Intercultural YOUR SOURCE FOR INTERCULTURAL LEARNING IN THE AFS NETWORK
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The State of Intercultural Learning (ICL) in the AFS Network & Update on Priorities MELISSA LILES, DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, AFS INTERNATIONAL
September 30 is Intercultural Dialogue Day in Europe. EFIL member organizations celebrated across the continent.
It’s almost that time of year again. Time, that is, for the annual AFS World Congress, where volunteer and staff leadership gather to reflect on where we are both mission- and businesswise, to review the work ahead of us (think AFS Vision 2020) and to discuss the path forward. At AFS International this means assessing whether and how we —together with AFS Partners and supporters—have been able to do the work we set out to do at the start of the year. An evaluation of our work so far in the ICL area will be shared with all Congress delegates in Buenos Aires in an accountability Continued on Page 2
IN THIS ISSUE The State of Intercultural Learning (ICL) in the AFS Network by Melissa Liles Page 1 Reflections on AFS at SIIC 2010 Page 3 Did You Know? Learning Goals of the Post-Arrival and Mid-Stay Phases by Aryn Bloodworth Page 4 Training Session Outline: Planning or Updating your Post-Arrival and Mid-Stay Orientations Page 5 Concepts & Theories: Adding to the Field by Kali Demes and Dr. Nicolas Geeraert Page 6
Welcome AFS International ICL Interns! Page 7 News You Can Use: What are Others Saying about “Intercultural?” by Anna Collier Page 7 Did You Know? The Iceberg Model of Culture gets a Facelift! Page 9 Educational Relations at the Institutional Level: Educational Credentials and Globalization by Elisabeth Hardt Page 10
Beyond-AFS ICL News: Interview with Dr. Darla Deardorff by Aryn Bloodworth Page 11 Network & Partner Initiatives: Southern African Youth Exchange Programme: Moving toward Regional Integration by Bento Marcos Page 12 Conference Updates: Report from the EFIL Intercultural Seminar Page 13 ICL Field Conferences & Event Updates (Upcoming in 2010/2011) Page 14
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will be happening just across town from the Congress. I can’t think of a better place to start: The Southern Cone region has an impressive, dedicated training plan and has already made a commitment to investing in ICL training opportunities. Leveraging this, we are proud to have regional, Network and external trainers working together not only on this event, but to further shape the Program before it is launched around the world beginning in 2011.
Do you remember this image from AFS World Congress 2009?
report. You, as an AFS Intercultural Link reader, can preview it here: Comparing achievements to goals, I am pleased with the quiet but steady progress being made toward the creation of the AFS Core ICL Competency Development Program. An update on this important training and assessment Program that is intended for all staff and volunteers is available on page 13. We will be putting the Program to a first “test” at the same time as the World Congress where a soft pilot event with AFS volunteers from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, and Paraguay
We also continue to benefit this year from many experts in the field who are eager to see AFS succeed. Among these, ICL “stars” including Janet Bennett, Milton Bennett, Thiagi, George Renwick, Nagesh Rao, Michael Paige, Bruce LaBrack, Darla Deardorff, and others have been sharing their valuable time and insights about how we might Ensure our Expertise, giving us specific feedback not only on our strategies, but also on the Core Competency Program content and curricula—and some have volunteered to be a part of future inperson and distance training events. On a less fortunate note, while much good work has been done in the planning and gathering of materials—some 500 sets of ICL practice and theory materials have been catalogued from over 35 AFS organizations—funding delays have meant that our second Network-wide ICL priority, that of more knowledge, ideas and materials sharing via the AFS Digital ICL Library, has been
AFS Intercultural Link as an ICL Tool This and past issues of this newsletter can be used an active reference tool. Volunteers (including board members!), staff and host families can use this publication to learn more about concepts and theories including: What is Culture? Generalizations and Stereotypes Competence Assessment Tools Re-entry Hofstede’s Dimensions of Culture
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put on hold until 2011. We are anxious to resume progress as soon as funds permit. See page 11 for more information. Otherwise, at this year’s World Congress we are preparing for important discussions about how working with ICL as a superficial cultural relativism is simply no longer enough to differentiate AFS: our ICL “business as usual” no longer suffices. In order to embody the AFS global brand that we share, we must seriously reconsider and redirect our program content, volunteer development, and related visibility and marketing—including networking with other organizations. Working sessions are being designed so that the AFS leadership can discuss how to make a positive future our reality. Stay tuned for updates and initiatives coming out of Buenos Aires in our end of year issue. Finally, on page 7, I want to invite you to officially meet the ICL interns at AFS International: Anna Collier, Laura Kline-Taylor and Aryn Bloodworth. Each brings not only professional and personal experience relevant to our work here, but also passion and energy for AFS and the topic of intercultural learning. We are lucky to have them join us.
Tips to get the most out of our newsletters ✓ All past issues are available in the AFS Educational Results Database in Lotus Notes (look under “Intercultural Studies”). ✓ Feel free to translate articles for local staff and volunteer reading. ✓ You are especially encouraged to translate and share “Did you know?” article content into your own newsletters and to use the Training Session Outlines within your AFS community. ✓ Some articles are already available in French, Spanish and German. Check the AFS Educational Results Database for these.
