The Languages and Multicultural Education Resource Centre provides resources on global education and elated topics. Visit the website for more information at: The Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture is also a good website to for related material 1.9 Advice for schools when teaching about cultural diversity Cultural difference is an extremely complex and sometimes highly personal and emotive subject. Thinking differences is not just about It is also about It touches the very essence of ‘them’. ‘us’. who are, the core of our own identity. When educators bring this issue into their classrooms, they ‘we’ can easily create as many problems as they solve. If the teaching and learning objective is to encourage a positive, constructive and optimistic approach to differences, here are some general dos and don’ts: DO DON’T Do start with positives, such as the benefits of Don’t with negatives, such as racism or cultural difference. prejudice. These imply a kind of accusation an – approach unlikely to change attitudes. by discussing the range of possible by having students voice their attitudes Do Don’t attitudes to cultural difference, without allowing to cultural differences. This might be the first time students to align themselves personally. Then, they have been asked to voice their feelings on in a somewhat more detached way, they can this subject in a formal or public way, and once then work through the consequences of they have voiced them they may feel that they different attitudes. have to remain committed to them. This may fix in place and simplify views that are probably more complex and fluid. Do emphasise social cohesion: the way Don’t overemphasise colour’. The ‘ethnic differences can complement and benefit each and polka’ approach often creates ‘spaghetti other. Focus on shared and core values, such more stereotypes than it debunks.
The Languages and Multicultural Education Resource Centre provides resources on global education and elated topics. Visit the website for more information at: The Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture is also a good website to for related material 1.9 Advice for schools when teaching about cultural diversity Cultural difference is an extremely complex and sometimes highly personal and emotive subject. Thinking differences is not just about ‘them’. It is also about ‘us’. It touches the very essence of who ‘we’ are, the core of our own identity. When educators bring this issue into their classrooms, they can easily create as many problems as they solve. If the teaching and learning objective is to encourage a positive, constructive and optimistic approach to differences, here are some general dos and don’ts: DO DON’T Do start with positives, such as the benefits of cultural difference. Don’t with negatives, such as racism or prejudice. These imply a kind of accusation – an approach unlikely to change attitudes. Do by discussing the range of possible attitudes to cultural difference, without allowing students to align themselves personally. Then, in a somewhat more detached way, they can then work through the consequences of different attitudes. Don’t by having students voice their attitudes to cultural differences. This might be the first time they have been asked to voice their feelings on this subject in a formal or public way, and once they have voiced them they may feel that they have to remain committed to them. This may fix in place and simplify views that are probably more complex and fluid. Do emphasise social cohesion: the way differences can complement and benefit each other. Focus on shared and core values, such Don’t overemphasise ‘ethnic colour’. The ‘spaghetti and polka’ approach often creates more stereotypes than it debunks.
intlielpguide.docx