Multicultural education – Teaching & Learning Research Initiative

Enhancing the intercultural capability of students of additional languages in New Zealand’s intermediate schools

Introduction The purpose of this TLRI-funded study was to investigate how five Year 7/8 teachers of additional languages in four primary/intermediate schools in New Zealand supported their students to develop their intercultural capability in the context of learning a language additional to the language of instruction. The teachers taught a range of languages (Chinese, Japanese, French, te reo Māori). We define intercultural capability as the ability to relate successfully and comfortably to people from different cultural backgrounds, appreciating and valuing one’s own culture and uniqueness alongside the cultures and uniqueness of others (Liddicoat, 2005). Our study was motivated by national and international rationales. In light of the increasing diversity of backgrounds

Teaching literature in the multicultural classroom

1. Introduction This Teaching and Learning Initiative (TLRI) research project explored ways of teaching literature effectively in multicultural and multilingual classrooms. It involved primary and secondary school teacher-researchers working in partnership with university-based researchers over two years on a series of case studies, within an action research framework. The case studies involved classroom-based interventions carried out by individual teachers and developed collaboratively with the larger project group. 1.1 The project context The project took as its starting point two contextual factors: The New Zealand classroom, at primary and secondary levels, is becoming more multicultural and multilingual. In a number of ways schools and teachers are under increased pressure to find constructive