Journal of Foreign Languages, Cultures and Civilizations June 2021, Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 1-40 ISSN 2333-5882 (Print) 2333-5890 (Online) Copyright © The Author(s). All Rights Reserved. Published by American Research Institute for Policy Development DOI: 10.15640/jflcc.v9n1a1 URL: https://doi.org/10.15640/jflcc.v9n1a1 Constructing a New Educational Model: Empathy Building as a Component of Pluricultural Awareness Julia Aliverti 1 & Ioannis Karras 2 Abstract Cultural communities are currently influenced by the process of globalization and the advancement of technology. The mono-cultural context encountered in previous eras is turning into a pluri-cultural and intercultural context, inevitably affecting cultural identity. This article aims to explore whether developing students' empathy, while exploring their cultural identities, succeeds in informing the learning experience with a more culturally-sensitive ethos. Our hypothesis is that by applying an educational model that can develop empathy in the classroom through ELT practices, we can simultaneously work towards ICC development, through binding the curriculum to real-world service activities, and form the bedrock of democratic intercultural citizenship. The conducted context-specific participatory action research attempts to elucidate the above hypothesis, using student questionnaires before and after the implementation of the proposed syllabus, and in-depth interviews to better understand their perspectives and feelings. The research outcomes support the validity of the hypothesis, as they indicate that the intervention shows a tendency to enhance empathetic multicultural awareness. The article concludes with certain practical implications and suggested areas for further research. Key words: Culture, Intercultural Communicative Competence, cultural identity, empathy. Introduction In the era of globalization, technological advancement, worldwide communication and mobility, people from different nations and cultures are provided with opportunities to communicate in international settings. Within this context, English has been playing a prestigious role as an international language (EIL), an efficacious tool for cross-cultural communication. However, as Communicative Competence without Cultural Awareness fails to ensure global communication, Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) appears as a key component in language learning and teaching (Chen and Starosta, 1998; Deardorff, 2004, 2006; Fantini, 2006), and recent curricula have adopted this scope, facilitating interactions between learners from diverse backgrounds in an undaunting way. In this framework, the development of a context-appropriate teaching methodology that embraces a translanguaging pedagogy and respects learners‘ cultural identities could make school a safe space for intellectual and emotional growth, where pluricultural awareness can unfold. In this new light, the importance of empathy, acceptance and authenticity in teaching are emphasized, while theories, principles and approaches that underpin cultural sensitivity in education are discussed (Banks & Banks, 2007; Underhill, 1990). The claim that people with high levels of plurilingual/pluricultural competence possess increased cultural empathy, engage in critical thinking, and have agency over their linguistic and cultural repertoire (Dewaele & van Oudenhoven, 2009; Galante, 2018; Marshall & Moore, 2018), implies that incorporating pluricultural awareness as an intrinsic part of the education system can lead to intellectual and emotional development of the students and their teachers, whose new roles should include those of cultural communicator and intercultural mediator. We propose that by applying an educational model that can develop empathy in the classroom through ELT practices, we can simultaneously work towards ICC development, through binding the curriculum to real- world service activities, and thus form the bedrock of intercultural democratic citizenship. 1 Hellenic Open University, Greece, Email: giulial@otenet.gr, Telephone number: +306943913616 2 Ionian University, Hellenic Open University, Greece, Email: karrasid@gmail.com, Telephone number: +306937049344