Songul Dogan Ger: Developing Students’ Cultural Diversity Awareness and Intercultural Communicative Competence in English Classes
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10 The Parents’ Views About Their Children’s Development of Cultural Diversity Awareness and Intercultural Communicative Competence – Data Source 6: Interviews with the Parents
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10.3 Findings
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10.3.1 The Parents’ Reasons for Sending Their Children to an International School

10.3.1 The Parents’ Reasons for Sending Their Children to an International School

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The participating parents were asked about their motivations for choosing an international school for their children. This question aimed not only to identify their primary expectations but also to assess whether the school’s multicultural context factored into their decision-making. Unsurprisingly, the dominant theme across all responses was the desire for their children to learn or improve their English. English was seen as a crucial tool for academic progression and global mobility, especially given the families’ international lifestyles. As Anna explained, enrolling her children in an English-speaking environment meant they would be able to “continue their education in another country or university.” Similarly, Debbie stated that her decision was rooted in uncertainty about future relocations, emphasising: “I wanted my child to speak the international language, English… because we don’t know where we might end up.” For Mia, the choice was more situational: “We had to move to a new country… the only way was for my son to go to an international school, where the English language is everything.”

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Although English language acquisition was clearly prioritised, some parents also recognised the broader benefits of a multicultural learning environment. Two participants explicitly pointed to the social and cultural advantages offered by international schools. Emma highlighted the development of “social flexibility” in her child as a key advantage of interacting with peers from different cultural backgrounds. Shannon commented on the difference in pedagogical approaches, pointing out that international schools were less crowded, offered more time for classroom participation, and gave “less homework,” which she believed suited the busy lifestyles of internationally mobile families.

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Interestingly, Diana revealed that their decision had been partially circumstantial: “We didn’t have a choice… it was logical for him to study in an international school.” However, she also expressed a positive attitude towards the school’s multicultural makeup, noting that it would be “nice to be with children from different countries and cultures.”

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

Taken together, the parents’ responses suggest that although their immediate concern was their children’s English proficiency—driven by career mobility and future academic aspirations—they were not indifferent to the intercultural dimensions of the school. The importance of being surrounded by cultural diversity, though secondary in most cases, was still acknowledged as valuable. What remains to be seen, and is addressed in the following sections, is whether the school experience fulfilled the parents’ expectations in terms of both academic achievement and the development of CDA and ICC.
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