Interculturality goes beyond knowing cultures by shaping how we learn and work together.
WHAT CONCEPTS SHOULD YOU KNOW AS EDUCATOR?
Interculturality refers to the quality of interaction between people from different cultural backgrounds. It focuses on how learning, communication, and cooperation take place in multicultural environments, and under which conditions these interactions are fair and meaningful.
Unlike approaches that focus only on describing cultural differences, interculturality emphasises:
- Dialogue and interaction, not comparison
- Equal participation, not tolerance alone
- Shared responsibility for creating fair conditions
In VET contexts, interculturality is particularly relevant because classrooms, training centres, and workplaces bring together learners with different languages, experiences, learning styles, and expectations. Diversity is therefore not an exception, but a normal condition of learning and work.
Interculturality recognises that people share common human needs, such as belonging, recognition, and dignity, while also acknowledging that cultures respond to these needs in different ways. It also includes awareness of power relations, recognising that some ways of speaking, behaving, or learning are more valued than others because of how institutions are organised.
HOW CAN YOU EXPLAIN IT TO THE STUDENTS?
Interculturality means paying attention to how people with different backgrounds relate to one another in everyday situations. It is about learning to work together in ways that allow everyone to contribute, rather than simply accepting that differences exist. In classes, training, or teamwork, it involves creating conditions where no one is left out and where responsibility for fair interaction is shared.
| ACTION ITEM | Set fair conditions for interaction: Structure group work so that everyone participates (clear roles, shared goals, rotating responsibilities), ensuring that cultural differences do not turn into unequal participation. |
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