The role of ‘the language of the other’ in the segregated education system of Cyprus as a vehicle for developing intercultural dialogue for reconciliation and peace through education

Abstract

The conflict in Cyprus is rooted in identity, and the importance of the island’s languages to conflicted groups has become a contentious subject. This study explored the various roles that language plays in the island’s post-conflict context: the potential to bring an intercultural dimension to teaching the ‘language of the other’, and understanding what it means to employ the language of a former enemy, along with its relationship to identity, across the divide in public education. After Cyprus joined the EU in May 2004, the Northern Cypriot authorities (TRNC) partially lifted the border in Nicosia, the last divided capital in Europe, and the Republic of Cyprus (RoC) in the South introduced optional Turkish in schools for the first time. Turkish and Greek language students’ and teachers’ experiences shed light on challenges for language policymaking post-conflict, and implications for peace education in the future. I interviewed seven Turkish teachers of Greek and six Greek teachers of Turkish. I interviewed 25 secondary school students in the North and 27 in the South. Students’ motivation to study Greek and Turkish includes the political aspect of learning the language of the former enemy; they are aware of the importance of language for future peace on the island. Students’ views should guide top-down educational policymakers, teachers, and unions, for why and how to develop and promote learning the language of the other. Given that no lasting solution has been reached in Cyprus, such language learning to bring about understanding is essential for political future, for security, and for daily use.