Intercultural Competence Past Present And Future

This book explores the benefits of teaching reflection upon one’s own culture to develop intercultural competence and looks into the relationship between the proficiency level of the second language and the target culture. It introduces new debates on the concept of ‘critical cultural awareness’ in intercultural learning and teaching, for example the indiscriminate use of terminologies related to the idea of ‘intercultural encounters’. Also, it provides insight into the relationship between language and culture using a new tool such as the Autobiography of Intercultural Encounters through Visual Media. The presentation of different approaches, tools, barriers, educational and cultural realities, online intercultural exchange projects and concepts such as motivation, attitudes, stereotyping, otherization, and critical cultural awareness makes this book an excellent instrument not only for teachers but also for researchers, policy-makers and private and public institutions that want to explore culture and interculturality and to promote an intercultural competence and global citizenship among its learners / users / clients and / or an interculturally-oriented language education.

This book provides a comprehensive review of both the theoretical development and empirical study of the concept of cultural intelligence. A review of previous work on cross-cultural competence provides an historical backdrop against which the two main theories of cultural intelligence are presented. These two approaches, as well as the assessments derived from them, are compared and evaluated. Issues associated with the measurement of cultural intelligence are examined in detail. An important feature of the review of the empirical work on cultural intelligence is that results are discussed in terms of the relationship of the four sub dimensions of the Cultural Intelligence Scale (CQS) and also that results using the Short Form Cultural Intelligence Scale (SFCQ) and other measures of the concept are included. The review of empirical work includes studies that cast cultural intelligence as an antecedent, as a dependent variable, and as a moderator and a mediator. Cultural intelligence at the group and organizational levels are also discussed. Finally, this review sets the stage for a discussion of appropriate future directions in the study of cultural intelligence. Scholars in organizational psychology interested in the concept of cultural intelligence will find this an essential guide.

"This book presents a structured yet flexible methodology for developing intercultural competence in a variety of contexts, both formal and informal. Piloted around the world by UNESCO, this methodology has proven to be effective in a range of different contexts and focused on a variety of different issues. It therefore can be considered an important resource for anyone concerned with effectively managing the growing cultural diversity within our societies to ensure inclusive and sustainable development. Intercultural competence refers to the skills, attitudes and behaviours needed to improve interactions across difference, whether within a society (differences due to age, gender, religion, socio-economic status, political affiliation, ethnicity, and so on) or across borders. The book serves as a tool to develop those competences, presenting an innovative adaptation of what could be considered an ancient tradition of storytelling found in many cultures. Through engaging in the methodology, participants develop key elements of intercultural competence including greater self-awareness, openness, respect, reflexivity, empathy, increased awareness of others, and in the end, greater cultural humility. This book will be of great interest to intercultural trainers, policymakers, development practitioners, educators, community organizers, civil society leaders, university lecturers and students -- all who are interested in developing intercultural competence as a means to understand and appreciate difference, develop relationships with those across difference, engage in intercultural dialogue and bridge societal divides"--

Containing chapters by some of the world's leading experts and scholars on the subject, this book provides a broad context for intercultural competence. Including the latest research on intercultural models and theories, it presents guidance on assessing intercultural competence through the exploration of key assessment principles.

This ground-breaking book is the first to describe in detail how teachers, supported by university educators and education advisers, might plan and implement innovative ideas based on sound theoretical foundations. Focusing on the teaching and learning of intercultural communicative competence in foreign language classrooms in the USA, the authors describe a collaborative project in which graduate students and teachers planned, implemented and reported on units which integrated intercultural competence in a systematic way in classrooms ranging from elementary to university level. The authors are clear and honest about what worked and what didn’t, both in their classrooms and during the process of collaboration. This book will be required reading for both scholars and teachers interested in applying academic theory in the classroom, and in the teaching of intercultural competence.

