The International Conference on Bilingual Education: Good Practices across the Four Educational Stages, Córdoba, 17th –

20th November, 2015

““Working with and from Working with and from what we havewhat we have”: ”:

Teachers as the drivers of Teachers as the drivers of Intercultural Education Intercultural Education

Richard Fay Richard Fay (Manchester Institute of Education, The University of Manchester)(Manchester Institute of Education, The University of Manchester)

richard.fay@manchester.ac.ukrichard.fay@manchester.ac.uk

Initial CommentsInitial Comments Intercultural Education / Bilingual Education Teachers’ opportunities for shaping education

(English language) teachers and IC specialists Teachers: some from UK, a few from other EU

countries … the majority from e.g. China “Intercultural education?”

1) some comments about IcEd 2) some examples of teacher-initiated practice

(Bulgaria, Greece … Mexico, Thailand)

The need for Change: Manchester The need for Change: Manchester Case StudyCase Study

The University of Manchester / MA IC Guest The University of Manchester / MA IC Guest lecture from Head of Equality & Diversitylecture from Head of Equality & Diversity

““Gender and race inequalities in Higher Gender and race inequalities in Higher education: education:

how can we make a difference?how can we make a difference?””

Diversity / Representativeness Diversity / Representativeness Equality & EquityEquality & Equity

12,000 staff 12,000 staff (52/48% male/; 15% BME; 5% with (52/48% male/; 15% BME; 5% with disabilities)disabilities)

40,000 students (25% international, 18% UK 40,000 students (25% international, 18% UK BME)BME)

Senior Leadership Team

Heads of Heads of SchoolSchool

The Equality Act 2010 prohibits discrimination on the following The Equality Act 2010 prohibits discrimination on the following grounds:grounds:

DisabilityDisabilityAgeAge

Religion and

belief

Religion and

belief

RaceRace

Pregnancy and

maternity

Pregnancy and

maternity

Sexual orientation

Sexual orientation

SexSex

Marriage and civil

partnership

Marriage and civil

partnership

Gender reassignme

nt

Gender reassignme

nt

Intercultural EducationIntercultural Education Focusing on intra-national / internal diversity Focusing on intra-national / internal diversity

(and inequity?) (and inequity?) e.g. UoM Equality & Diversity e.g. UoM Equality & Diversity

Focusing on new arrivals / challenges to the Focusing on new arrivals / challenges to the status quo / apparent social equilibriumstatus quo / apparent social equilibrium

Focusing on international differences, issues Focusing on international differences, issues etcetc

Language awareness day, citizenship Language awareness day, citizenship education, elements of PSHE, etc …. education, elements of PSHE, etc …. PREVENT strategy, mapping the world in the PREVENT strategy, mapping the world in the schoolschool

A social transformative A social transformative agendaagenda

A celebration of A celebration of ‘‘diversitydiversity’’ (maybe tokenistic, (maybe tokenistic, culturally-static, simplistic, essentialist)culturally-static, simplistic, essentialist)

A commitment to exploring the role of A commitment to exploring the role of education in education in ‘‘making a differencemaking a difference’’ (transformative)(transformative)

Intercultural education as transformativeIntercultural education as transformative::

““IcEd – one means of beginning to address IcEd – one means of beginning to address inequity inequity

in our local, national and global communitiesin our local, national and global communities”” Teachers as agents of change / drivers of IcEdTeachers as agents of change / drivers of IcEd

My ‘definition’ of intercultural My ‘definition’ of intercultural educationeducation

IcEd aims to use educational processes, curricula, materials, examinations, teacher education practices, teaching methodological possibilities, etc …

…. to inculcate a critical global-and-local mindedness in students towards (their engagement with) accepted and transmitted knowledge about the world so that …

… both within their complex and emerging national social context(s) and beyond it/them,

… they are able to approach diversity, complexity, and contested aspects (of history, etc) with a habit of mind of considering multiple perspectives (i.e. meaning attribution) on what they are learning.

Bulgaria Helpdesk Case Study Bulgaria = a small-ish (7-8 million) in SE Europe, ‘the

Balkans’ Now EU member state, previously part of Soviet Block has a significant (25+ %) ‘ethnic minority’ population, e.g.

Turkish-speaking muslims, Roma, Sephardic Jews, etc),

educational policy frames a notional, singular construct of Bulgarian identity (Bulgarian-speaking, Orthodox Christian)

policy devalues the contribution to the cultural richness of Bulgaria (and all those for who do not share that singular, national cultural identity)

Education supports a centralised discriminatory policy vis-à-vis ethnic identity

Helpdesk challenge - exploring the contribution (or otherwise ) of all officially approved school texts towards the objectives of Intercultural education.