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Reflections on the Summer Institute for Intercultural Communication (SIIC) 2010 Over 30 AFS staff and volunteers attended SIIC in Portland, Oregon, US this past July and another 30 will have this opportunity in 2011 thanks to our generous funders. Beginning in January, look for more information about how you can apply to participate through the AFS Core ICL Competency Development Program.
“My attendance at SIIC has given me a new approach to address some challenges back at AFS Canada, not only through the workshop’s exercises and tools, but also through the dynamic exchange with the SIIC staff and fellow participants. I look forward to sharing a new toolkit with our local volunteer trainers and staff, thereby enlarging our repertoire of activities at our orientation sessions with AFS participants. The new theoretical and practical tools I gained will contribute greatly to the ongoing development of AFS Canada’s certificate of intercultural learning.” Jennifer Hille, Training Program Coordinator, AFS Canada Creating an Intercultural Toolkit: Matching Theory with Method (Janet Bennett and Nagesh Rao)
“The course was an intense 16 weeks of work packed into five days, but it was worth every minute of it. The Teaching Intercultural Communication Workshop was really informative, especially in the areas of identity development of self and others; essential cultural value patterns; ways to handle intercultural conflict; and the relationship between culture and language. This knowledge will come in handy for AFS South Africa. As a country we are faced with challenges of trying to understand each other—we are such a complex and multi-cultural country. I believe that sharing this experience will contribute to the further development of the volunteer network in our country and should boost the quality of the AFS programs and intercultural learning.” Mary Mlambo, Volunteer and Former Partner Board Chairperson, AFS South Africa Teaching Intercultural Communication (Leeva Chung and Stella Ting-Toomey)
“We often speak of how the AFS experience has a great impact on our participants because they have learned about a new culture and country, yet we evaluate and try to measure host country knowledge, language ability, growth, etc. The seminar I attended helped me realized that within the immeasurable lies a great potential of discovering a new culture as well as more about your own. We need to play, dance, story-tell and sing more in order to make such discoveries.” María Elena Gutiérrez, Volunteer and Former Staff, AFS Honduras Facilitating Intercultural Discoveries (John Condon and Nagesh Rao)
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DID YOU KNOW?
POST-ARRIVAL AND MID-STAY LEARNING GOALS ARYN BLOODWORTH, INTERCULTURAL LEARNING INTERN, AFS INTERNATIONAL
In the first issue of this newsletter we highlighted the AFS Orientation Framework and the different categories of information that should be communicated with exchangees and families at each phase of the seven orientation stages, from pre-departure to post-return. In this issue, we focus on learning goals for the post-arrival and mid-stay events that are happening now or are soon to happen as 2010 Northern Hemisphere participants settle in with their host families. Both of these orientations happen during the sojourn and are the responsibility of the host country. The aim of the AFS Orientation Framework is for the Network to share a common set of goals and objectives that help ensure the high quality of our program worldwide while allowing autonomy and flexibility over how these goals and objectives are achieved in each country, region, area or chapter (in other words, being “glocal”). However, the content delivery to participants and host families may vary. In all cases, the orientation should build the AFS community, provide a forum for those present to express themselves and to listen attentively, and celebrate achievements thus far. There are many ways to help our participants achieve these goals, and many materials available to help you as you work with them. The related Training Session Outlines in this issue highlight two examples.
Going “glocal” means delivering standardized content in a way that is locally relevant.
During the Post-Arrival Orientation event AFS & You/ Personal Safety and Wellbeing
Cultural Adjustment and Coping
Culture Learning
Personal Goals and Expectations
the Exchangee can…
the Host Family can…
• tell AFS volunteers information about the personal contact and support they have received to date • identify challenges they may face in their exchange experience that could affect their health, safety and ability to stay on program for AFS • identify warning signs that may indicate that they are encountering an inappropriate situation (if any) • demonstrate strategies for avoiding and getting themselves out of situations that put them at risk • create a personal safety plan that will guide them through challenges they may face • reflect on one or more models of cultural learning and crosscultural adaptation with respect to their own experience so far • record where they feel they are in terms of cultural adjustment, level of confidence, culture fatigue or shock, etc. • list challenges that they may face, including but not limited to integration into family, school, community • discuss ways to help themselves, their host siblings and/or host parents deal with these challenges
• tell AFS volunteers how often they and their participant have received support from their liaison or contact person and to give their assessment of the quality of that support
• review the concept of culture and be able to distinguish between a generalization about cultural differences and a stereotype • identify one or more cultural differences they have observed between themselves and their host family including but not limited to language use and perception, non-verbal communication, and communication style • recognize their own reactions to the cultural differences they have encountered • develop alternate interpretations and explanations for differences they have encountered using the D.I.V.E. Method (Describe, Interpret, Validate, Explain/Evaluate) • recognize and understand the importance of specific cultural expectations of the host school, host family, or community project organization • review and assess progress on the goal/s they identified during the Arrival Orientation • set at least one personal goal to achieve between now and the next orientation • record one or more strategies for achieving their goal/s between now and the next orientation
