GID on Multicultural and Plurilingual Competence
The Teaching Innovation Group (GID) on Multicultural and Plurilingual Competence, integrated within the Institute of Educational Sciences (ICE) of the University of Girona, is developed in the Department of Languages at Escola Universitària Mediterrani (EUM), an affiliated center of the university. EUM is characterized by its linguistic and cultural diversity, where German, English, French, and Chinese are taught.
The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and the recommendations of the Council of Europe recognize plurilingual and intercultural competence as a fundamental pillar in foreign language teaching. In this context, the group is based on Michael Byram’s model of intercultural communicative competence, aimed at fostering understanding, mediation, and interaction between cultures.
At EUM, undergraduate students study a minimum of two foreign languages, reinforcing the integration of the intercultural dimension as a cross-cutting element of the learning process. This competence contributes both to students’ academic development and to their future professional integration in international and multicultural contexts.
Objective
The main objective of the GID is to enhance students’ intercultural competence through the implementation of teaching innovation initiatives aimed at the effective integration of the plurilingual and intercultural dimension in language education.
Development
DIAGNOSIS
Make a diagnosis of the current training given to students related to intercultural competences in the language classrooms at Escola Universitària Mediterrani (EUM), review the methodologies used by group members in the classroom to promote intercultural competence, and detect current training needs
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Prepare a bibliography of relevant publications on intercultural competence
TRAINING PROCESS
Design a training process in intercultural competences for EUM language classrooms, generating the necessary teaching resources to promote them taking into account the four basic competences of language learning (listening, reading, writing and speaking)
IMPLEMENTATION
Implement the designed actions in the classroom and evaluate the teaching results of the interventions
RESULTS
Disseminate the results of the actions taken in the classrooms in scientific journals and conferences
