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Intercultural understanding


In the Australian Curriculum, students develop intercultural understanding as they learn to value their own cultures, languages and beliefs, and those of others. This involves students in learning about and engaging with diverse cultures in ways that recognise commonalities and differences, create connections with others and cultivate mutual respect.

Intercultural understanding is an essential part of living with others in the diverse world of the 21st century. It assists young people to become responsible local and global citizens, equipped through their education for living and working together in an interconnected world.

The Asia Literacy and the Australian Teaching Workforce Report emphasises the important relationship between the Asia priority and Intercultural understanding general capability. Teachers overwhelmingly believe that the primary benefit of learning about Asia is growth in intercultural understanding to create a more tolerant and successful Australia.

The Intercultural understanding general capability is organised into three interrelated organising elements:
ICU-image

Illustration of practice

Video of Joshua, a student from the Ballarat South Community Learning Precinct, talking about his India homestay.

 

Reflect

As you watch this video consider:

  • Which intercultural understanding capabilities did Joshua use and develop during his in-country experience in India?
  • What were some of the changes in Joshua’s thinking that resulted from his in-country experience.  


The Intercultural understanding toolkit supports how to improve capacity for intercultural understanding, how it is addressed across all learning areas and examples of activities that can be used in schools.

 

Acknowledgements

Images: Intercultural understanding organising elements by Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (CC-BY-NC-SA); icon images by AEF
Videos: Joshua – student, Ballarat South Community Learning Precinct by AEF

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