Development Of Intercultural Skills Research Articles

Préparer à évoluer dans un environnement professionnel multiculturel : l’(inter)culturel dans les manuels de spécialité affaires

The article examines the ways intercultural aspects are dealt with in textbooks for learning business language (in the broad sense) in French, Spanish and Italian. The authors of the textbooks analyzed represent different approaches, both at the level of the declared learning objectives and at the level of the techniques applied. Among the textbooks analyzed there are also those oriented towards the development of intercultural skills. Their goal is not so much to prepare the learner to evolve in a given culture, but to make them aware of the differences between their own and the target culture(s)and to be able to mediate between the representatives of each of them. Although in a textbook for the teaching/learning of a foreign language for specialized purposes, intercultural training preparing for “culture shock” must necessarily be limited, the examples observed show that educators aware of the importance of this issue can offer interesting solutions and proposals.

A multisite cross-sectional study of intercultural competencies in doctor of physical therapy students

BackgroundPhysical therapists (PTs) work in diverse communities with individuals whose identities and beliefs may differ significantly from their own. Academic institutions must include intentional curriculum aimed at graduating PTs who can skillfully navigate intercultural encounters. Being prepared to engage with difference and demonstrate skills related to intercultural competencies (ICC) will prepare entry-level PTs to provide individualized, high-quality care. Intercultural competencies are essential skills that can reduce healthcare disparities, and promote equitable and inclusive healthcare delivery. This study examined the impact of PT curricula, student demographics, and participation in intercultural learning experiences (ILEs) on students’ development of ICC.MethodsA cross-sectional study of 8 Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs in the United States (US) compared ICC in first-year (F) and third-year students (T), and T who participated in an ILE (T + ILE) to those who did not (T-only). Subjects included 1,038 students. Outcome measures included The Inventory for Assessing the Process of Cultural Competence-among healthcare professionals-Student Version© (IAPCC-SV), and a demographic survey.ResultsIndependent t-tests showed that group T (mean = 64.34 ± 5.95, 95% CI: 63.78-64.90) had significantly higher IAPCC-SV total scores than group F (mean = 60.8 ± 5.54, 95% CI = 60.33-61.27, p < 0.05). Group T + ILE (mean = 65.81 ± 5.71, 95% CI = 64.91-66.71) demonstrated significantly higher IAPCC-SV total scores than group T-only (mean = 63.35 ± 5.8, 95% CI = 62.6-64.1, p = 0.039). A one-way ANOVA and post hoc comparisons showed that the 25 to 34-year age group (mean = 63.80 ± 6.04, 95% CI = 63.25-64.35, p < 0.001) and the ≥ 35-year age group (mean = 64.21 ± 5.88, 95% CI = 62.20-66.22, p < .024) had significantly higher IAPCC-SV total scores, than the 18 to 24-year age group (mean = 60.60 ± 5.41, 95% CI = 60.09-61.11). Students who identified in US census minority ethnic or racial categories (US-Mn) (mean = 63.55 ± 5.78, 95% CI = 62.75-64.35) had significantly higher IAPCC-SV total scores than students who identified in US majority ethnic or racial categories (US-Mj) (mean = 61.98 ± 5.97, 95% CI = 61.55-62.413, p = .0001).ConclusionsResults of the study support the hypothesis that DPT programs can promote the development of intercultural skills in students. The ultimate objective of this academic preparation is to improve the student’s ability to deliver equitable, person-centered healthcare upon entry into practice. Specific ICC for entry-level DPT students are not clearly defined by US physical therapy professional organizations, academic institutions, or accrediting body. Students who participated in an ILE exhibited higher levels of ICC when compared to those who did not. Findings from this study can guide curriculum development, utilization of resources, and outcomes assessment. More research is needed to examine characteristics of an ILE that could inform best practice.

