Abstract
The growing cultural diversity among language learners has led to an increased recognition of the importance of developing intercultural competence for both foreign language teachers and learners. This is particularly important when introducing foreign language learners to a new culture without underrating or underestimating their original one. Intercultural competence is generally considered a useful and necessary tool among multi- or intercultural learning or working groups. Yet, what is the opportunity to develop intercultural competence in the context of a monocultural learning group? German as a Foreign Language (GFL) is offered at three main universities in Jordan as a major subject and as a compulsory course for exchange year purposes. The teaching of GFL at these universities is based on commercial GFL textbooks, with a significant focus on content representing German culture. This content varies in many aspects of Jordanian culture, which raises the question of whether learning a new language through exposure to another culture necessarily implies the embrace or practice of intercultural competence. As part of the author's doctoral research on teaching GFL at Jordanian universities and dealing with what is considered taboo in Jordan due to its cultural and religious background, this article discusses the chances and limitations of improving intercultural competence when the target learning group is monocultural and homogeneous, based on the results of a case study of exchange students living in Germany, half of whom are Jordanian, and on Darla Deardorff’s intercultural competence model.
Author Information
Alanoud Hamouri, Technical University of Berlin, Germany
Paper Information
Conference: ECE2024
Stream: Teaching Experiences
This paper is part of the ECE2024 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Hamouri A. (2024) Intercultural Competence in a Homogeneous and Monocultural Foreign Language Learning Group: Chances and Limits (A Case Study) ISSN: 2188-1162 The European Conference on Education 2024: Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 957-972) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2188-1162.2024.74
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2188-1162.2024.74
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