Does complex instruction benefit intercultural education?

In this paper, I discuss some theoretical considerations regarding the use of complex instruction (CI), and the extent to which it can benefit the field of intercultural education (ICE), as it has been conceptualized by the so-called "pragmatic approach" to ICE. We examine longitudinal ethnographic research from two schools in Flanders to help address this issue. Our assessment is based on several key questions: Does CI address the diversity that is present in a classroom? Is this done via interaction? Can CI help us to observe the kind of diversity that is present in the classroom and does it offer ways of dealing with it? Can pupils and teachers learn to deal more actively and effectively with diversity through CI? Can it lead to changing interaction patterns? I conclude that, on the whole, CI has the potential to be a powerful tool for change. However, it needs to take local diversity more into consideration.