ICC in German School Education

Acquiring Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) is a key qualification in the 21st

century. It is necessary for acting responsibly in a digitalised and globalised world in written

and spoken discourse. Therefore, it is essential that education addresses ICC in theory

(curricula) and practice (everyday school life).

The new and advanced curriculum (MV, 2019) aims at

● promotion of cultural diversity,

● cross-cultural dialogue,

● change of perspectives,

● reflection on one's own perception and

● fostering intercultural tolerance.

Looking at the updated version, Intercultural Education (IE) plays an increasing role in the

overall structure in comparison to older curricula. Several core ideas are defined in a

separate paragraph in the introduction on page 5. Almost all teaching contents are now

designed to be subjects for intercultural projects. Taking a closer look at frameworks of

2019, learning objectives are tied to a certain grade. These competences are listed in tabular

form, where ICC is now an autonomous category. The left column contains obligatory goals,

whereas the right one provides teaching ideas and topic suggestions.