• identify one or more cultural differences they have observed between themselves and their participant • demonstrate one or more methods of culture learning
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• identity where they feel they/their hosted participant is on the cultural adjustment cycle • state the opportunity challenges they/their hosted participant are facing, including but not limited to integration into: 1. family 2. community 3. school (if applicable) • identify ways to help themselves, the host siblings or hosted participants deal with these challenges
• review, assess, and revise expectations and goals they identified during the Pre-Arrival orientation • identify one or more strategies for achieving their goals between now and the Mid-Stay Orientation
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During the Mid-Stay Orientation event the Exchangee can…
the Host Family can…
AFS and You/ • tell AFS volunteers information about the personal contact • tell AFS volunteers how often they and their participant Personal Safety & and support they have received to date (written form) have received support from their liaison or contact person and to give their assessment of the quality of that support Wellbeing • express personal reactions to cultural differences, including but not limited to laws, cultural attitudes, and common behaviors around sexuality, alcohol, physical activity/ability/appearance and drugs Cultural • reflect on and record their place on the cultural • identify where they feel they/their hosted participant is on Adjustment adjustment cycle the cultural adjustment cycle and Coping • identify challenges they are facing including but not • identify challenges they/their hosted participant are limited to integration into the areas of family, school, facing including but not limited to integration into the: and community 1. family • discuss strategies to help deal with challenges 2. community experienced in family, school, and community arenas 3. school (if applicable) • identify strategies to help themselves, the host siblings, and hosted participants deal with challenges in these arenas Culture Learning • identify and celebrate culture-learning successes to date • discuss value differences • identify one or more cultural differences they have • discuss reactions to cultural differences observed between themselves and their host family • identify five strategies for effective • identify two or three specific cultural behaviors related intercultural communication to the five frameworks that are different from their own culture and that they can practice observing in the host culture • identify several strategies for effective intercultural communication Personal • review and assess progress on the goal/s identified • review the AFS Mission Goals and during the Post-Arrival Orientation • review, assess, and revise expectations and goals they Expectations • set at least one personal goal to achieve between now identified during the Post-Arrival orientation and the next orientation • identify one or more strategies for achieving their goals • record one more strategies for achieving their goal/s between now and Pre-Return Orientation between now and the next orientation • review AFS Mission and relate it to their own experiences thus far
You can find the entire AFS Orientation Framework online in the AFSpedia: http://www.afspedia.org/index.php/AFS_Orientation_Framework#AFS_Orientation_Framework
TRAINING SESSION OUTLINES To help in planning or updating your own Post-Arrival and Midstay Orientations, we asked two Partners in different parts of the world to share with us their approaches to these events, and then we matched these up to the Orientation Framework learning goals. We encourage you to do the same with your own orientation agendas! For host family orientations during the Post-Arrival period, AFS Turkey uses materials developed by AFS International and offers tips on how they deliver this content. For their participant Mid-Stay orientation, AFS Peru shares its agenda for a three day-long event full of learning opportunities— and fun, including a photo contest!
Download these Training Session Outlines (TSOs) AFS Intercultural Link |
Host Family Orientation Tips from AFS Turkey
CEMRE AKIN, HOSTING & TRA INING COORDINATOR, AFS TURKEY
✓ Synch calendars for good “syner gy.” We prefer to hold the training in the sixt h week of the program; this is also when the exchange participants are at the Post-A rrival Orientation for the week. ✓ It’s all in the timing…and the gro up size. The length of the training depend s on the size of the group since we let everyo ne share their experience so far and their opinions. We try to keep the whole program und er four hours for a group of five to seven familie s. ✓ Private viewings! If the family cannot make it to the group orientation, their liaison tries to do a single-family version of the same material. This does not work the sam e way that the group activity does, but we believe it is better than nothing!
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Concepts & Theories:
Four Intercultural Relations Hypotheses KALI DEMES AND DR. NICOLAS GEERAERT, RESEARCHERS, UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX, UNITED KINGDOM
The Kaleidoscope Research Project is now in full swing. This project, run by University of Essex researchers in collaboration with AFS, examines the experiences of AFS participants before, during and after their intercultural exchange. As we write this, data is being collected from thousands of AFS students and adults on 2010 southern and northern hemisphere year programs. Through a series of online questionnaires, participants answered a variety of questions on well-being, stress, personality, adaptation to their host culture, perception of their home and host culture and language learning. The richness of these questionnaires allows us to investigate a series of different research questions. In this article, we will explore a few of these research questions.
