Learning foreign languages is of fundamental significance in an expanded Europe that is acentre of knowledge and economic hub. It needs to support Europe’s cultural diversity, tocontribute to intercultural dialogue and to support cross-border tolerance.The IDIAL project is a response in support of these objectives and focuses on two problemareas: 1) The steadily deteriorating quality and diminishing appeal of learning certain Slaviclanguages (RU, BG, PL, SK) in Germany as well as learning German as a foreign language(GFL) in Central Eastern and South-Eastern Europe (CEE/SEE) in schools and highereducation establishments. 2) The lack of up-to-date, high-quality intercultural textbookstailored to the specific requirements of those learning the respective Slavic languages inGermany and of GFL in individual CEE/SEE regions (BG, PL, SK). It is also a response tothe lack of suitably focused further education material for teachers of these foreignlanguages.To improve linguistic diversity, Europe’s competitive capacity and intercultural dialogue, theIDIAL project is developing innovative regionalised, intercultural teaching materialsincluding multimedia advanced teacher training material for lifelong learning for schools(Sec level II), higher education establishments and advanced vocational training inCEE/SEE and Germany, which focuses on comparing source and target culture(regionalisation) at all practical linguistic and cultural levels and which is used to developtolerance and cultural understanding. Regional and literary texts are used as the basis forworking on specific cultural topics relevant to the regions, including topics such as family,work, education, (national) identity, mobility and democracy. A study type is beingformulated to develop cognitive, emotional and perceptive aspects of interculturalcompetence, to be adapted according to the requirements of each language.The two-year project is being co-ordinated by the University of G ttingen’s interculturalGerman studies department (DE) and includes another 16 partner organisations from fourEU Member States (DE, PL, SK, BG), which incorporate leading educationalestablishments at school and higher education level and well-known institutions andprofessional associations as core and associate partners, who also ensure that projectresults are tested and circulated. Project activities are supported by an academic advisoryboard made up of language teaching specialists in order to continuously ensure the qualityand optimum success of the project.