intercultural competence development
Post on 25-Feb-2018
226 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
-
7/25/2019 Intercultural Competence Development
1/21
Intercultural Competence Development duringShort Term Study Abroad
Peter Ecke
University of Arizona
Center for Educational Resources in Culture, Language, and Literacy
eckep@email.arizona.edu
Paper presented at the Third International Conference onIntercultural Competence, Tucson, AZ, January 28, 2012
US students studying abroad
SA has become an increasingly important component of thelanguage and culture curriculum at US universities.
270,604 US students studied abroad in 2009/2010.
3.9 % increase from the previous year. (cf. Open Doors2011, annual report of IIE)
Most students abroad (56.6%) participated in short-termprograms (summer, 8 weeks or less).
Number of students in programs of less than 8 weeks hastripled over the last decade.
-
7/25/2019 Intercultural Competence Development
2/21
The study abroad program
One-month summer study abroad program in Germany
Eligible are students with 2 semesters of college Germanor equivalent
Two courses offered: GER 211 and GER 392
Four hours of language instruction, five days a week
Afternoon, day and weekend excursions
Accommodation: single room inapartment units in student dorms
Tandem partner for additionallanguage practice
Participants (Summers of 2010 and 2011)
59 program participants
2-3 eliminated from analyses (incomplete data)
Undergraduate students
Different majors and minors
30 in 2nd year German, and 29 in 3rd year + German
42 female and 17 male
-
7/25/2019 Intercultural Competence Development
3/21
Issues
The relation between learning expectations and perceivedprogress in language learning and intercultural competence(ICC) development
The effectiveness of the study abroad programs withrespect to language learning and culture learning
Stability vs. change of participants perceptions of ownculture and the other culture
Stability vs. change of participants perceptions of their own
(preparedness for) intercultural competence (culturalintelligence)
Research Questions
1) What are students goals and motives for participation ina one-month summer study program in Germany?
2) What are their expectations with respect to (languageand) culture learning at the beginning of the program?
3) What are the perceived gains in (language and) culturelearning at the end of the program? How do these
compare with expectations at the beginning of theprogram?
-
7/25/2019 Intercultural Competence Development
4/21
Research Questions
5) How do participants rate members of their own cultureand members of the other culture at the beginning of theprogram compared to the end of the program?
6) How do they rate personal attributes related to theirintercultural competence (cultural intelligence) at thebeginning and at the end of the program?
Instruments: Questionnaires I(pre-program)
Language and personal background questionnaireincluding goals and motives for participation in the program
Expected gains in (a) speaking, (b) listening, (c) writing, (d)reading, (e) cultural understanding, (f) grammar, and (g)vocabulary
Specific expectations for culture learning
Self-assessment of traits of cultural intelligence(based on Peterson, 2004)
Questionnaire My own and the other culture (adopted fromPicket, 1993)
-
7/25/2019 Intercultural Competence Development
5/21
Instruments: Questionnaires II
(post-program)
Perceived gains in (a) speaking, (b) listening, (c) writing, (d)reading, (e) cultural understanding, (f) grammar, and (g)vocabulary
Specific perceived gains for culture learning
Self-assessment of attributes of cultural intelligence(based on Peterson, 2004, 96-97)
Questionnaire My own and the other culture
Data analysis
Comparison of mean scores of pre program and postprogram assessments
Results
-
7/25/2019 Intercultural Competence Development
6/21
1. Participants goals and motives(n = 57 participants, scale from 1 = not important to 6 = very important)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Study German
Travel
Be away from home
Party
Get six credits
Be in contact with Germans
Research
Cultural enrichment
Make friends from UA
Participants goals and motives
Most important motives for study abroad
Study German
Travel
Be in contact with Germans
Cultural enrichment
-
7/25/2019 Intercultural Competence Development
7/21
2a. Expected progress (pre) and perceived gains (post) in
various areas (on a scale from 1 = not at all to 6 = very much, n = 56 participants)
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Pre Post Pre Post Pre Post Pre Post Pre Post Pre Post Pre Post
Speaking Listening Writing Reading Culture Grammar Vocabulary
2b. Perceived gains: Responses to the question: How muchdid you learn? (on a scale from 1 = very little to 5 = very much)
0
1
2
3
4
5
-