Figure 1.1 U-curve of Adaptation
Although extensively studied, there are still new and important questions being generated from this hypothesis and new contexts within which to explore these questions. In the Kaleidoscope Project we measure contact with people from the host country, people from the home country and people from other national cultural groups, and look at the effect of each type of contact on feelings and thoughts towards each of these groups. Figure 1.2 J-curve of Adaptation
ADAPTATION & CULTURE SHOCK
It is well known within the AFS Network that intercultural contact can lead to phases of acculturative stress, otherwise known as culture shock. The idea of culture shock has long attracted interest from researchers who try to investigate the course of culture shock and adaptation over time. Some researchers have argued that sojourners experience initial enchantment or euphoria upon entry to the host culture. This honeymoon period is followed by crises, then recovery and finally long term adjustment. Plotting adaptation on a graph, this model would predict a U-shaped curve of adaptation (see figure 1.1). Other researchers have proposed a sequence that occurs without the initial enchantment. In this model, culture shock occurs immediately upon entry and eventually disappears following cultural adjustment. This experience appears as a J-shaped curve of adaptation (see figure 1.2). So far, examinations of these different models have been somewhat inconclusive. Different studies have shown support for each of the U-curve or J-curve models, though other studies have found different patterns altogether.
assumption that intergroup contact has positive consequences lies at the heart of AFS.
Specifically, a global contact hypothesis would predict contact with host nationals to enhance positive feelings towards people from different cultural groups. On the other hand, a local contact hypothesis would predict contact with host nationals to enhance positive feelings only towards people from the host country and would not increase positive feelings towards other cultural groups.
Figure 2.1 Local Effect
In the Kaleidoscope Research Project, we aim to examine the temporal pattern of culture shock in a more systematic manner than any previous study. Stress and adaptation are measured before, during and after the exchange, a total of 9 times. Specifically, the project will examine whether there is a standard temporal pattern of stress and adaptation; that is, do all participants display culture shock in the same manner or is this pattern different for different sojourners? If we find that there are many different patterns (for different students), then we will also explore whether certain factors or variables are able to predict adaptation and culture shock.
Contact with a person from the blue group, creates positive feelings towards others from the blue group Figure 2.2 Global Effect
THE CONTACT HYPOTHESIS
The contact hypothesis of Gordon Allport states that positive contact with people of different cultural backgrounds can lead to effective reduction in prejudice. The
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Contact with a person from the blue group, creates positive feelings towards others from the blue group and any other group
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THE EXPATRIATE BUBBLE
SELF & SOCIAL IDENTITY
On a separate strand of the Kaleidoscope research, the effect of contact with people from the home country while abroad has been investigated with mixed findings. Some evidence suggests that contact with home nationals is a positive thing, providing a comforting and supportive network in an unfamiliar place. Other research has shown that too much contact with people from the home country can be detrimental to the adaptation of the sojourner.
As well as examining the effects of intercultural contact on feelings and thoughts about groups from different cultures, we are also interested in how living abroad might impact perceptions of people from the home culture. According to theory and research about the self and identity, individuals hold a positive view of people who belong to the same group as they do.
We propose that contact with people from the home country in the early phases of the exchange may have a positive effect on the sojourner, but if this contact endures at the expense of contact with people from the host country it could hinder adaptation. We will investigate these different arguments in the research.
It is believed that holding people from one's own (“in”) group in a high regard is a way of enhancing one's own selfesteem. Therefore, the more important that group identity is to the individual, the more positive they will view that person. We are examining whether a similar process occurs for exchange students. Specifically as a result of being in a foreign country, a sojourner may develop or further recognize a home country
identity, which may become highly salient or prominent. If this is true, we expect that having more contact with people from the host country and other cultures may lead to enhanced positive regards toward people from their home country. This effect could also have a positive effect on self-esteem. These and many other questions (to be shared in a future issue of AFS Intercultural Link) will be examined in the Kaleidoscope Research Project. Findings should provide insight into some of the contemporary issues on intercultural contact, furthering AFS’s contribution to the field and suggesting enhancements to its programs. Contact Kali and Nicolas at yp2010@essex.ac.uk or Laura Kline-Taylor of AFS International at laura.kline-taylor@afs.org for more information.
Welcome AFS International Intercultural Learning Interns! Meet the team of dedicated interns supporting the AFS Network-wide intercultural learning (ICL) strategy, Ensuring our Expertise, and related project work. ANNA COLLIER Anna is an intercultural learning project consultant for AFS International, but her connection to AFS began 13 years ago when she was an exchange student in Germany. She has since been involved with AFS as a volunteer in the United States, Brazil and Chile, and has worked as an international trainer for the Southern Cone Region. Before working at AFS International, Anna was a professor at the Universidad Austral de Chile where she helped design the English Teaching major and taught English and pedagogy courses. She is based in Washington State on the US West Coast. LAURA KLINE-TAYLOR As a full-time intern, Laura collaborates with an international, in-network committee to develop the Core Intercultural Learning Development Program. Prior to joining AFS, she worked in Spain as Director of Studies for a language academy and exchange provider that sent Spanish students at the high school and university levels to Ireland for short term and year long programs. After returning to the US in 2007, she worked at Inlingua School of Languages in New York as an English language instructor and teacher trainer for incoming Inlingua teachers of many languages, mainly Spanish, English and Portuguese. ARYN BLOODWORTH Formerly an AFS exchange student for a year in Australia (2000), a Community Service Program Participant in Ghana (2003), and a Peace Corps Volunteer in Macedonia (2006-2009), Aryn is now a part-time intercultural learning intern with AFS International. Her main responsibility is managing AFS Intercultural Link, though she plans to use her experiences teaching English and creating and implimenting intercultural youth programs abroad to develop and promote resources for the AFS Network that will enrich our understanding of intercultural learning.
