Interculturality in the DaF classroom from a decolonial perspective

This paper addresses interculturality, an element that is so present in language classes today, from a decolonial perspective. The aim is to contribute to discussions about a decolonial stance in language teaching - in our case, in German as a Foreign Language classes (DaF) in Brazil - by reflecting on the role of the teacher in this process. Based on my reflections and observations as a researcher-teacher and teacher trainer, I try to address how a decolonial stance on the part of the teacher can lead to the deconstruction of pre-existing patterns and, consequently, to a learner-centered learning, closer to the student's reality. To this end, as well as revisiting and discussing basic concepts for the reflections presented here, I bring practical examples that teachers face in the classroom, especially from textbooks. Since teachers are not always aware that they can - and should - constitute resistance and opposition to colonial postulations that are ingrained in our society, as well as being a tool and incentive for a different world, I discuss some notions of decolonial thinking in order to encourage this new look at learning and a new attitude towards the globalized and intercultural world in which we live.

Keywords:
interculturality; decoloniality; teacher’s tasks; DaF; criticality