7/25/2019 Intercultural Competence Development
8/21
3. Participants ratings of expected progress (pre) and
perceived gains (post) for aspects of culture learning(on a scale from 1 = not at all to 6 = very much)
-
7/25/2019 Intercultural Competence Development
9/21
4. Adjectives that best describe people of your own and people of the
German culture (pre- and post-program ratings)(from 1 = not at all to 4 = frequently)
-
7/25/2019 Intercultural Competence Development
10/21
4. Adjectives that best describe people of your own and people of the
German culture (pre- and post-program ratings)(from 1 = not at all to 4 = frequently)
4. Adjectives that best describe people of your own and people of the
German culture (pre- and post-program ratings)(from 1 = not at all to 4 = frequently)
-
7/25/2019 Intercultural Competence Development
11/21
4. Adjectives that best describe people of your own and people of the
German culture (pre- and post-program ratings)(from 1 = not at all to 4 = frequently)
4. Adjectives that best describe people of your own and people of the
German culture (pre- and post-program ratings)(from 1 = not at all to 4 = frequently)
-
7/25/2019 Intercultural Competence Development
12/21
4. Adjectives that best describe people of your own and people of the
German culture (pre- and post-program ratings)(from 1 = not at all to 4 = frequently)
4. Adjectives that best describe people of your own and people of the
German culture (pre- and post-program ratings)(from 1 = not at all to 4 = frequently)
-
7/25/2019 Intercultural Competence Development
13/21
Members of the participants own culture tend to be rated
more frequently as
emotional, lazy, arrogant, loud
Members of the target culture are more frequently rated
serious, calm, logical, efficient, competent, honest, hard-working
Ratings are similar for
Friendly, confident, generous, helpful, impatient, stubborn,
honorable, good-humored, shy, patient, thrifty
Pre-program ratings are confirmed in the post-program
ratings.
There is a slight trend to valorize the own culture in the
post-program survey.
Increased ratings for friendly, generous, good-humored.
-
7/25/2019 Intercultural Competence Development
14/21
5. Participants self-assessment regarding traits potentially related to
cultural intelligence at the beginning (pre) and at the end (post) of theprogram
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Tactfulness
Ability to adapt your behavior
Flexibility with attitudes and behavior
Empathy
Willingness to change yourself as you
learn and grow
Respect for others
Post
Pre
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Humility
Win-win attitude
Creativity
Deal with the stress of new situations
Being invigorated by differences
Willingness to have own views challenged
See the familiar from unfamiliar vantage
points
Appreciation of differences
Open-mindedness
Sense of humor
Post
Pre
-
7/25/2019 Intercultural Competence Development
15/21
Participants rating of traits related to cultural intelligence at thebeginning (pre) and at the end (post) of the program (cont.)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Comfort with uncertainty*
Ability to trust when dealing with the
unfamiliar
Extroversion
Sensitivity to nuances of differences
Ability to make independent
decisions far from home
Post
Pre
Pre-program and post-program self-ratings of cultural
intelligence traits are very similar.
Comfort with uncertainty is the only score that shows a
significant increase.
-
7/25/2019 Intercultural Competence Development
16/21
Discussion: 1. Goals and motives
Motives to be in contact with Germans, to traveland for
cultural enrichmentare aspects that set study abroad apart
from study in the home country where native speaker
contacts and cultural experiences are rather limited.
Results appear to coincide with Allen & Herrons (2003)findings:
Most frequently reported reasons for participating instudy abroad are integrative in nature.
Discussion: 2. Learning expectations vs. gains
Culture learning was the only area in which perceived gains
do not fall short of expectations!
Perceived progress was rated significantly lower than
expected gains for all areas except cultural understanding: Similar discrepancy reported by Mendelson (2004) and
Badstbner & Ecke (2009)
Language myth? study abroad will ultimately and inevitably
lead to language acquisition due to the sheer number of hoursstudents spend simply exposed to the language. (Wilkinson, 1997)
-
7/25/2019 Intercultural Competence Development
17/21
3. Discussion: Participants expected gains (pre) andperceived gains (post) for aspects of culture learning
Students have high expectations re: culture learning and
ICC development.
Some expectations are met, others are not
(also individual differences).
Affective, integrative and interactive aspects seem to be
most important to participants.