World Music for Citizens of the WorldBeing a universal language, music is a key element both in building bridges between differences and in imagining communities without borders. What is more, the young people who grow and study in Bulgaria today are the future citizens of the world and should be able to actively engage in communication without prejudices. Thus, the learning materials in this subject should, on the one hand, reflect and construct the social diversity of societies and, on the other, promote to the learners acceptance of diversity in the spirit of equality. Our analysis focuses on the issues of diversity and equality in the ways they appear on all levels which contribute to the learning experience of the young people in music classes. We also offer suggestions for ways in which the intercultural potential of the 9th grade teaching materials can enhanced.

The content of the textbook possesses considerable potential for developing the idea of social diversity through musical diversity. For example, Unit 1 considers the varied uses over time of folklore (labour, holiday, wedding) …

Despite the declared multiperspectivity of the content, a lack of equality in the representation of the diversity of societies can be observed. The emphasis falls primarily on the musical culture and heritage of Europe …

This tendency, however, deprives the young Bulgarian of the opportunity to discuss, for example, the influences on such impressive popular music markets as Russia or India …

The one-sided representation of ethnic diversity in Bulgarian society in this context allows for inequality and does not promote tolerance to, and acceptance of, different musical cultures within students’ own culture …

MATE in Greek Primary MATE in Greek Primary SchoolsSchools

Two Primary SchoolsTwo Primary Schools

St JamesSt James’’ CE CE (Manchester)(Manchester)- Ethos = - Ethos = ‘‘love their neighbourlove their neighbour’’ = respect the cultural other = respect the cultural other

- 240 pupils, almost 75% - 240 pupils, almost 75% ‘‘ethnic minorityethnic minority’’, ,

- 15 main ethnic groups (largest = Pakistani heritage) …. - 15 main ethnic groups (largest = Pakistani heritage) …. mostly Muslimmostly Muslim

- 40+ languages- 40+ languages

- 50% - 50% ‘‘EALEAL’’ ….. 25% = EMT, 65% multilingual, 10% = EMT ….. 25% = EMT, 65% multilingual, 10% = EMT

St HelenSt Helen’’s Catholic s Catholic (Essex)(Essex)- Ethos = respect- Ethos = respect

- 210 - 210 420 pupils, 75% ethnic minority 420 pupils, 75% ethnic minority

- Filipino, Polish, Spanish, various African … mostly Catholic- Filipino, Polish, Spanish, various African … mostly Catholic

- 30+ languages- 30+ languages

- 60% - 60% ‘‘EALEAL’’ (parental classification) (parental classification)

Two Issues and a StoryTwo Issues and a Story

British democratic valuesBritish democratic values- via school ethos (respect + Catholicity / Christian-- via school ethos (respect + Catholicity / Christian-

underpinning)underpinning)

““PreventPrevent”” strategy strategy (to prevent radicalisation)(to prevent radicalisation)

The Global School – mapping originsThe Global School – mapping origins

Considering the characteristics of a critically-edged Considering the characteristics of a critically-edged intercultural orientation to educationintercultural orientation to education

Bulgaria Helpdesk Case Study Bulgaria = a small-ish (7-8 million) in SE Europe, ‘the

Balkans’ Now EU member state, previously part of Soviet Block has a significant (25+ %) ‘ethnic minority’ population, e.g.

Turkish-speaking muslims, Roma, Sephardic Jews, etc),

educational policy frames a notional, singular construct of Bulgarian identity (Bulgarian-speaking, Orthodox Christian)

policy devalues the contribution to the cultural richness of Bulgaria (and all those for who do not share that singular, national cultural identity)

Education supports a centralised discriminatory policy vis-à-vis ethnic identity

Helpdesk challenge - exploring the contribution (or otherwise ) of all officially approved school texts towards the objectives of Intercultural education.

And beyondAnd beyond

Developing FL pedagogy under siege Developing FL pedagogy under siege conditions conditions (online Teaching Arabic as a Foreign (online Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language in Gaza)Language in Gaza)

MATE MATE (multicultural awareness in Greece where (multicultural awareness in Greece where ‘‘to be to be Greek, is to be Orthodox)Greek, is to be Orthodox)

Generic Cultural Awareness Generic Cultural Awareness (post TEFL criticality (post TEFL criticality intercultural awareness in Mexico)intercultural awareness in Mexico)

Discourses of Intercultural Communication Discourses of Intercultural Communication and English as a Lingua Francaand English as a Lingua Franca (Thailand and (Thailand and ‘‘the Westthe West’’))

the politics CLIL the politics CLIL (Indonesia)(Indonesia)

CLIL + EAL CLIL + EAL (Manchester and Essex)(Manchester and Essex)

MATEMATE (Greece - Multicultural Awareness (Greece - Multicultural Awareness Through English)Through English)

IC Awareness through Encounters with IC Awareness through Encounters with ‘‘othernessotherness’’ (Cordoba(Cordoba’’s Saharan practicum)s Saharan practicum)

Helpdesk for Intercultural MaterialsHelpdesk for Intercultural Materials (Bulgaria (Bulgaria Balkans) Balkans)

Comments? Questions?Comments? Questions?