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News You Can Use:
What are Others Saying about “Intercultural?” ANNA COLLIER, INTERCULTURAL LEARNING PROJECT CONSULTANT, AFS INTERNATIONAL
With more and more people around the world becoming aware of the benefits of intercultural competencies and skills, we know that the AFS Network needs to pay attention to what other professional and academic fields are saying about intercultural learning in order to stay current with our own practices—and to contribute to the field in meaningful ways. During 2010, I have attended several international, regional and national conferences on behalf of AFS in order to find out what the current hot topics are in the field of intercultural learning. NAFSA: ASSOCIATION OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATORS
education are not one and the same. There are many different understandings of each. For example, some define international education as a response to and part of globalization, specifically as related to integrating international dimensions such as communication into education and research, often involving a study abroad experience. Intercultural education, on the other hand, involves the development of related competencies, which are defined by Alvino Fantini as “complex abilities that are required to perform effectively and appropriately when interacting with others who are linguistically and culturally different from oneself.” (2009)
Multicultural Education Particularly in the United States, A nonprofit organization for multicultural education (diversity international educators around the education) is seen as separate from world (its members represent more than international and intercultural 150 countries), NAFSA is committed to education. Its focus is encouraging advancing international education and educational institutions to prepare exchange, as well as global workforce students for living in an ethnically and development. The hot topics of culturally diverse society. Although all discussion at the 2010 Global Annual three dimensions (multicultural, Conference in June were: international and intercultural education) work to increase intergroup International Education vs. and global relations by improving Intercultural Education intercultural communication, reducing Despite their commonalities, international education and intercultural stereotyping and helping students understand human diversity, there is limited collaboration between these disciplines around the world. Assessing Intercultural Competence Through increased recognition of the benefits of intercultural skills, knowledge and awareness, many university-level study
abroad programs are beginning to evaluate participant learning outcomes, as well as assess the intercultural competence of their staff and program operators. SIETAR: SOCIETY OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION TRAINING AND RESEARCH
As a non-profit organization that promotes and facilitates intercultural education, training and research in a wide range of fields including environmental science, international business, health care and higher education, SIETAR-USA is part of a global network of national, regional and local SIETAR organizations. At the 2010 SIETAR-USA Annual Conference in April, three key themes emerged: Using Existing Theories in New Ways As the reach and influence of intercultural learning extends to new audiences, the trainers, educators and researchers involved in the field of intercultural learning are exploring relationships between intercultural skills, concepts, theories and other disciplines, and building upon connections and similarities between them. Taking Intercultural Work Online Intercultural learning communities and intercultural trainers are increasingly using online resources to broaden their reach, interaction and effectiveness. More Industries Want “Intercultural” Numerous industries are becoming aware of the benefits of intercultural learning and skills for their employees and are incorporating intercultural training into their employee
To learn more about the topics discussed at these conferences, look for CONFERENCE REPORTS in the AFS Inbox Announcements in Lotus Notes. For access, please contact your local office.
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development programs.
competence from a European perspective. Other conferences, virtual and in-person, are being investigated in other areas of the world.
Current topics of discussion vary by geographical region and the majority of these topics are discussed and studied primarily in North America. The European Association for International Education (EAIE) annual conference in September 2010 provided insights on intercultural learning and
Our hope at AFS is that by listening to what others are saying about intercultural learning we can not only continue to provide high quality cultural exchanges, but we can also stay ahead of current trends in assessment of intercultural competencies, promotion of intercultural skills and utilization of new technologies.
The Iceberg Model of Culture gets a Facelift! The idea of culture as an iceberg—where a small portion of the mountain is visible above the waterline but the majority of its mass extends deep below the surface—is well-known within the AFS Network. What many people may not be aware of is that AFS is responsible for the graphic depiction of this model, which is used by many around the world and continues to be published. Thanks to Raquel Martinez of AFS International, we now have a new look for this familiar concept. The iceberg is just one of many ways to think about culture. For other models and approaches to looking at culture, refer to past issues of AFS Intercultural Link.
The iceberg concept of culture
Fine arts
Primarily in awareness
Drama
Literature
Classical music
Folk-dancing Games
Primarily out of awareness
Notions of modesty Ideals governing child raising Relationship to animals Definition of sin
Conception of beauty Rules of descent
Cosmology
Conception of justice
Tempo of work
Conception of cleanliness
Dress
Patterns of superior/subordinate relations
Courtship practices
Notions of leadership
Popular music Cooking
Attitudes to the dependent
Approaches to problem solving
Incentives to work
Patterns of group decision-making Theory of disease
Conception of status mobility
Roles in relation to status by age, sex, class, occupation, kinship, etc. Nature of frienship Facial expressions
Conception of “self”
Patterns of visual perception
Notions about logic and validity
Conversational patterns in various social contexts Preference for competition or co-operation
Eye behaviour Definition of insanity Body language
Patterns of handling emotions
Conception of past and future Social interaction rate
Arrangement of physical space
Ordering of time
Notions of adolescence
Etc.