Exploring Culture as a Step in the Development of Intercultural Skills

Objective: This study aims to analyze the reflections of a group of ninth graders from a Colombian high school about their culture during the development of an intercultural-based classroom project. Method: This qualitative action research study was grounded in an intercultural approach for language teaching. The study used a questionnaire and the written production of students to collect data which were analyzed using thematic and frequency analyses. Results: The findings suggested that the inclusion of cultural topics motivated the students and enhanced their awareness of the value of their culture and the impact of racism and discrimination within their sociocultural context. Similarly, a few elements of culturally relevant pedagogies, such as factual knowledge about culture, cultural competence, and critical consciousness, emerged from the voices of the students. Discussion and conclusions: Addressing the local manifestations of culture in English as a Foreign Language classrooms open the path for discussions on social issues and recognize the relevance of one’s cultural landscape. Nevertheless, the systematic integration of culture in language teaching at the national level is a task that remains to be achieved.

Bilingual education in Germany: French-speaking context

The research highlights the problem of bilingual education in Germany in a French-speaking context. An analysis of the scientific and pedagogical literature has shown that bilingual education is the type of education that is of constant interest to domestic and foreign scholars. The aim of bilingual education is to develop students' communication and activity skills, which provide an opportunity to act and interact in situations of oral and written speech on the topics of everyday life and on the basis of authentic documents and materials. The organization of bilingual education in the French-speaking context in Germany is aimed at developing students' ability to express personal views, describe and comment on information received, draw conclusions, participate in discussions and debates. It also provides for the development of intercultural skills, as intercultural education aims to form citizens who are open to other peoples, tolerant of their cultural and national uniqueness. From this point of view, educators seek to impart knowledge about the country whose language is being studied. It is primarily a matter of learning to work in direct contact with representatives of other countries. The socio-cultural content of bilingual education in Germany is closely linked to the daily life of society, the positive experiences gained, the successes and challenges of young people, and the modern perception of the European dimension. It involves the use of the latest learning strategies. Students learn to work with authentic texts, receive information from the media and the Internet. German bilingual education experts encourage the active use of innovative techniques and strategies, the use of additional learning tools. The role of self-education and self-improvement, which serve to prepare for language learning throughout life, is growing.

Virtual exchange: a promising high-impact practice for developing intercultural effectiveness across disciplines

Virtual Exchange (VE), a pedagogy that uses technology to facilitate online, collaborative work among students and their peers in other countries, is viewed as a high-impact practice contributing to engaged learning and student success in higher education. This study investigates the impact of various types of VE on the intercultural effectiveness skills of undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in courses across disciplines. The relationship between VE and intercultural skills for minority and non-minority students was also investigated, along with the relationship between dosage (length and duration) of VE and intercultural skills. Results indicate VE positively impacts the development of intercultural skills of students and that there were no differences when the data are disaggregated by individual classes or disciplinary areas. There were no significant differences for minority and non-minority students and for the impact of dosage, but further research is recommended for these two important topics. Findings of this study underline the generalizability of VE across disciplines and its suitability for providing wider access to international experiences for all students.

Designing Virtual Mobility as a transformative learning experience

Virtual student mobility and blended student mobility are becoming a key strategic policy area in European educational policy, with the aim of providing all students in Europe with the experience of mobility during their studies. This article looks at the extent to which these forms of mobility are designed to support transformative learning experiences, through the analysis of three virtual mobility cases in secondary education and three cases in higher education, using the Activity-Centred Analysis and Design (ACAD) Framework. The findings show that virtual mobility offers suitable learning environments where transformative learning can occur. However, structured reflection needs to be more elaborately designed for and supported to achieve its full potential. The article suggests that structured reflection is currently primarily focused on the development of intercultural skills and attitudes, but offers opportunities for other learner skills in virtual mobility (such as collaborative learning and networked learning). The article suggests some methods to do this.

