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Intercultural Link

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AFS Intercultural Link, your source for Intercultural Learning in the AFS Network
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At this time of the year, those of us in AFS who live north of the equator are typically planning for the exchange year ahead and getting ready to prepare thousands of sojourners, families, schools and community organizations for the learning experiences to come. Meanwhile, AFSers in the southern hemisphere are in the throes of the school year, focused on helping program participants process their experiences in mid-stay orientations and monthly contact meetings—events that are known in pedagogical terms as “structured learning interventions.” The critical role of these purposefully-designed reflection points in developing intercultural competence is something we discuss with one of our favorite interculturalists, Michael Paige. In an interview found on page 11, he previews findings from his latest book, Student Learning Abroad: What Our Students Are Learning, What They’re Not, And What We Can Do About It. IN THIS ISSUE Intercultural Learning: State of the AFS Network by Melissa Liles Page 1 Network And Partner Initiatives AFS Belgium French says Oui! to ICL by Paul Edinger Page 5 Educational Relations at the Institutional Level 5 Years with the JENESYS Programme by Susan Adams Yamada Page 6 News You Can Use Building Your Own ICL Library by Charlotte Steinke Page 7 Book Review: The Geography of Thought by Elis Motta Page 8 Learning Session Outline Everyday Intercultural Learning A New Look at Our Workplace Interactions by Anna Collier Page 9 Intercultural Learning: State of the AFS Network MELISSA LILES, CHIEF EDUCATION OFFICER, AFS INTERNATIONAL continued on page 2 Concept & Theories The Contact Hypothesis by Charlotte Steinke Page 3 Hey, AFS volunteers and staff! Do you work with AFS trainings? VOLUME 3 - ISSUE 2 - APRIL/MAY/JUNE 2012 YOUR SOURCE FOR INTERCULTURAL LEARNING IN THE AFS NETWORK INTERNAL EDITION Connecting Lives, Sharing Cultures AFS Intercultural Link | VOLUME 3 - ISSUE 2 - APRIL/MAY/JUNE 2012 | 1 Beyond AFS ICL News Interview with Michael Paige by Laura Kline-taylor Page 11 The Students Become the Teachers AFSers Share What They’ve Learned Page 13 More 2012 Learning Opportunities for You Including Scholarships for AFSers and Others Page 13 Conference Update Exploring Global Perspectives of ICL Page 15 Meet an ICL Responsible Sherifa Fayez, AFS Egypt Page 15 Intercultural Link Learning Program 2012 Calendar Page 16 ICL Field Conferences & Event Updates Page 17 See pages 5 and 11
Transcript
Page 1: Intercultural Link

At this time of the year, those of us in AFS who live north of the equator are typically planning for the exchange year ahead and getting ready to prepare thousands of sojourners, families, schools and community organizations for the learning experiences to come.

Meanwhile, AFSers in the southern hemisphere are in the throes of the school year, focused on helping program participants process their experiences in mid-stay orientations and monthly contact meetings—events that are known in pedagogical terms as “structured learning interventions.”

The critical role of these purposefully-designed reflection points in developing intercultural competence is something we discuss with one of our favorite interculturalists, Michael Paige. In an interview found on page 11, he previews findings from his latest book, Student Learning Abroad: What Our Students Are Learning, What They’re Not, And What We Can Do About It.

IN THIS ISSUE

Intercultural Learning: State of the AFS Networkby Melissa Liles Page 1

Network And Partner InitiativesAFS Belgium French says Oui! to ICLby Paul Edinger Page 5

Educational Relations at the InstitutionalLevel 5 Years with the JENESYS Programmeby Susan Adams Yamada Page 6

News You Can UseBuilding Your Own ICL Libraryby Charlotte Steinke Page 7

Book Review: The Geography of Thought by Elis Motta Page 8

Learning Session OutlineEveryday Intercultural LearningA New Look at Our Workplace Interactionsby Anna Collier Page 9

Intercultural Learning: State of the AFS NetworkMELISSA LILES, CHIEF EDUCATION OFFICER, AFS INTERNATIONAL

continued on page 2

Concept & TheoriesThe Contact Hypothesisby Charlotte Steinke Page 3

Hey, AFS volunteers and staff!

Do you work with AFS trainings?

VOLUME 3 - ISSUE 2 - APRIL/MAY/JUNE 2012YOUR SOURCE FOR INTERCULTURAL LEARNING IN THE AFS NETWORK

IN

TE

RN

AL

E

DI

TI

ON

Connecting Lives, Sharing Cultures

AFS Intercultural Link | VOLUME 3 - ISSUE 2 - APRIL/MAY/JUNE 2012 | 1

Beyond AFS ICL NewsInterview with Michael Paigeby Laura Kline-taylor Page 11

The Students Become the Teachers AFSers Share What They’ve LearnedPage 13

More 2012 Learning Opportunitiesfor You Including Scholarships for AFSers and OthersPage 13

Conference UpdateExploring Global Perspectives of ICLPage 15

Meet an ICL ResponsibleSherifa Fayez, AFS EgyptPage 15

Intercultural Link Learning Program2012 CalendarPage 16

ICL Field Conferences & Event UpdatesPage 17

See pages 5 and 11

Page 2: Intercultural Link

Paige’s practical suggestions, in combination with conclusions from Thomas F. Pettigrew in his 2011 study, “Recent Advances in Intercultural Contact Theory,” (page 3) reinforce that AFS’s approach to deeper intercultural learning and Ensuring our Expertise is on the right track. Among other things, this means that beyond immersion in a new environment, we must give our participants well-timed but direct exposure to concepts, plus a vocabulary with which they can articulate their experiences.