AFS Intercultural Programs Inc., Copyright 2010
Other visuals of models featured in AFS Intercultural Link include: Culture as a Tree
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Meteorite
Issue 1
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Adjustment Curves
Issue 4
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Download a high resolution graphic for use in your AFS materials
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Educational Relations at the Institutional Level:
Educational Credentials and Globalization ELISABETH HARDT, PARTNER BOARD MEMBER, AFS GERMANY
Elisabeth Hardt looks at intercultural education, focusing on the recognition of educational credentials from one country to another. Hardt bases her explanation on the book, Developing attitudes to recognition: substantial differences in an age of globalization, which was edited by E. Stephen Hunt and Sjur Bergan from the Council of Europe (December 2009). Sjur Bergan is Head of the Directorate for Higher Education of the Council of Europe.
Recognition Convention, together with the Bologna Declaration (1999), provides a legal framework for the recognition of qualifications in order to boost the international movement of university students in Europe. The convention is one of the cornerstones of the European Higher Education Area. But what has been achieved? It is an important question for AFS because one of the persistent obstacles to the participation in our school programs abroad is the absence of proper certification and/or recognition of a period of study taken outside of the home country. Mastering this hurdle is one of the objectives of Vision 2020, and a recent study conducted by the Council of Europe on the subject, albeit focusing on higher education, provides interesting insights. The survey was conducted within the European network among 15 of the 32 National Academic Recognition Information Centres (NARIC) agencies, assessing qualifications that were obtained abroad. The survey attempted to establish how the same qualification would be assessed in the 15 different countries and, more importantly, how the agencies
GOAL 6
Achieve educational recognition of school program in 65% of Partners by 2013
outcomes, the benchmark remains that of the country to which the student returns. In other words, a student with poor qualifications and insufficient competencies could continue studying, as long as the formal requirements were respected. Conversely, a student with more than the adequate competencies could be hindered in his educational mobility, simply because his diploma does not fit the mold prescribed by her home country.
What is, however, promising for educational mobility in general is that most of the agencies did not necessarily consider their current practice desirable or recommendable: most officials felt restricted by their countries’ laws and prefered not to hand down negative The recognition of qualification is decisions based on obsolete “...one of the persistent obstacles to the no longer an eminently technical formal requirements. participation in our school programs abroad occupation, perhaps best Based on his long-standing interest conducted in obscure offices in is the absence of proper certification and/or in the subject, Sjur Bergan the far corners of a ministry. It recognition of a period of study taken contends that two edifying has become the very core of outside of the home country.” approaches to recognition co-exist higher education policy, and in the in Europe: a highly legalistic evaluate their decision vis a vis the wider absence of an international framework for approach that seeks to find reasons not to the recognition of diplomas, many regional aim of promoting mobility. recognise qualifications, and one that tries initiatives to support educational mobility The main conclusion is that recognition to use the law to find creative solutions in are underway in the context of free-trade practices in Europe are rather divided. order to grant recognition. He therefore organizations such as the European Union Even in the easiest and most convergent argues that all organisations involved in (EU), The Association of Southeast Asian cases, the conclusions varied widely. The education should work on expanding the Nations (ASEAN), North American Free ratings, in terms of good or bad practice, attitude of government agencies towards Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Mercado also show that there is no agreement recognition, and work with different Común del Sur/ Mercado Comum do Sul among the NARIC as to what is the ministries and agencies (education, (MERCOSUR), West African Economic best way to go. immigration, employment) to help and Monetary Union (WAEMU) and governments focus on this important issue. A sad conclusion of this survey is that, in among Arab States. virtually all cases, the formal rights of the The EU has been the first global region to More information about the book qualification in the home country seem to formally promote the recognition of and the full survey can be prevail over any other argument. This qualifications obtained outside of the home would mean that, whatever the learning obtained at: http://book.coe.int country. Since 1997, the so-called Lisbon AFS Intercultural Link |
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Beyond-AFS ICL news:
Interview with Dr. Darla Deardorff ARYN BLOODWORTH, INTERCULTURAL LEARNING INTERN, AFS INTERNATIONAL
Dr. Darla Deardorff, Executive Director of the Association of International Education Administrators and author of The SAGE Handbook of Intercultural Competence, addressed the AFS Board of Trustees in June 2010, discussing key trends in intercultural learning (ICL) and the implications that these trends may have on AFS. Aryn Bloodworth interviewed Dr. Deardorff for AFS Intercultural Link to learn more. How did you get involved in the intercultural field? My interest in this field started in my childhood, in meeting persons from different countries. Then I had a pivotal experience as a high school exchange student in Germany. I was also motivated by my faith background and I saw the intercultural learning field as a way to work practically toward world peace.
content, however. It’s important to understand the process of intercultural learning and to intentionally focus on what can be put in place before, during and after the exchange experience to maximize the learning that occurs. It is also important for all of us to recognize ICL as a lifelong process, one that we all need to continue honing through our own intercultural experiences, which occur on a daily basis no matter where we are. What do you wish more people would understand about intercultural competence? There are two essential aspects of intercultural competence. The first is that it is imperative to understand the world from the perspective of others, which is often challenging to do since we naturally see the world through our own culturally-conditioned lenses. Second, we need to understand the role of cultural humility (cultural self-awareness coupled with respect and value for others) as essential to intercultural competence.
