Abstract:

Anthropocentric paradigm in today’s science as well as cultural orientation in education both present a challenge that is due to be met employing a new complex and credible approach which is the case of intercultural education. If to call for a definition of the latter the one given by an accomplished cross-cultural education trainer and a world-renowned authority on internationalizing post-secondary organizations Dr. Darla K. Deardorff proves particularly helpful. She claims intercultural education is about forming and mastering intercultural competence which is the ability to behave and communicate in appropriate and effective ways in various intercultural situations. The certain ability is based on one’s knowledge, expertise, attitudes, experience and skills. It goes without saying that appropriateness and thus effectiveness of communication can be determined and assessed only by the other person involved in the process. As a consequence, appropriateness stands for adequately perceived and interpreted information and is directly related to cultural sensitivity.

Conceptually, intercultural education implies promoting cultural awareness. It has long proved a truism that learning a foreign language, for instance, is literally impossible without an insight into the culture of the language under study. Still, intercultural learning can also be seen in a larger context as a process needed to resolve global challenges and to build a just, inclusive society, where people with different backgrounds live peacefully together. In this case, it is cross-cultural education that is the key.

In other words, intercultural education aims at developing intercultural competencies that is the way other people live, think, feel and act. In its turn, cross-cultural education is not only to ensure students are competent to understand people from different cultures, but, what is of primary importance, are able to overcome differences within their own culture, to value, preserve and promote it. As a result, axiological potential of cross-cultural education lies in building global cultural awareness through stating the equal importance of each of world cultures, their interrelation and integration.

Thus, globalization and subsequent frequency and magnitude of interaction among people around the globe that has increased substantially are translated to increasing diversity in education and increased necessity of mastering cross-cultural knowledge for better communication and understanding

Keywords:

Intercultural education, cross-cultural education, cultural awareness, intercultural competence.