Intercultural competences of students-strategic approaches

Intercultural education is a category of the „new education” and a desideratum of the European dimension of education. This study presents the results obtained from a research centred on the training and development of intercultural skills of students of „Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu which are enrolled in various study programmes of the Socio-Human Sciences Faculty. The study was based on the general hypothesis that teaching in higher education in an intercultural context contributes to the formation and development of intercultural skills in students, as well as improving and streamlining the learning process, increasing interest in the cultural characteristics of other peoples. The research method used diagnose the intercultural component of the sociohuman sciences curriculum, was the survey method and the tool used on identifying students’ intercultural competencies was a questionnaire. Intercultural skills of students can be formed by teachers, who in turn have such skills and capitalize them in educational and professional contexts, so that teaching becomes a living laboratory in which democratic values are promoted based on acceptance of otherness, respect for other cultures and the confidence in the potential of every human being. Students with intercultural skills can contribute to the sustainability of a future society since they can integrate socially, culturally professionally without high costs and financial investments.

Global Communication Competence: a Framework of Intercultural Skills Development in Sport and Tourism Higher Education

Purpose. The research aims at multi-faceted study of global communication competence, which is a vital soft skill for professional development of students, acquiring their degrees in sport and tourism.&#x0D; Materials and methods. Qualitative research methods applied in the research include theoretical analysis of relevant scientific findings, synthesis and modelling, pedagogical observation and evaluation. Quantitative analysis relates to questioning and data processing, in particular, 50-question Intercultural Quiz, conducted among 352 students of NUUPES and NUFT.&#x0D; Results. The conducted research of global communication competence of the first and fifth year university sport and tourism students shows clear correlation between the level of education and gained global communication expertise, presented by the communicative skills of critical thinking and cooperation. The analysis of statistic data has proved that along with improved self-awareness, disciplines more than doubled students’ global communication competence within five academic years. In addition to quantitative improvement, the quality of the intercultural communication is enhanced, as essential professional skills are gained in the sphere of students’ future occupation. Professional orientation of global communication competence outlines sportive and medical inclination of NUUPES students’ higher education, and tourism and hospitality focus of NUFT students’ training.&#x0D; Conclusions. The results of the study have proven that contemporary university students who get degrees in the fields of sport and tourism perceive culturally-bound information when attending their on-line and off-line academic courses and participating in various multicultural events in and outside university setting. In this way they acquire attitudes and values of self-awareness and recognition of ethnical diversity. Established values transform into production and result in implementation of culturally aware behaviour, represented by a high level of self-evaluation and persuasion abilities directed to effective, yet tolerant way of problem solving and shared responsibility.

Intercultural Perspective on Impact of Video Games on Players: Insights from a Systematic Review of Recent Literature

The video-game industry has become a significant force in the business and entertainment world. Video games have become so widespread and pervasive that they are now considered a part of the mass media, a common method of storytelling and representation. Despite the massive popularity of video games, their increasing variety, and the diversification of the player base, until very recently little attention was devoted to understanding how playing video games affects the way people think and collaborate across cultures. This paper examines the recent literature regarding the impact of video games on players from an intercultural perspective. Sixty-two studies are identified whose aim is to analyze behavioral-change, content understanding, knowledge acquisition, and perceptional impacts. Their findings suggest that video games have the potential to help to acquire cultural knowledge and develop intercultural literacy, socio-cultural literacy, cultural awareness, self-awareness, and the cultural understanding of different geopolitical spaces, to reinforce or weaken stereotypes, and to some extent also facilitate the development of intercultural skills. The paper provides valuable insights to the scholars, teachers, and practitioners of cultural studies, education, social studies, as well as to the researchers, pointing out areas for future research.

