THE INTERCULTURAL APPROACH TO LANGUAGE LEARNING Shawn Simpson 26 September 2011 Georgetown University

THE INTERCULTURAL APPROACH TO LANGUAGE LEARNING THE ETHICS OF RESPECT Universal Declaration of Human Rights – Article 2 « Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status » Unesco - Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity - Article 5 « …All persons should therefore be able to express themselves and to create and disseminate their work in the language of their choice, and particularly in their mother tongue; all persons should be entitled to quality education and training that fully respect their cultural identity » European Union – Charter of Fundamental Rights – Article 21 « 1. Any discrimination based on any ground such as sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation shall be prohibited » Shawn Simpson 26 September 2011 Georgetown University

History and context of the AIF (Apprentissage Interculturel du Français) The ITER Organisation The expatriate communities Their expectations and needs Response to these needs Traditional forms of teaching were not appropriate Creation of program Development of program Intercultural aspects have taken on a life of their own and led to the development of an ITER culture Shawn Simpson 26 September 2011 Georgetown University

The program consists of: Personal interview Training needs analysis Placement in group Monitoring of progress and/or difficulties End of program evaluation Certificate awards Group classes Individual tutoring Intercultural workshops Intercultural breakfasts French in context for spouses/partners Intercultural seminars for all Intercultural events for spouses/partners Shawn Simpson 26 September 2011 Georgetown University

THE INTERCULTURAL APPROACH TO LANGUAGE LEARNING Shawn Simpson 26 September 2011 Georgetown University

Cultural Fusion and ITERCulture International ITERcultural seminars (2008, 2009, 2011) Studies on Expatriate Experiences and Expectations Intercultural Think Tank Intercultural Task Force Comparative Culture Workshops Collaboration with Iter Organization Communication – Buzz – Intercultural questions Presentations to Director General and Senior Staff Committee International recognition for programs European study on social impact of ITER (SERF – EFDA) 2010-2013 European Learning Partnership on Embedding Intercultural Knowledge 2010-2012 Cycle of monthly intercultural conferences for IO starting September 2010 Multicultural panel for ITER spouses/partners Shawn Simpson 26 September 2011 Georgetown University

THE INTERCULTURAL APPROACH TO LANGUAGE LEARNING Knowledge Cultural fusion Intercultural approach Feedback Traditional language learning Shawn Simpson 26 September 2011 Georgetown University

Challenges and difficulties: Train the trainers/teachers: “de-format” Willingness to take risks and “jump in” Role of facilitator rather than teacher Slower process but learning is more deeply embedded Building of learning communities - language teaching reaches beyond its traditional limits Does not correspond to all learning styles : that is why it is a diverse program (individual tutoring) Shawn Simpson 26 September 2011 Georgetown University

THE INTERCULTURAL APPROACH TO LANGUAGE LEARNING Shawn Simpson 26 September 2011 Georgetown University

What might be the future of the intercultural approach to language learning? Globalisation versus diversity Language and cultures as important as management skills Preservation of languages and cultures The R.I.C.H. approach to intercultural competence Thank you for your attention. Shawn Simpson 26 September 2011 Georgetown University