“A DIFFERENT HISTORY”- A WAY TO FORM INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCES
“A DIFFERENT HISTORY”- A WAY TO FORM INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCES

Summary/Abstract: The article is focused on the effect of teaching, learning and assessing History in a different way, according to the values of postmodern society and students’ needs to develop intercultural competences. The great intercultural potential of the History subject matter is well-known and teachers must become aware of this opportunity to form intercultural competences. “A different History” is an interdisciplinary optional course about local History, which aims to develop intercultural competences by using interactive strategies and invites students to exercise self-knowledge and deep knowledge of the other, acceptance and tolerance. It is necessary to redefine History teaching from a perspective much closer to the actual needs of society and to the students’ psychoindividual profile in the knowledge society. This paper presents a concrete way in which high school students’ may achieve intercultural competences through an optional of local history, which contributes to the development of identity and of the sense of belonging to the community as a prerequisite for developing a broader social identity. The practical conclusion of our entire work is evident: exploiting the intercultural potential of History can be achieved by offering motivating historical content, useful for students who will become citizens of a multicultural world.

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