Research into intercultural effectiveness in a multicultural educational milieu in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Enhancing intercultural effectiveness through the development of intercultural skills and competencies substantially contributes to establishing a more peaceful and tolerant society, which explains a considerable research interest it excites. The present study aims at investigating how study field, grade-point average (GPA), nationality, gender, university status, and grade level impact intercultural effectiveness of Bosnian university-level students. The research sample consisted of 184 students studying at the Departments of English Language and Literature and Psychology at three different universities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A 2 × 4 ANCOVA indicated that intercultural effectiveness varied significantly by study field and GPA, with small effect size in both cases. The interaction effect of study field x GPA was also significant, with an almost moderate effect size. Similarly, a two-way MANOVA revealed that nationality and gender had a significant effect on the combined dependent variables of intercultural effectiveness and their interaction effect was also significant, with a small effect size. On the other hand, a two-way MANOVA revealed an insignificant impact of grade level and university status on the combined dependent variables of intercultural effectiveness. The interaction effect of grade level x university status was also insignificant, with a small effect size. The present study shows that intercultural effectiveness can be further developed and increased in the university milieu and is thus expected to contribute to recognising the importance of its enhancement through curricula and teaching content in particular.

Analysis of the satisfaction degree of students participating in international educational projects

The article is based on the results of joint project between the University of Southern Denmark, Denmark, Southern Federal University, Russia and University of Østfold, Norway, “Cooperation active student learning, NCM-RU-2015/10060”, an international educational project aimed at intercultural skills development on the basis of a specific discipline “Innovation Management” at higher education level. Project training simulates real professional research situations in order to solve complex tasks. At the final stage of the project a student satisfaction survey was conducted in order to obtain some information about strengths and weaknesses of the present project. Our customized student feedback survey requires Danish, Norwegian and Russian students who have participated in the project to make an overall statement about their satisfaction with the participation in the project. Students’ satisfaction is a multidimensional process which is influenced by different factors, so survey respondents were asked to rate aspects of their educational, research and communication experience, from skill development and personal growth to quality of curriculum and instruction. Determining which features of the student experience in international teamwork are most closely related to satisfaction may provide information about actions that can be taken to maintain high level of project planning and implementation in the future.

It's not all about English! The problem of language foregrounding in English-medium programmes in Japan

ABSTRACTThe number of universities offering English-medium instruction (EMI) is growing in Japan. Yet, academic programmes taught in English have not reached their full potential. One powerful barrier to the improvement of these programmes is a misperception that English language proficiency is the defining factor for success. After outlining the growth of EMI in Japan, this article considers the central challenge of faculty engagement as a key factor governing the development and sustainability of internationalisation activities. Problems involving the conceptual conflation of EMI and English learning and debates regarding English proficiency for EMI programme success are discussed. Interview data from faculty members involved in three Japanese university programmes demonstrates a foregrounding of the role of the English language and English proficiency is overly attributed as a barrier to programme excellence. Specifically, these misperceptions impede faculty engagement and prevent the implementation of quality faculty development efforts. This article proposes that less emphasis on language and greater attention to pedagogical and intercultural skills development could benefit EMI in Japan.

INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF TWO DEVELOPMENTAL MODELS – RELATED TO DEVELOPMENTAL LEVELS/STAGES

Intercultural competence is currently an area of research in which new approaches and perspectives appear in large numbers every year. Given the importance of intercultural competence there is a need for a conceptual consensus within a multi-disciplinary approach.This contribution presents recent developments of Reflective Intercultural Competence Assessment (RICA) model, whose main goal is the development of intercultural skills in a second language and culture. The presentation focuses on first data analyses of the applied RICA model, with the aim to discover guidelines and directions for current and potential extended use of the model. The comparative analysis within the current developed RICA model and a model with long years of experience, the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS), gives particular attention on stages of development in order to find guidance on practice and functioning.

Integrating Culture into ELT Classes: What, Why, and How?