How would you differentiate between intercultural education, international education and global education? The short answer is that intercultural It is also important to understand that education is learning about other ICC is a lifelong journey that we are all cultures, international education is on, which leads to a larger question: learning about other nations and global How can AFS as an organization help education is learning about the world. others understand more about ICC, The long answer is that these terms are especially those who are not a part of used interchangeably and mean different AFS? In other words, how can we reach things to different people. For me, those who don’t already understand the intercultural education is at the heart of what we do, international education is the relevance of ICC in our world today? mechanism for achieving our work and global education is the context in which we work. “We need to understand the role
of cultural humility (cultural
no longer have the option of whether to interact with those from other diverse backgrounds. There is a danger now that we already think we know about each other when really we have a lot to learn. Intentional intercultural learning can play an essential role in this process.
You have already shared your views on self-awareness coupled with respect key trends in the intercultural learning and value for others) as essential field and the implications that they may have on AFS. Knowing this, what to intercultural competence.” should AFS staff and volunteers do to become more knowledgeable about ICL What, in your opinion, has been the most How have your experiences as an English in order to deliver more meaningful significant change in the field of ICL since as a Second Language (ESL) instructor content to participants? you entered it? and a teacher trainer affected the way you It’s important that AFS staff and The biggest change I’ve seen has not been approach ICL? volunteers become knowledgeable about as much in the field of ICL as it has been I’ve learned the most from my students, frameworks and principles and are aware with the world. Globalization and the which has impacted the way that I of ever-changing technology for interdependence that it generates have approach ICL. My students have taught delivering content. It’s more than just the made the field even more significant. We me so much and I really value them and
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Network and Partner Initiatives:
Southern African Youth Exchange Programme: Moving toward Regional Integration BENTO MARCOS, REGIONAL EXCHANGE PROGAMME COORDINATOR, AFS SOUTH AFRICA
Southern Africa has a long history of xenophobia and segregation. This initiative aims to combat these sentiments and foster intercultural understanding within the region. For more information on the context of this program and on how regional integration through person-toperson exchange can work to combat xenophobia and cultural misunderstanding, download the attached article. The Southern African Regional Exchange Programme (SayXchange) aims to improve social integration within the Southern African region, foster the development of a regional identity through volunteerism and intercultural learning, and therefore combat xenophobia and the practice of exclusionary politics in the region. SayXchange is borne out of a partnership between AFS South Africa and The Southern Africa Trust, which has provided a grant for programme implementation. A community service programme that places youth as the catalysts of regional integration, the target population is young adults (ages 18 to 25), and a gender balance is highly emphasized. Participation is set up via scholarships where all programme costs, excluding pocket money, are covered in full by the Trust.
SADC Member States
The programme is currently in its pilot phase with exchanges taking place between South Africa and Mozambique. The first cycle began in late July 2010, and will run though December 10, 2010 (approximately four and a half months). There are 18 participants on exchange now: 10 Mozambicans in South Africa and 8 South Africans in Mozambique. A future goal is to include all of the member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
Download the full article and brochure
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what I’ve learned from their experiences. One example is that some of my ESL students taught me to say that I am a US American, as opposed to just an American, since people from Latin America and Canada are Americans as well. You’ve developed several intercultural competence models; which do you feel is the most applicable to intercultural learning at AFS? While there are two different visual models, they contain the same elements agreed upon by intercultural experts in my study. Interestingly, the only item
that is 100% agreed upon by all the experts in the study is the ability to see from other peoples’ perspectives. AFS addresses this concept through experiential learning, and the model provides a framework that can be used before, during and after the exchange experience to structure and teach ICC. It is important to intentionally work with participants in their intercultural competence development and the model can help with structuring that experience. Do you have any other insights that you’d like to share with AFS?
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One of my favorite quotes is from Martin Luther King, Jr., “We must learn together as brothers or perish together as fools.” This quote reminds me of the importance of keeping the bigger picture in mind, of why we do what we do. AFS plays a key role in helping people live together; I greatly admire that and encourage AFS to continue this vital work so that together we can indeed address the larger global issues that confront all of us. I commend AFS for the work that they do in furthering intercultural understanding.
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Conference Updates:
Report from EFIL Intercultural Learning Seminar ADAPTED FROM THE FULL REPORT BY THE EFIL SEMINAR TEAM WITH ADDITIONAL INPUTS FROM ELISABETH HARDT AND ILYANA PANTELEEVA
The European Federation for Intercultural Learning (EFIL) and its AFS Partners in the region have worked intensively on promoting intercultural learning, largely through the everyday work of our volunteers in exchange programmes. Throughout EFIL’s 39 years of existence, a number of activities have taken place. • These have resulted in the accumulation of knowledge, expertise and many publications that have helped AFS develop quality frameworks and standards for our activities. WHY THIS SEMINAR? WHY NOW?
