Participants will see processes involved in developing an understanding of cultural identity in home and other cultures for young children. This includes exploring examples of expression of self and other in class through a foreign language. In exploring these expressions in classroom materials participants will also consider how to set up interactions between self and other cultures in their own classrooms.

Participants will produce activities which develop learner ability to observe cultural phenomena and identity. With the theme of ‘Me, My Body, and I’ awareness of self can be developed in young learners through a number of activities which focus on all aspects of their physical self with models for building representations of themselves. Young learners can compare self with other by measuring their height alongside another object such as a picture of a tree.

Participants integrate practical craft, art, science and other activities into intercultural activities and in doing so support cross-cultural communication. At Anglia School we use the content curriculum to explore ‘self’ and ‘other’, e.g., in art, children use shapes and different materials to create a cubist representation of self and compare with those portraits of others. In developing an understanding of self and other communities, participants explore interactions with classmates (friendship / being polite); contacts with neighbours (language, relations); visits to local institutions (shops, cafes, libraries); meeting others in parks and gardens (play, rules, safety, care).

Participants develop role plays where children take roles being polite with and helping each other, serving something to each other. Similarly, activities are presented where learners are expected to collaborate on art work where they interact with each other to co-produce a piece of art. Course participants experience these and similar examples in order to develop materials and activities for their own curriculum.