From Foreign Language Education to Education for Intercultural Citizenship

Download or read book From Foreign Language Education to Education for Intercultural Citizenship written by Michael Byram and published by Multilingual Matters. This book was released on 2008-05-27 with total page 285 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This collection of essays and reflections starts from an analysis of the purposes of foreign language teaching and argues that this should include educational objectives which are ultimately similar to those of education for citizenship. It does so by a journey through reflections on what is possible and desirable in the classroom and how language teaching has a specific role in education systems which have long had, and often still have, the purpose of encouraging young people to identify with the nation-state. Foreign language education can break through this framework to introduce a critical internationalism. In a ‘globalised’ and ‘internationalised’ world, the importance of identification with people beyond the national borders is crucial. Combined with education for citizenship, foreign language education can offer an education for ‘intercultural citizenship’.