Thanks to all of you for your numerous comments after the first show – we were overwhelmed by your response! In our second show we ask ourselves: Can intercultural awareness be taught in a classroom? Can it be taught in online courses?
We start by giving you some quotations from the 17 comments of feed-back on the first show. Fernando, a Spanish student who is doing his internship in Germany explains how surprised he was to hear Germans discuss different olive oils as if they were wines. Alexandra gives examples of how you can teach intercultural communication by facilitating intercultural experiences between participants of different countries. Ana shares her experience of an intercultural business simulation between her university and universities in Sweden and Lithuania.
And then we ask you, the listeners: Have you got any experience with intercultural classes? Perhaps even online? How can we gain intercultural awareness? In our gossip column Tommy from Denmark tells us how the Mohamed-cartoons crossed his holiday plans in Egypt and in our look at our favourite podcasts with cultural contents we hear about solar radio for coffee traders in Ruanda.
The Hosts of the show are: Anne Fox and Dr. Laurent Borgmann
Chief Editor: Karsten Kneese (the pod-Karsten)
Great show…you folks have definitely gotten off on the right foot! I like the level of interaction you seem to be cultivating between AI and your listeners.
I do believe intercultural awareness can be “taught” both in a traditional classroom, and online. The trick, however, is in tapping into either the authentic diversity found within a class, or better yet, in a community. Send learners out into the community on “intercultural missions.” This could work for an online class as well, but I think something authentic, project-based, and collaborative might be more “productive.”
Last month, I heard a presentation by Elaine Hoter of Talpiot College of Education in Tel Aviv. Elainedescribed how the online format was particularly effective when the intercultural awareness involved peoples in conflict. One of her classes is comprised of orthodox Jews, Muslims, and secular Jews…in Israel. The online environment afforded these presrevice teachers to not only work “how to become good teachers,” but also, and perhaps more importantly, how to begin to see each other for who they truly, to see beyond the fear, the hate, the rage, the sadness.
Keep up the good work!
Speaking of Elaine Hoter, I recall another amazing online class she teaches with a professor in at Gallaudet University in Washington D.C.. Gallaudet is the world’s only university for the deaf. So, in this case, the intercultural composition is not only between Americans, and Isrealis, but also between the deaf and the hearing!
I might suggest doing an interview with Elainee! http://www.talpiot.ac.il/elaine/Resumeelaine.htm
Peace!