![[PDF]](/pb-assets/Icons/adobe-pdf-icon-1498649896243.png){kind=icon}
Abstract
Internationalization and intercultural competence are key issues in higher education institutions across the globe. In times of accelerating globalization, intercultural competence emerges as one of the most desirable graduate capabilities for those who are likely to work in international environments. This article focuses on the development of intercultural skills within mixed student groups. It offers a case study with a focus on building intercultural competence through an assignment that invites experiential, self-directed learning. Students’ previous intercultural experiences as well as their personal attitudes, it is argued, have a strong influence on what they learn during their studies. The assignment presented in the case study draws upon the expertise that individual students already have when they enter the classroom, and aims at further developing their intercultural skills. The article also includes an assessment of the assignment, based on a student survey conducted across several semesters. The results of the survey show how students rate the usefulness of this particular assignment in comparison with other, more traditional, assessed tasks such as essay writing.
References
Section:
|
Banks, M, Olsen, A, Pearce, D (2007) Global student mobility: An Australian perspective five years on. Available at: http://www.idp.com/idp-today/publications.aspx (accessed 26 May 2011). Google Scholar | |
|
Bloom, BS (ed.) (1956) Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, the Classification of Educational Goals – Handbook I: Cognitive Domain. New York: McKay. Google Scholar | |
|
Byram, M (1997) Teaching and Assessing Intercultural Communicative Competence. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters. Google Scholar | |
|
Collier, MJ (1997) Cultural identity and intercultural communication. In Samovar, LA, Porter, RE (eds) Intercultural Communication: A Reader. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 36–44. Google Scholar | |
|
Cross, T, Bazron, B, Dennis, K, Isaacs, M (1989) Towards a Culturally Competent System of Care: A Monograph on Effective Services for Minority Children Who Are Severely Emotionally Disturbed. Washington, DC: CASSSP Technical Assistance Center, Georgetown University Child Development Center. Google Scholar | |
|
Deardorff, DK (2006) Identification and assessment of intercultural competence as a student outcome of internationalization. Journal of Studies in international Education 10(3): 241–266. Google Scholar | SAGE Journals | |
|
Deardorff, DK (2009) The Sage Handbook of Intercultural Competence. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE. Google Scholar | |
|
Gadamer, H-G (1989 [1960]) Truth and Method (2nd edn). New York: Crossroad. Google Scholar | |
|
Grow, GO (1991) Teaching Learners to be Self-Directed. Adult Education Quarterly 41(3): 125–149; updated 1996 online. Google Scholar | SAGE Journals | ISI | |
|
Grow, G (1993) In defence of the staged self-directed learning model. Available at: http://www.longleaf.net/ggrow/SSDL/SSDLReply.html (accessed 26 May 2011). Google Scholar | |
|
Gudykunst, WB (1993) Toward a theory of effective interpersonal and intergroup communication: An anxiety/uncertainty management perspective. In: Wiseman, RL, Koester, J (eds) Intercultural Communication Competence. Newbury Park, CA: SAGE, 33–71. Google Scholar | |
|
Gudykunst, WB (1995) Anxiety/uncertainty management (AUM) theory: current status. In Wiseman, RL (ed) Intercultural Communication Theory. International and Intercultural Communication Annual, vol. 19. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE, 8–58. Google Scholar | |
|
Gudykunst, WB, Kim, YY (1984) Communicating with Strangers: An Approach to Intercultural Communication. New York: Random. Google Scholar | |
|
Hall, S, Held, D, McGrew, T (eds) (1992) Modernity and its Futures. Cambridge: Polity Press, in association with the Open University. Google Scholar | |
|
Hofstede, G (1980) Culture’s Consequences: International Differences in Work-Related Values. Newbury Park, CA: SAGE. Google Scholar | |
|
Kolb, DA (1984) Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Google Scholar | |
|
Kramsch, C (2001) Language and Culture. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Google Scholar | |
|
Lambert, RD (ed.) (1994) Language Planning around the World: Contexts and Systematic Change. Washington, DC: National Foreign Language Center. Google Scholar | |
|
Lynch, EW, Hanson, MJ (eds) (2004) Developing Cross-Cultural Competence: A Guide for Working with Children and their Families (3rd edn). Baltimore, MD: Brookes. Google Scholar | |
|
Matsumoto, D, Seung, HY, LeRoux, JA (2007) Emotion and intercultural adjustment. In Kotthoff, H, Spencer-Oatley, H (eds) Handbook of Applied Linguistics, Vol. 7: Intercultural Communication. New York: Mouton–de Gruyter, 77–79. Google Scholar | |
|
Parker, RS, Haytko, DL, Hermans, CM (2009) Individualism and collectivism: reconsidering old assumptions. Journal of International Business Research 8(1): 127–139. Google Scholar | |
|
Stier, J (2003) Internationalization, ethnic diversity and the acquisition of inter-cultural competencies. Journal of Intercultural Education 14(1): 77–91. Google Scholar | Crossref | |
|
Stier, J (2006) Internationalisation, intercultural communication and intercultural competence. Journal of Intercultural Communication 11(1): 1–12. Google Scholar | |
|
Ting-Toomey, S (1985) Toward a theory of conflict and culture. In: Gudykunst, W, Steward, L, Ting-Toomey, S (eds) Communication, Cultural and Organizational Processes. New York: SAGE, 71–87. Google Scholar | |
|
Ting-Toomey, S (1988) Intercultural conflict styles: A face negotiation theory. In: Kim, YY, Gudykunst, WB (eds) Theories in Intercultural Communication. Newbury Park, CA: Sage, 213–238. Google Scholar | |
|
Ting-Toomey, S (1993) Communication resourcefulness: An identity-negotiation perspective. In Wiseman, R, Koester, J (eds) Intercultural communication competence. Newbury Park, CA: SAGE, 72–111. Google Scholar | |
|
Volet, S, Ang, G (1998) Culturally mixed groups on international campuses: An opportunity for intercultural learning. Higher Education Research and Development 17(1): 5–23. Google Scholar | Crossref |
