedly recognised (Altmayer 2010). Intercultural competences, in terms of the ability to relate to a foreign culture, to overcome stereotypes by means of building relationships, and to be willing and capable of stepping back from one's own cultural perspective are important prerequisites for living in multicultural societies and therefore form objectives of intercultural learning in L2 classrooms (Glaboniat et al. 2005: 103). In the CEFR extension (Council of Europe 2018), mediation and plurilingual/pluricultural competences are explicitly addressed, and linguistic enablement in order to participate in pluralistic democratic societies in Europe has become a recent focus in curricula (Beacco et al. 2016; Council of Europe 2016). In the context of German-speaking Switzerland, as part of a project funded by cantonal authorities, teaching materials were developed that aim to raise adult learners' awareness of pluralistic societal relationships and promote intercultural competence. The materials support a positive attitude in dealing with diversity, and at the same time they offer refugees and migrants opportunities to participate in and to shape the discourse on diversity in the host society. The materials were tested in various language courses and disseminated in teacher training workshops. In the current paper, experiences and reflections on intercultural competence as a goal in the L2 classroom with adults will be discussed in relation to these teaching materials.