International Journal of New Developments in Education, 2025, 7(5); doi: 10.25236/IJNDE.2025.070512.
Jiali Dong1, Yongwen Tang2
1Hefei No.45 Middle School Forest City Campus, Hefei, Anhui, China
2Luyang District Education and Sports Bureau, Hefei, Anhui, China
In the context of global education reform, cultivating intercultural competence and international understanding is becoming a key aim of English language education. This study explores how Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, a classic British literary work, can be integrated into junior high school English reading instruction to support the development of students’ global awareness and cross-cultural communication competence. Drawing on UNESCO’s framework for Global Citizenship Education and Byram’s model of intercultural communicative competence, the study constructs a three-dimensional analytical framework including cultural element identification, cross-cultural comparison, and instructional design. Through close reading and cultural interpretation of selected scenes, the study proposes task-based learning strategies that embed language acquisition within meaningful intercultural experiences. The findings suggest that literature-based reading instruction not only enhances students’ language proficiency but also serves as a powerful platform for developing critical thinking, empathy, and international understanding. While the study is limited to one literary text and conceptual design, it offers practical insights and a foundation for further empirical research on the integration of classic literature and global education in English language classrooms.
Education for International Understanding; English Reading Instruction; Intercultural Communicative Competence; Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland; Literary Pedagogy; Junior High School Education
Jiali Dong, Yongwen Tang. Research on the Integration of International Understanding Education into Junior High School English Reading: A Cultural and Pedagogical Exploration of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. International Journal of New Developments in Education (2025), Vol. 7, Issue 5: 78-83. https://doi.org/10.25236/IJNDE.2025.070512.
[1] Banks, J. A. (2008). Diversity, group identity, and citizenship education in a global age. Educational Researcher, 37(3), 129–139. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X08317501
[2] Byram, M. (1997). Teaching and assessing intercultural communicative competence. Multilingual Matters, 56-68.
[3] Dvalidze, N. (2022). Teaching English through storytelling. IJAEDU – International E-Journal of Advances in Education, 8(24), 206–212. http://ijaedu.ocerintjournals.org
[4] Krashen, S. D. (1982). Principles and practice in second language acquisition. Pergamon Press.
[5] Maxwell, C., Yemini, M., Engel, L. C., & Koh, A. (2021). Multiple theoretical and conceptual frameworks for understanding 'international education'. International Studies in Sociology of Education, 30(1–2), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/09620214.2021.1924421
[6] Merryfield, M. M. (2000). Why aren't teachers being prepared to teach for diversity, equity, and global interconnectedness? A study of lived experiences in the making of multicultural and global educators. Teaching and Teacher Education, 16(4), 429–443. https: //doi. org/10.1016/S0742-051X(00)00004-4
[7] Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China. (2022). Compulsory education English curriculum standards (2022 Edition) [in Chinese]. People's Education Press.
[8] UNESCO. (2015). Global citizenship education: Topics and learning objectives. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. https: //unesdoc. unesco. org/ark: /48223/pf0000232993