Detailed surveys on culture learning may help to evaluate
program effectiveness analyze and revise program objectives and content if necessary
4. Discussion: Participants rating of members of theirown culture and members of the other culture
Pre-program and post-program ratings are very similar.
Stereotypes are frequently reinforced/substantiated.
They mostly reflect positive views of the target culture
(idealization?)
Also, a tendency to valorize/appreciate the own culture in
the post-program survey.
No indication of less positive attitudes towards targetculture, decrease in integrative orientation, and higher
levels of anxiety (as in Coleman, 1998, Wilkinson, 2001, Wilkinson et al.,2000)
-
7/25/2019 Intercultural Competence Development
18/21
5. Discussion: Personal attributes related to participants'
intercultural competence (cultural intelligence)
Pre-program and post-program self-ratings of traits
potentially relevant to cultural intelligence are very similar.
Comfort with uncertainty is the only score that shows a
significant increase.
Part of the attributes in the questionnaire are stable
personality traits unlikely to change.
Some increased (albeit non-significant) values suggest a
positive impact of SA on personality development (Ability totrust when dealing with the unfamiliar, ability to make independent decisions far
from home, extroversion, sensitivity to nuances of differences)
Implications:
Stress what a program can offer in terms of cultural
experiences, travel, and contact with members of the target
culture in addition to a rigorous program of study.
Discussion of potential and limitations of study abroad
programs with students
share and discuss motives and goals in orientation sessions
Help students form realistic expectations and set achievablegoals for study abroad (e.g. Kitsantas, 2004) to prevent feelings
of disappointment or failure.
-
7/25/2019 Intercultural Competence Development
19/21
Implications (cont.)
Impact of a study abroad may not always be visible right
away.
Administrators and teachers need to have realistic
expectations too.
Stability (of overall positive attitudes and preconceptions
about the target culture and participants own) may be a
good thing.
Students that decide to study abroad probably show more
intercultural competence / cultural intelligence than others
who do not.
Selected references
Adams, R. (2006). Language learning strategies in thestudy abroad context. In Margaret A. DuFon and EtonChurchill (eds.) Language Learners in Study AbroadContexts (pp. 259-292). Clevedon (GB): MultilingualMatters.
Allen, H., & Herron, C. (2003). A mixed-methodologyinvestigation of the linguistic and affective outcomes ofsummer study abroad. Foreign Language Annals, 36(3),
370-385. Badstbner, T., & Ecke, P. (2009). Students expectations,
target language use, and perceived learning progress in asummer study abroad program in Germany. DieUnterrichtspraxis: Teaching German, 42(1), 41-49.
-
7/25/2019 Intercultural Competence Development
20/212
Selected references (cont.)
Coleman, J. A. (1998). Evolving intercultural perceptionsamong university language learners in Europe. In M.Byram & M. Fleming (Eds.), Language learning inintercultural perspective: Approaches through drama andethnography (pp. 45-75). Cambridge: Cambridge UP.
Ginsberg, R., & Miller, L. (2000). What do they do?Activities of students during study abroad. In R.Lambert. (Ed.), Language Policy and Pedagogy(pp.237-260). Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
Isabelli-Garca, C. (2006). Study abroad social networks,motivation and attitudes: Implications for second
language acquisition. In M. A. DuFon & E. Churchill(Eds.) Language Learners in Study Abroad Contexts(pp. 231-258). Clevedon (GB): Multilingual Matters.
Selected references (cont.)
Kaplan, M. (1989). French in the community: A survey oflanguage use abroad. The French Review, 63(2), 290-301.
Kitsantas, A. (2004). Studying abroad: The role of collegestudents goals on the development of cross-cultural skillsand global understanding. College Student Journal, 48(2),441-452.
Mendelson, V. G. (2004). Hindsight is 20/20: Studentperspectives of language learning and the study abroadexperience. Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study
Abroad, X, 43-63. Peterson, Brooks (2004). Cultural intelligence: A guide to
working with people from other cultures. Yarmouth, Maine:Intercultural Press.
-
7/25/2019 Intercultural Competence Development
21/21
Selected references (cont.)
Pickett, L. (1993). The effect of cultural distancing onattitudes and motivation in foreign language learning. MAthesis, University of Portsmouth.
Wilkinson, S. (1997). Separating fact from myth: Aqualitative perspective on language learning duringsummer study abroad. MLA Convention, Toronto. 29.December 1997.
top related