In the past few years, EFIL has increasingly felt the need to update its frame of reference in order to boost its cooperation with other players in the field and to become more up-to-date with what is going on in the European academic and practitioners' field. With this in mind, for five days in May 2010, EFIL held a seminar titled, “Intercultural Learning & Exchanges: Where do we stand and what is the way ahead?” The following insights helped EFIL in determining the aims of the seminar: • •
•
•
The foundations of our work and our academic theories find their primary source outside of Europe. EFIL feels a certain lack of synergies with the work done at the European level by other ICL players in the field whose focus on the topic is via youth work. Our expertise – “intercultural learning” – is part of the non-formal educational environment, while our programmes are articulated within a formal educational context. Being mainly youth exchange practitioners, AFS/EFIL is perceived as being inward looking and rarely engaging in joint reflection on intercultural learning with like-minded
organisations or researchers in the European academic scene. Finally, last year’s focus on intercultural dialogue and EFIL’s work within the European Year 2008, the increased calls for intellectual and physical mobility by the European Union, and the renewed focus on our educational role by the international network encouraged us to take a new look at our competences and our current role in fostering intercultural dialogue.
(input from experts, theories, existing frameworks) and methodologies used in the seminar. The organizers hope that sharing the structure, content and results of the seminar will help its members and AFS at large to build new knowledge, increase its collaboration with other organizations, and foster topical reflections, dialogues and planning in the reader’s organisation. MOVING FORWARD
This seminar, which received funding from both the European Union and the Council of Europe, was a participatory and interactive platform for debate and reflection by players in AFS/EFIL, with the input of external representatives and experts. It was aimed at gaining new insights, references and skills to talk about our work and to promote the awareness of the need for intercultural learning. It also fit into the larger AFS Network ICL strategy of Ensuring our Expertise by offering space for reflections and sharing on questions such as: Is AFS a learning organization? When do we learn? Are there any ICL experts within our Network and who are they? How do we support and facilitate the development of intercultural competences of our volunteers, participants and staff ?
EFIL’s intention is to build upon this first seminar to develop others (one per year) on topics that are interesting stepping stones for the organisation, including:
OUTCOMES
•
Participants created a number of Network, regional, local and personal recommendations to carry back to their organizations. These are outlined in the full report of the seminar. The report is structured so that it details not only outcomes but also references
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• • • • •
Fostering AFS intercultural learning in general in society and applying intercultural competencies gained through AFS experience through active involvement in civil society (i.e. sustainability) Mainstreaming intercultural learning in schools Partnering with national (Thai) or regional (Latin America) cultural institutions and interest groups Creating a long-lasting impact on host families’ experiences Sustaining and improving intercultural competencies over time Improving our reflection and research and confronting our ideas with others Improving the communication flow in the AFS Network (i.e. on educational objectives)
The first follow-up event is expected to have a focus on supporting the ICL processes of AFS volunteers. Stay tuned for details.
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ICL Field Conferences & Event Updates October
November
December
2010 NASAGA Conference; 13-16 October 2010; Vancouver, BC, Canada; www.nasaga.org
SIETAR-USA 2011 conference: Risk and Resilience in an Intercultural World, Call for Proposals; Deadline for session proposals: 1 November 2010; Denver, CO, USA; www.sietarusaconference.com
AFS Core ICL Competency Development Program committee meeting; 6-8 December 2010; New York, NY, USA; contact Laura KlineTaylor at Laura.Kline-Taylor@afs.org
Second Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) Conference; 29-30 October 2010; Minneapolis, MN, USA; http://www.idiinventory.com/index.php Global Leadership Conference; 30 October 2010; Portland, OR, USA; http://www.theokanteygroup.com/ events/global-leadership-conference/
Qualifying Seminar for administrators of the Global Competencies Inventory; 12-14 November 2010; Portland, OR, USA; http://www.intercultural.org/gciseminars.php
Cultural Detective® Workshops; 31 October - 1 November 2010; Minneapolis, MN, USA; http:// www.intercultural.org/cdworkshop.php
If you are aware of upcoming conferences in the intercultural area, please advise Aryn Bloodworth at aryn.bloodworth@afs.org
Intercultural YOUR SOURCE FOR INTERCULTURAL LEARNING IN THE AFS NETWORK
VOLUME 1 - ISSUE 6 - SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 Intercultural Learning Work Group
Call for Submissions Partners are invited to submit articles, news items and intercultural activities with accompanying graphics or photos for consideration in future issues of AFS Intercultural Link. Submissions can be AFS-specific or part of the larger Intercultural Learning (ICL) field. Simply send your submissions to Aryn Bloodworth at AFS International: aryn.bloodworth@afs.org
Questions or Comments: aryn.bloodworth@afs.org
Johanna Nemeth (AUT) Rosario Gutierrez (COL) Annette Gisevius (GER) Ingrid Agoes (INA) Lisa Cohen (INT) Melissa Liles, Chair (INT) Lucas Welter (INT) Roberto Ruffino (ITA) Newsletter Editor: Melissa Liles Editorial Consultant: Lisa Cohen Newsletter Manager & Layout: Aryn Bloodworth Design Consultant & Graphics: Raquel Martinez Contributing Writer: Anna Collier
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