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Abstract 
Intercultural dimensions in language class in compulsory school have been recommended by 
research and policy makers for decades. Still, follow-up studies from numerous countries all 
over the world have observed little or no effect in the classrooms. 
The aim of this study is to gain a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities for 
implementing an intercultural approach in practice. The main research question is: 
How can 
the educational system better integrate the intercultural approach in language class into the 
training of future teachers?
 
The notion and implications of an intercultural approach are described. The way it is being 
aimed for is studied through three levels of the educational system as follows: 1) guides and 
recommendations from the Council of Europe and the European Union; 2) directives from 
national authorities in Sweden, where the term intercultural is not mentioned in the 
curriculum, and from a German-speaking canton of the Swiss Confederation, where the term 
is common; and 3) course descriptions from initial French teacher training programmes in 
both countries. 
Many inconsistencies are identified, that imply challenges and opportunities. Their careful 
treatment could facilitate the adoption of an intercultural approach in Sweden and improve the 
existing one in the Swiss Confederation. 
 

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