Abstract The lingua franca role of English has made a significant contribution toward developing foreign language teaching curriculums from an intercultural perspective. The present study aimed to investigate how pre-service and in-service foreign language teachers consider the integration of culture into language teaching. The participants⿿ understanding of cultural elements they think should be integrated more in the curriculum was in the focus of the study, in addition to possible differences between perceptions of pre-service and in-service teachers. The study was carried out with 4th grade ELT students at the Faculty of Education, Pamukkale University⿿a state university in Turkey⿿and English instructors at the School of Foreign Languages at the same university in the fall term of 2015/16 academic year. Data were collected both quantitatively and qualitatively via an inventory of cultural components and interviews. In total, 43 instructors and 75 students responded to the inventory. Five students and four instructors were also interviewed. The inventory included 45 elements of culture under nine categories: ⿿intellectual values⿿, ⿿lifestyles⿿, ⿿behaviours⿿, ⿿media⿿, ⿿artistic values⿿, ⿿family⿿, ⿿minor values⿿, ⿿major values⿿, and ⿿formal values⿿. The results indicate that both pre-service and in-service teachers consider a wide range of cultural elements should be integrated into language teaching to enable the development of intercultural skills. Interview sessions revealed reasons why teachers think that culture should be integrated. Findings are expected to contribute to development of foreign language teaching curriculums that give importance to intercultural competence.

Developing Students’ Cultural Intelligence Through an Experiential Learning Activity

Business schools can increase their competitiveness by offering students intercultural skills development opportunities integrated into the traditional curricula. This article makes a contribution by proposing an approach to developing students’ cultural intelligence that is based on the cultural intelligence (CQ) model, experiential learning theory, and contact theory. This study empirically tests the effectiveness of the proposed approach by developing and conducting a cost-efficient, easy-to-implement experiential learning activity where marketing students and advanced English as a Second Language students interview each other about consumer behavior differences. The activity led to a perceived increase in cultural knowledge, motivation, and confidence in the students’ ability to communicate with people from other cultures. Overall, students deemed the activity a valuable part of their education. Students’ CQ was positively correlated with the self-reported (perceived) prior experience-based and studies-based intercultural competence. Compared with domestic students, international students scored higher only on the Cognitive dimension of CQ.

The learning design components of a global collaborative classroom between lebanon and mason

The poster presents an informational visualization of the key design components and the team teaching strategies for a Global Collaborative Classroom (GCC) awarded by the Office of Global Strategies for delivery during Fall 2016. The GCC we have planned involves a six-week, four-phased, fully online group project between University of Balamand, Lebanon and GMU that is designed to expose students to international perspectives on instructional technology topics and engage them in highly interactive learning activities for the six-week period. The collaborative classroom centers on the development of an instructional technology integration product such as a lesson, tutorial, or e-learning module, and involves global learning outcomes that foster student examination of systematic cultural issues impacting technology integration in various educational settings. In addition to knowledge-based global outcomes, there are affective global outcomes attained through multi-cultural learning activities that emphasize experiential, collaborative learning and intercultural communication. A global skills instrument will be used to assess student intercultural skills development. In summary, the poster will be organized to include sections that visually describe the following GCC components: 1) course and student details, 2) GCC design goals, strategies, assignments, 3) global learning outcomes implementation, 4) global skills inventory integration, 5) four-phased, group project learning design, 6) technology integration, and 7) team teaching approach.

The gains and pains of mixed national group work at university

ABSTRACTAccording to a recent report, the top skill that employers are looking for in graduates is an ability to work collaboratively with teams of people from a range of backgrounds and countries. So as universities seek to internationalise, an important question is how successful they are in developing this skill. Both research and anecdotal evidence suggest that it is a challenging task and that universities are struggling to achieve it. In this paper, we report a study on working in mixed national groups and its relation to intercultural skills. A total of 2000 students at a UK university responded to a questionnaire that had both closed and open questions. A range of statistical analyses were carried out on the quantitative data, and the open-ended comments were analysed thematically. The responses were compared across national/regional clusters and our findings indicate that mixed national group work is widely perceived across the clusters as enriching and not particularly challenging. Correlations indicate that students perceive such group work as more important for the development of intercultural skills than cross-national friendships.

