Songul Dogan Ger: Developing Students’ Cultural Diversity Awareness and Intercultural Communicative Competence in English Classes
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8 Analysis of the Approach of the School to the Development of Cultural Diversity Awareness (CDA) and Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) in the English Curriculum, Syllabuses and Official Documents – Data Source 4: Document Analysis
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8.3 Findings
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8.3.5 Analysis of the Official School Documents

8.3.5 Analysis of the Official School Documents

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To examine how CDA and ICC are embedded in the school’s policies and broader institutional ethos, I conducted a thematic analysis of five official documents downloaded from the school’s website: the admissions policy, curriculum policy, EAL policy, SPHE (Social, Personal, and Health Education) policy, and the school’s mission and vision statement.

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The mission and vision statement reflects an explicit commitment to cultivating globally minded citizens who act responsibly both locally and globally. The school positions itself as a space where students are encouraged to appreciate Budapest’s cultural richness while also developing respect for self, others, and the environment. Parents are called upon to support their children’s emotional intelligence and social justice awareness, indicating a whole-school approach to values formation.

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The competence framework on the school’s website explicitly lists attitudes and attributes aligned with ICC development. Among the attitudes promoted are international awareness, empathy, respect, and tolerance, each clearly defined. For instance, empathy is described as “putting yourself in someone else’s shoes.” Attributes such as communicator, carer, risk taker, and team player reflect a learner profile designed to foster independent thinking and collaborative problem-solving—core dispositions necessary for intercultural engagement.

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The admissions policy, while brief, reinforces this ethos by emphasising equality and inclusion regardless of “ethnicity, cultural background, beliefs, and creed.” It also aims to nurture students as “confident, tolerant, and global citizens,” implicitly aligning with the development of intercultural competence.

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The curriculum policy takes this further by explicitly aiming to develop students’ “spiritual, moral, cultural, mental, and physical” selves. It promotes engagement with multiculturalism, both in content and in preparing students to respond positively to challenges in diverse societies. The document links these aims directly to knowledge, understanding, and skills, three of the central ICC components.

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The EAL policy plays a significant role in scaffolding ICC development for linguistically diverse learners. It defines EAL learners broadly and adopts the CEFR as a diagnostic tool. Importantly, it expresses respect for students’ first languages and cultures, ensuring a culturally sustaining approach. Provisions such as buddy systems, peer modelling, and cultural shock awareness reflect sensitivity to the affective and social needs of EAL students. Strategies such as group work and school tours further reinforce students’ communication and integration skills. Notably, the EAL policy aligns with parental feedback from interview data, confirming its practical effectiveness in supporting students’ intercultural and linguistic development.

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The SPHE curriculum stands out as a comprehensive document supporting CDA and ICC. It explicitly aims to create “responsible and socially adapted global citizens” and places emphasis on students’ self-awareness, identity formation, and intercultural understanding. It encourages students to clarify their values, understand complexity, and engage with difference through drama, role-play, debate, and group activities—mirroring Byram’s (1997) framework. The curriculum also promotes sensitivity in addressing controversial issues, requiring teachers to create inclusive, respectful environments that support opinion-sharing without bias. Activities such as mind mapping, presentations, and community action projects are designed to develop knowledge, attitudes, and skills across all ICC domains.

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

The analysis of official school documents reveals a clear institutional commitment to fostering ICC and CDA through both explicit statements and embedded practices. The mission and competence framework articulate core values, while the curriculum and SPHE policies operationalise these aims through structured learning experiences. The EAL policy, in particular, demonstrates inclusive practice rooted in intercultural sensitivity. While the admissions and curriculum policies adopt a broader rhetorical stance, the SPHE curriculum provides concrete mechanisms for promoting self-reflection, dialogue, and nonjudgmental engagement with difference. Across the documents, the ICC components of knowledge, attitudes, and skills are well-supported, although the action component could be further strengthened through more explicit guidance on social responsibility and transformative practice.
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