Role of Teachers in Developing Intercultural Awareness: Adaptation of Goleman’s Theory of Emotional Intelligence

Abstract

The world has become a global village. Hence, it has become a survival skill to understand and accept the difference among the people around us. In case of India, being one country, there are 28 states, 8 territories, 22 official languages, and a vast number of dialects present. This multilingual and multicultural aspects make India a unique country on the world map, but this very uniqueness creates a difference among all the Indians. Hence there is a dire need to develop intercultural awareness among Indians. No one can just stick to their own culture, society or values and work in India. It has become mandatory for every professional as well as for a commoner to know, understand and accept the culturally, lingually and socially different person, sitting next to him.

English being an international and library language; has become one of the link languages across all the states and regions in India. English teachers can be an instrumental force to develop intercultural awareness among the young minds. They have the world literature at their hands to impart the knowledge among learners about cultural difference and to develop the acceptance required for the same. The paper discusses the need to develop intercultural awareness and the role of teachers. It even throws light on the challenges faced by teachers and the opportunities available to them. The paper has made a special reference to role of Goleman’s theory of Emotional Intelligence for developing this awareness.