Frameworks for Intercultural Learning

Welcome teachers, students and all those who are interested in intercultural relations.

Nowadays there is a growing interest in intercultural learning. This website aims to stimulate debate about some of the issues which lie at the core of global intercultural learning. It is designed for teachers, students in training and all those who are interested in intercultural relations.

INTRODUCTION

Recognising our role as global citizens is an essential part of living in the twenty first century. Global challenges such as climate change, the loss of biodiversity and conflicts between social groups require global solutions. 

Schools, universities and other educational institutions have a key role in developing critical and creative thinking about such issues, and intercultural learning is central to this process. However, the conversations which result will frequently challenge assumptions and go beyond the limits of Western models of development.

This site draws on the findings from the ESRC funded Global Partnerships for Mutual Learning research in two different ways:

Our aim is to help you to think more deeply about how you interpret your inter-actions with people from a range of places and cultures. Although the website draws on thinking and research from both Western and Southern perspectives, we acknowledge that it is located within an Anglo-Saxon context and expressed through the medium of the English language. 

A central notion is that the nature of the relationship between people of different cultures is at the core of ethical and worthwhile intercultural learning experiences.

Reference:
Bourn, D. (2014) The Theory and Practice of Global Learning, London: Development Education Research Centre, Institute of Education.