Intercultural Competence in Higher Education features the work of scholars and international education practitioners in understanding the learning outcomes of internationalization, moving beyond rhetoric to concrete practice around the world. Devoted exclusively to exploring the central learning outcomes of internationalization efforts, this edited volume contains a refreshing combination of chapters and case studies from interdisciplinary and cross-cultural contributors, including: cutting-edge issues within intercultural competence development, such as intersectionality, mapping intercultural competence, and assessment; the role of higher education in developing intercultural competence for peacebuilding in the aftermath of violent conflict; facilitating intercultural competence through international student internships; interdisciplinary and cross-cultural contributions from over 19 countries including Japan, Russia, Serbia, South Africa, and Vietnam; the latest research and thinking on global, intercultural, and international learning outcomes, with a unique emphasis on newer voices. Intercultural competence has become an essential element in international as well as domestic education. This text provides the latest thinking and research within the context of internationalization, presents practical case studies on how to integrate this into the preparation of global-ready students and will be of interest to postgraduate students, international education administrators, and practitioners, as well as scholars and researchers in a variety of disciplines who have an interest in intercultural and global competence.

This book explores the nature of intercultural communicative competence (ICC), a set of abilities required to promote sojourner engagement with diversity during study abroad and other educational exchange experiences. A highly original contribution to the intercultural communication literature, this book bases its multinational perspective of ICC on an extensive literary search in six languages and spanning 50 years to identify ICC’s multiple components, to develop a comprehensive assessment tool, and to assess its development and impact on exchange participants in multiple countries.

Organized by the National Association of Multicultural Education (NAME), this volume explores the organic relationship between the past, present, and future of the discipline. In particular, the book addresses the various forms of recent social upheaval, from educational inequities and growing economic divides to extreme ideological differences and immigration conflicts. Written by a group of eminent and emerging scholars, chapters draw lessons from the past two decades and celebrate present accomplishments in order to ambition a better future through multicultural education.

This book provides a comprehensive review of both the theoretical development and empirical study of the concept of cultural intelligence. A review of previous work on cross-cultural competence provides an historical backdrop against which the two main theories of cultural intelligence are presented. These two approaches, as well as the assessments derived from them, are compared and evaluated. Issues associated with the measurement of cultural intelligence are examined in detail. An important feature of the review of the empirical work on cultural intelligence is that results are discussed in terms of the relationship of the four sub dimensions of the Cultural Intelligence Scale (CQS) and also that results using the Short Form Cultural Intelligence Scale (SFCQ) and other measures of the concept are included. The review of empirical work includes studies that cast cultural intelligence as an antecedent, as a dependent variable, and as a moderator and a mediator. Cultural intelligence at the group and organizational levels are also discussed. Finally, this review sets the stage for a discussion of appropriate future directions in the study of cultural intelligence. Scholars in organizational psychology interested in the concept of cultural intelligence will find this an essential guide.

Inhaltsangabe:Introduction: The transfer of business activities across nations is growing at a rapid rate. The emergence of market economies in Latin America and Asia, the collapse of communism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, and the emerging democracy in Africa have led, among other things, not only to increased global trade, international, multinational and transnational business, but also to an increased demand for international workforce since firms must employ people who possess international business skills in order to remain competitive in the global marketplace. How often does it happen that we meet someone doing business in the United States after representing his/her company in Asia, Middle East or Europe? How often do we meet someone obtaining an international degree abroad before doing business in China, France or Scandinavia? How often do companies require international experiences, mobility, and flexibility? The soft skills of intercultural competence and open-mindedness to cultural diversity are taught by universities around the world. But what happens with our own cultural identity while doing business worldwide? What happens if we conduct business in Japan but with an Italian colleague who lived in São Paulo for many years? Are we just applying intercultural competence or are we developing a universal business culture - apart from our own national culture? How does an international workforce communicate; is it adapting the communication style of the host-country, of a majority culture; or is it developing a communication style which is unique in international business? Are we speaking the same language at the end? Is the understanding of cultural diversity becoming less substantial and more implicit? If companies and organizations require the indispensable and vague defined soft skills of intercultural competence, could these skills be seen as an approach towards a universal business culture, likewise a universal business communication? Purpose of the Present Thesis: The purpose of the present thesis is to examine if and to which extent cultures converge in an international business environment and if intercultural competence has a bearing on it. Therefore, theoretical and practical insights in the subject of culture, its implicit and explicit differences, as well as its measurements will be provided. Due to the fact that communication - as a major cultural attribute - is the most obvious level on which cultural [...]