Young language learners and their intercultural competence: an immersion classroom case study

A major interest of twenty first century education is the development of intercultural skills in students. Recent years have seen the growth of intercultural language learning which highlights students¿ development of personal skills in understanding the relationships and differences between their languages and cultures. Academic literature has included very few real-life examples of classroom practice or illustrations of students¿ development. This book documents a case study which details the educational experience and attitudes of a group of upper primary students in an immersion language setting in a school in Sydney, Australia. It is relevant and useful to all language educators, and will assist teacher understanding of student identity and learning outcomes. It highlights also the importance of teachers¿ own behaviours and attitudes which facilitate the development of intercultural competence in their students.