Intercultural education in the Global South: decolonising canonical intercultural models in Moroccan University MA program courses

ABSTRACT

Decolonial theorists continue to argue for a de-linking from the uncontested onto-epistemic constructs of intercultural education pedagogy (IEP) in TESOL. In the Global South, intercultural education may remain largely amenable to Euro-Western culturalist/differentialist frameworks that often breed essentialism and ethnocentrism. This paper envisages decolonial intercultural education as a de-linking approach for decentring the intercultural models prescribed in the canonical textbooks and materials. Therefore, it critically engages with intercultural language teaching from a decolonial lens so as to unravel and challenge the colonial undertones that are often rendered invisible within the assigned IC materials in Moroccan MA program courses.

Les théoriciens décoloniaux continuent de plaider en faveur d'une dissociation des constructions unilatérales ontologiques-épistémiques de la pédagogie de l'éducation interculturelle (IEP). Dans le Sud global, l'éducation interculturelle peut rester largement encline aux cadres culturalistes/différentialistes euro-occidentaux qui favorisent souvent l'essentialisme et l'ethnocentrisme. Cet article envisage l'éducation interculturelle décoloniale comme une approche de désolidarisation pour décentrer les modèles interculturels prescrits dans les manuels et les matériels canoniques. Par conséquent, il examine de manière critique l'enseignement des langues interculturelles à travers une lentille décoloniale afin de dévoiler et de remettre en question les sous-entendus décoloniaux souvent rendus invisibles dans les matériels interculturels attribués.

KEYWORDS:

• Decoloniality
• intercultural education
• the Global South
• Moroccan tertiary education
• IC materials

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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

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Benachour Saidi

Benachour Saidi holds a PhD in cross-disciplinary Intercultural Communication and Relations, Mohammed First University in Morocco. He is a lecturer of English at the Higher School of School of Education and Training. His research examines Intercultural Communication and Education in the Global South, Social Justice in Teacher Education, decoloniality and the Geo-politics of Language Education. His works have been published in several reputable peer-reviewed journals, including British Journal of Educational Studies, International Journal of Intercultural Relation, Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education and Saudi Journal of Language Studies.