Kulturelle Deutungsmuster interkulturellen Handelns. Bedeutung für die Grundlagenforschung und Anwendung im DaF-Bereich

This contribution analyzes the cultural interpretation patterns of intercultural action. It focuses first of all on the revision of the European Union’s language policy and the concept of intercultural competence used in European regulations. Then the diversity of research approaches is highlighted. The article argues for a redefinition of cultural interpretation patterns. In order to exemplify how a researcher and even study participants themselves can fall into the trap of stereotypes, the design of a survey in the field of German as a Foreign Language among students with different mother tongues is presented and the results regarding cultural items are discussed.