Transferable Skills Course: Intercultural Awareness and Communication

This seminar deals with the awareness of “other cultures”. It offers a deepening of the understanding (sensitization) of cultural differences and improvement of the ability to deal constructively with these differences. The seminar examines cross-cultural aspects such as: 'hierarchical thinking', 'individual vs. collective ways of thinking', 'high vs. low context orientation', social etiquette, prejudice and stereotypes and many other dimensions. Examples would be: differences in the perception of time, body language, spatial distance and eye contact. In addition, this seminar gives attendees a deeper understanding of why these differences exist and helps them feel more secure when working or living with different cultural norms and behaviors.The seminar is designed in such a way that the participants not only learn using theoretical models, but also through playful exercises, stimulating exchange of their own experiences and through audio-visual presentations and work in small groups.

Schedule

Monday 28th November 2022

09:30 – 11:00

• Introduction: What is Culture?
• Group Work
• Groups present their findings
• Models of understanding Culture (Trainer Presentation)
• General Discussion

11:00 – 11:15: Coffee Break

11:15 – 13:00

• Cultural Awareness Activity I
• The Intercultural Journey: Utility v. Communion
• Group Work
• Cultural Awareness Activity II

13:00 – 14:00: Lunch Break

14:00 – 15:30

• Energy Game
• Dimensions of Intercultural Behavior: Eye Contact and Touch
• Stereotypes (short Ted Talk)
• Stereotypes (Discussion in Small Groups)

15:30 – 15:45: Coffee Break

15:45 – 17:30

• Personalities Game
• Applying Personality Model to Cultural Stereotypes
• Group Experiment
• Intercultural Activity III
• Round-up: What did I learn? What questions are open for tomorrow?
• End of Day 1

Tuesday 29th November 2022

09:00 – 10:30

• Morning Round
• Intercultural Competence Skills: Group Work
• Groups Present Findings
• Intercultural Competence Model and Discussion
• Cultural Challenges: Space and Time (Exercises)

10:30 – 10:45: Coffee Break

10:45 – 12:30

• Group Work (Examining various Cultures I)
• Groups report back with their findings
• Check according to Intercultural Models of Behavior (e.g., High/Low Context Cultures)
• International Cocktail Party Activity

12:30 – 13:30: Lunch Break

13:30 – 15:00

• Energy Game
• Conflict across Cultures
• Pair Work to Discuss personal experience of Conflict btw. Cultures
• Group Work (Examining Various Cultures II)
• Groups report back with their findings
• Check according to Intercultural Models of Behavior (e.g., High/Low Context Cultures)

15:00 – 15:15: Coffee Break

15:15 – 17:00

• Intercultural Competence Revisited: The Iceberg Pyramid
• Group Discussion: How competent am I? Open Questions?
  
• Group Feedback
  
• Group Work (Examining Various Cultures III)
  
• Groups report back with their findings
  
• Check according to Intercultural Models of Behavior (e.g., High/Low Context Cultures)
  
• Final Round and End of Seminar

Before signing up for this workshop, please make sure that you can attend all the dates and write them in your calendar. If you do not show up or cancel at very short notice, other interested students will not be able to participate.