MY INTERCULTURAL SELF

Required Time: 180 Minutes

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able

  1. to define themselves in terms of their cultural identity. 
  2. to articulate a definition of culture. 
  3. to describe how three culture models represent the concept of culture.

Session Goals

  • Promote participants’ curiosity about differences between cultures and self-awareness in terms of their own intercultural identity.
  • Introduce a definition of culture.
  • Introduce three models of culture

Space Requirements

  • Semi-circle seating arrangement
  • A room where participants can move about freely

Necessary Materials

  • Computer + internet connection
  • Flipchart stand and paper
  • Coloured markers
  • A4 paper sheets & pens

Powerpoint presentation “My intercultural self”

Homework 

Before arrival participants are asked to reflect on a Critical Incident.

During this session, they will be sharing and further reflecting on it.

Step-by-Step Description of the Session

ACTIVITY 1: WHO ARE I   (45 MINS)

  1. Ask participants to get into pairs
  2. Proceed as per activity instructions (20 minutes)
  3. Run the debriefing (25 minutes)

ACTIVITY 2 – PRESENTATION : DEFINITIONS & CONCEPTS OF CULTURE  (30 MINS)

  1. Continuing to the debriefing of the previous activity, ask participants to reflect on the impact of culture on their identity:  which aspects of their identity are a social construct? what is learned (because they wanted to or not), what aspect they were born with?
  2. Use the Powerpoint presentation “My intercultural self” to come up with the notion of values, norms, beliefs, taboos and explain the three different models of culture
  3. Inform participants on where they can find more information, studies and researches about these topics (see Research area in the intercultural-learning.eu website and websites connected)

COFFEE BREAK  (15 MIN)

ACTIVITY 3  – A CRITICAL INCIDENT  (45 MIN)

  1. Remind participants that they have been asked to reflect on an Intercultural Encounter or Critical incident before coming to the training. During this session, they will be sharing and further reflecting on it.
  2. Ask participants to think about a critical incident. To be critical, the incident must have resulted in a conflict, in some sort of learning, and is rooted in an intercultural misunderstanding.
  3. When thinking about it, they must have in mind and answer these questions:
      • When and where did the incident happen?
      • Who was involved?  How did it begin?
      • Who does what? Who says what? What’s the problem?
      • How does the story end? What follow up is there?
  4. Ask participants to gather in pairs and to share with a partner their story: they have to describe the facts as accurately as possible without giving any explanation to the behaviours described.
  5. Back in plenary, ask a few participants to share something that caught their attention in their partner’s story.
  6. Building on their personal stories suggests a brainstorming on the effectiveness of our interactions in intercultural settings: what worked, what didn’t and the possible reasons for misunderstanding or conflict rise.

ACTIVITY 4 – INTRODUCTION TO INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE (30 MINS)

  1. Ask participants  to come up with a common definition of intercultural competence
  2. Write down keywords on the flip chart
  3. Use the Powerpoint presentation “My intercultural self” to introduce definitions of Intercultural Competences
  4. Ask participants “Why do you think it is important to understand these concepts and reflect on your cultural identity in your role as a teacher?
  5. Encourage participants to briefly share their ideas.
  6. Close the session recalling what is the intercultural learning process

ACTIVITY 5 – VISUAL EVALUATION (15 MINS)

(activity suggested  – The five fingers evaluation)

  • At the end of each session, choose one of the Visual evaluation methods. This will give you immediate feedback on the appreciation of the session.
  • The visual evaluation methods are great examples of something teachers can do in the classroom after delivering intercultural learning activities as a way of gathering impressions and feedback from students.
  • Use this opportunity to eventually review and clarify confusing or unclear aspects of contents or activities of the training.
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