Intercultural Education - a dynamic perspective that
spreads over education as a whole, which teaches
knowing and appreciating the differences between
individual.
Reasons for Teaching Intercultural Education
1. It celebrates and recognizes that diversity in all
facets of human life is a basic reality of humanity.
2. It fights all forms of discrimination and advocates
genuine equality, justice, human rights, as well as
equitable and just learning environment.
3. It encourages cultural sensitivity and positive
communication among students of diversity
especially acting in culturally tolerant ways.
4. It empowers one to be culturally adept by
participating in the social interaction with a feeling
of his own identity and cultural group.
Intercultural communication - studies cultural
variation in communicative interaction and interpersonal
relationships among peoples of diverse cultural and
linguistic backgrounds, with the end view of developing
and improving relationships.
Dimensions of Intercultural Communication
1. Perception of time or Chronemics – the value
given by the members of culture to the passage
of time orientation.
2 Types of Time Schedule Across Cultures
 Monochronic – activities are planned
(Westerners)
 Polychronic – activities are done without
planning (Philippines – Filipino Time)
2. Perception of Space or Proxemics and
Haptics
Proxemics - way of relating to space and
territory.
Territoriality – customarily evident in a set
of behaviors that people display to indicate
that they own or have the right to control
Haptics – study of touching in the process of
communication
3. Verbal Communication – different language is
not just a dictionary of words, sounds and
syntax. It is a different way of interpreting
reality. (Federico Fellini)
Different Types of Communicators
1. Direct or Indirect
 Direct speech – reveals the speaker’ true
intentions.
 Low – context culture – a culture the relies more
on content (literal) rather than context (implied
meaning)
 Indirect Speech uses roundabouts statement,
metaphors, and analogies.
 High – context culture – communication is based
not on literal meaning but on context.
2. Restrained or Expressive
 Restrained Communication – occurs when real
emotions are concealed for the purpose of
maintaining good interpersonal relationship.
 Expressive Communication – occurs when there
is straightforward and precise use of words and
much use of body language through body
movements.
4. Nonverbal Communication – “actions speak louder
than words” stresses the importance and role it in
communication.
5. Cultural styles, norms, and etiquette – norms and
etiquette are cultured-bound because this behaviors are
learned from parents, teachers etc.
Egalitarianism - the doctrine that all people are equal and
deserve equal rights and opportunities.
Intercultural Competence –is the knowledge, skills, and
personal attributes needed to live and work in a diverse
world.
8 Basic Behaviors of Intercultural Competence
1. Display of Respect – the most important mark of
cultural competence. Respecting cultural values and
beliefs is imperative in culture.
2. Orientation of Knowledge – individuals ability to
recognize and acknowledge that people explain the
world around them in different ways with different
views of what is “right” and “true”
3. Empathy – capacity to feel how others feel.
4. Interaction Management – taking initiative, taking
turns during conversations, and knowing how to talk to
others appropriately.
5. Task Role Behavior – combined an effort that leads to
group harmony, teamwork, and productivity and
Problem solving skills.
6. Relational Role Behavior – refers to the serious
attempt of a person to participate in establishing and
preserving a personal relationship that is trusting and
supportive to each other.
7. Tolerance for Ambiguity – Tolerance means openness
to experience social acceptance, while ambiguity refers
to confusion.
8. Emotional Expression and Interaction Posture –
expression of emotion like joy, anger, sadness, shame.
Barriers to Intercultural Communication
1. Anxiety – refers to being so conscious about oneself.
2. Assuming similarity instead of difference
3. Ethnocentrism – attitude or belief that one’s culture is
the best and that one can judge other culture.
4. Stereotype and Prejudice – making judgment about an
individual or group.
Stereotype – presenting an image of a person, group or
culture based on an assumed range of behavior.
Pejudices – irrational opinions, attitudes, suspicions, or
hatred about a particular group.
5. Non-verbal misinterpretation – is a critical barrier to
effective intercultural communication.
6. Language – root causes of barrier.
Theoretical Views on Intercultural Education
1. Interactionist Perspective – people, objects, and events
are acted upon based on the perception and meaning
people attached to them.
2. Fuctional Perspective – school is one of the best
avenues to promote social cohesion and peaceful co –
existence.
3. Conflict Perspective – sees the role of school in the
transmission of culture as controversial. School
perceived as a source of intercultural bias.
4. Critical Perspective – school, through intercultural
education program, is a place where individuals and
communities can dig and take a stand in unmasking the
weakness of their culture.
Assimilationist Ideology or Monocultural Perspective –
it pushes for the “melting pot” concept to address
diversity issues by creating one homogeneous culture
from the different cultural groups.
Multicultural Perspective – an idea which states that
different ethnic cultures have the right to maintain their
own identity and culture.
Cultural democracy – is achieve when a society
maintains the unique identities of the minority groups.
Key Principles of Multicultural Education
1. Multicultural education is anti – racist education
2. Multicultural education is basic education
3. Multicultural education is a political movement
4. Multicultural education is a process of wide ranging
school reform.
5. Multicultural education is critical pedagogy.
6. Multicultural education is education for social justice.
7. Multicultural is important for all students.
Goals of Multicultural Education
1. The supreme aim of multicultural education is to
assist learners to obtain better self – understanding by
looking at themselves from the standpoint of other
cultures.
2. Multicultural education presupposed that with the
proper orientation and understanding of diversity,
respect may follow.
3. To provide students with cultural and ethnic
alternatives.
4. To afford all learners with the essential knowledge
skills, and value needed to function within their ethnic
culture, within mainstream culture, and within and
across other ethnic cultures.