Raising Intercultural Awareness in Teaching Young Learners in EFL Classes
Ioannis Karras
This paper discusses the importance of raising intercultural awareness in teaching young learners in EFL classes. More specifically, it provides a theoretical framework within which the notions of intercultural education, culture teaching, intercultural awareness, empathy, and intercultural sensitivity are positioned. Furthermore, the impact of intercultural awareness on both teachers’ and learners’ social identity, as well the multiple implications for the greater vicinity of foreign language pedagogy, are thoroughly discussed. The article concludes with some practical suggestions for EFL teachers who are seeking to promote culture teaching and intercultural awareness, and to integrate an intercultural approach in their young learners’ classrooms.
Key words: Young learners, Culture teaching, Intercultural awareness, TEFL, Intercultural education, Intercultural communication, Intercultural competence