Creating Global Learning Experiences: Course Design Fundamentals for Internationalizing the Curriculum

Participants will discuss the integration of global learning into the curricula and examine comprehensive frameworks for global learning. This session will engage participants in designing curriculum/assessment tools and developing partnership strategies that advance an intentional approach to global learning throughout the undergraduate experience. Using the AAC&amp;U Global VALUE rubric, which shows how course specific global learning outcomes (GLOs) align with dimensions of student development, we will cross-reference the rubric to instructional strategies that optimize the achievement of the GLOs; drilling down further, we show how examples of how these GLOs align with appropriate learning activities, assessments, and related learning technologies. Following this basic template, we lead participants working in pairs through an analysis of their syllabi and through a series of structured exercises (worksheets and small group interaction) to co-develop a course learning module or collaborative assignment segment that integrates at least one global learning outcome.The goals of this session are compatible with Mason's Collaborative Global Classrooms (CGC) Initiative, where faculty are funded to partner with one or more international peer faculty who together transform and then co-teach an existing course or course component into a CGC course. The signature learning experience of a CGC involves high levels of student collaborative engagement with international peers and intercultural skills development in a co-taught learning environment.

Formación en Trabajo Social con conciencia global y compromiso local: un caso de buena práctica educativa

We analyze a learning experience that has been considered by the IASSW as an example of good practice international in social work education. It is a postgraduate online training program for social workers and other practitioners of social intervention, based on the critical analysis of implicit models (non-conscious and often ethnocentric) and the development of intercultural skills (mindset and skill set). The program train professionals globally aware and locally committed to the advocacy of minorities and vulnerable groups, able to implement processes of empowerment at individual and collective level program. The Model of Intercultural Social Intervention (MISI) is the central axis (theoretical and practical) of the educational program. The MISI is used and is inspired by other practice theoretical models, theories and perspectives from the South (mainly) and the North: consciousness raising model, antioppressive, empowerment and advocacy, transformative mediation model, etc.; though adapted to multicultural realities with major complexity and diversity than those in which the mentioned models developed, and with an applied component clearer than the previous ones. Academically, the program is innovative as it is for international students (so far have involved people from 21 countries), including graduate and postgraduate students, and teachers have different training profiles with different origin and practical experience in several countries of the North and of the South (Europe and Latin America). Practices are held in different countries, always in multiethnic and culturally diverse contexts. It is the only social work education program in Spanish of these characteristics, and our graduates and the graduates have a very high percentage of employment. Relevant theoretical and pedagogic aspects that can be applied in other contexts are described in this text.

Formative journeys of first-year college students: tensions and intersections with intercultural theory

Development of intercultural skills is recognized as an essential outcome of a college education, but in order to facilitate students' growth effectively, we must understand the points of the developmental journey at which students enter the college classroom. This study tests four hypotheses developed on the basis of leading models of intercultural development in relation to first-year students' levels of maturity, attitudes toward difference, capacity for productive interaction and emotions experienced in the face of difference. To test the hypotheses, we collected written narratives on a formative encounter with difference from 414 incoming students at the University of Minnesota. Each narrative was coded for an initial, intermediate or advanced stage of intercultural development, as well as for the outcomes of the interaction and emotions experienced in the course of the encounter. Findings indicate that: (1) only 21% of respondents display evidence of ethnorelative thinking; (2) the majority report very positive attitudes toward difference, but show evidence of veiled detachment and minimization; (3) there is no difference in reports of productive interaction between those who do and do not display mindfulness and (4) the emotions experienced at various stages of intercultural maturity do not yield a pattern of increasing comfort. We conclude that the points at which our students begin their intercultural journey may differ slightly from what is suggested by leading developmental models, and recommend adjusting the starting point of programming aimed at supporting intercultural competence development in college.