From a multilingual to a multicultural classroom online. An approach from a European Legal Science perspective

Abstract

Europe is, without doubt, a multicultural society. For this reason it is important that European universities start to reflect on the multicultural education both of students and European citizens. In a new society there should be new universities. The universities of the 21st century should serve the new knowledge society which European society has become. The aim of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) is for the universities of the new millennium to be able to respond to the new demands of society. Here we highlight an aspect which, we feel, has been somewhat forgotten: that, within the EHEA, the values taught to university students acquire a special relevance. As such, a major responsibility within the context of the new society is that of respect for diversity and multiculturality. Our proposal for the multicultural online classroom aims to open the debate on the real possibility of offering European law students a course on the legal problems of multiculturality in different languages with the creation of a multilingual and multicultural classroom. This would be an ideal platform for the integration of not only students who use different languages, but, in particular, those who belong to different cultures. In this way, from a multilingual classroom, we find ourselves in a position to move towards a multicultural classroom.