The Notion of Intercultural Understanding in the Context of German as a Foreign Language

The present volume contains 14 articles on the notion of Intercultural Understanding, both inside and outside the foreign language class-room. Since this area is highly controversial in language teaching in general and in German as a Foreign Language in particular, the editors have tried to unfold as comprehensive a picture as possible with regard to the diversity of the present debate. Thus the contributions range from very personal accounts of experiencing and practical considerations concerning the implementation of adequate measures in language curricula to psychological and philosophical questions about the possibility or impossibility to achieve Intercultural Understanding.

The Editors: Dr. Theo Harden is Senior Lecturer in German at the National University of Ireland in Dublin. Dr. Arnd Witte is Senior Lecturer in German at the National University of Ireland in Maynooth.

«... the volume fully deserves a place in any library section devoted to intercultural studies.» (Cree Oliver-Foley, Zeitschrift für Interkulturellen Fremdsprachenunterricht)

Contents: Hans-Jürgen Heringer: How to Improve Your Understanding – Gerhard Neuner: The ‘Key Qualifications’ of Intercultural Understanding and the Rudiments of Intercultural Foreign Language Didactics and Methodology – Arnd Witte: How to be an Alien - Learning a Foreign Language and Understanding Culture – Adelheid Hu: Intercultural Learning and its Difficult Aspects - An Analysis of the Criticism in Relation to a Controversial Concept – Theo Harden: The Limits of Understanding – Hans-Jürgen Krumm: The Languages of our Neighbours - How Realistic is a Concept of Multilingualism in a Multilingual and Multicultural Europe? – Lothar Bredella: The Significance of Intercultural Understanding in the Foreign Language Classroom – Hannes Kniffka: Alien Reading - Newspaper Ads in Intercultural Understanding – Anne Fuchs: How to be a Pilgrim and a Cartographer at the Same Time - Some Deliberations on Intercultural Understanding – Sabine Strümper-Krobb: Understanding Culture and Cultural Differences through Literary Translation Studies – Emer O’Sullivan/Dietmar Rösler: ‘We’re not like that!’ - Using Stereotypes of the Learners’ Culture in Target Language Texts to Increase Intercultural Awareness – Elke Hentschel: Cold at Heart - Some Personal Observations on Intercultural Misunderstandings – Vridhagiri Ganeshan: Intercultural Mis(s)-understanding between Indians and Germans - Some Observations from an Indian Perspective – Marlene Rall: Last Glances of the ‘Imperial Eyes’ - Cooperative Principle and Intellectual Styles in the Mexican Foreign Language Classroom.