Beyond participants, one of the most important groups AFS interacts with is schools. In this issue, you’ll see how our French-speaking Belgian organization has put the spotlight on strengthening education relations, developing “Decode Ma Culture,” an intercultural learning (ICL) “road show” and a series of customizable training modules for teachers across Wallonia.

With 60 sessions delivered in the first few months of 2012, schools appreciate the dynamic, real-life skills focus of the mini-trainings. Teachers can request modules on various intercultural topics such as “How does a culture work?,” “Understand and reflect on your own culture and that of others,” and “Are

you interculturally sensitive?” In providing this service, AFS Belgium-French becomes a valuable partner within the educational community in at least two ways: In addition to offering schools a chance to have international exposure through its exchange programs, it is helping teachers work with the already present, yet often unacknowledged, local diversity in the classroom.

The level of excitement in the AFS Network about intercultural learning elsewhere in the world remains high, too. By mid-2012, eight more AFS organizations in Chile, Ecuador, Egypt, Ghana, Honduras, Kenya, Peru and South Africa will have taken part in interactive workshops to create or refine their national intercultural learning (ICL) strategies, bringing the total to 38 AFS organizations and counting.

With this in mind, AFS leaders from around the globe pledged at the 2012 World Congress in Bangkok this February that by the end of the year, every AFS organization will have a board-approved ICL strategy activated!

But ICL isn’t just for AFS. Working across diversity is a part of our

everyday lives, including workplace interactions. When something goes wrong (or right) in the office, have you ever considered what cultural factors might be at play? Or, if you work from home, how connecting with others virtually can create a superficial layer of “sameness” that results in a more profound frustration when others’ behavior doesn’t match our assumptions?

On page 9, we feature a new exercise designed specifically for your workplace. Explore the Task versus Relationship cultural continuum in order to learn more about yourself and your colleagues—and how you can have fewer early morning misunderstandings.

Finally, based on popular demand, we have put together a list of “must have” books for anyone looking to start their own intercultural learning library (page 7). Help us grow this list, including sharing non-English titles, by visiting us online at www.afs.org/blog/icl.

Happy intercultural encounters,

Warmly,

AFS Intercultural Link | VOLUME 3 - ISSUE 2 - APRIL/MAY/JUNE 2012 | 2

AFS presents

ProfessorGeert Hofstedeat the AFS AcademyIstanbul, Turkey22 September, 2012

Do you know your cultural dimensions?

With colleagues

from over 50

countries, every

day is an

opportunity for

intercultural

learning within

AFS. Regardless

of where you

work, cultural

factors are likely

a consideration.

Check out our

new learning

session outline

on page 9: A

New Look at our

Workplace

Interactions.

Register now at

www.afs.org/afs-academy

Page 3: Intercultural Link

AFS Intercultural Link | VOLUME 3 - ISSUE 2 - APRIL/MAY/JUNE 2012 | 3

CONCEPT &THEORIES

Theoretical Support forthe AFS OrientationFrameworkThe goal of our work as AFSers is to provide intercultural learning opportunities to help people develop the knowledge, skills, and understanding needed to create a more just and peaceful world. But how do we make this happen? The AFS Orientation Framework guides our work by combining experiential intercultural experiences for all our audiences with structured and planned learning opportunities to support cultural adaptation and increase comfort with difference. A recent study by Thomas F. Pettigrew and others (Recent Advances in Intercultural Contact Theory, published March 2011 in the International Journal of Intercultural Relations) has once again proven why our work in AFS – particularly when following the deliberate approach of the Framework – really makes a difference.

In this study, Pettigrew and his colleagues show how contact between individuals from different cultural groups can improve the relationship between the individuals involved, as well as improving their feelings toward the

groups to which they belong. This includes national, religious, gender, age, sexual orientation, and disability culture groups. Intercultural contact usually reduces prejudice and leads to greater trust and forgiveness for past mistakes of members of the relevant groups.

These positive effects can evenbe passed on to friends of the person who had an intensive experience with those from other groups. The Contact HypothesisThis is a powerful argument in favor of the so-called Contact Hypothesis, which Gordon W. Allport introduced in his book “The Nature of Prejudice,” in 1954. Allport indicated that increased inter-group contact reduces prejudice – however, not in all situations.

He wrote that it is common for human beings to think in terms of their own group (“in-group”) versus all other

groups (“out-groups”) they don’t identify with. When there is limited contact with members of out-groups, attitudes towards them are often negative and shaped by stereotypes and prejudice. Sometimes, members of out-groups are even seen as less human.

Allport believed that inter-group contact would significantly improve the relations between different cultural groups. He

thought if members of both groups had enough personal contact, prejudice and stereotyping would decline and intergroup friendships would develop. Necessary FactorsHowever, Allport warned that intergroup contact would not always lead to this result. He suggested that contact can only successfully reduce prejudice in inter-group contact situations when the following conditions are met:• Equal status

• Common goals• Acquaintance potential (the possibility to get to know each other as persons, not only superficial interactions)• Support from authorities,

law or customsIn their recent study, Pettigrew and colleagues showed that Allport’s four

The Contact HypothesisCHARLOTTE STEINKE, INTERCULTURAL LEARNING SENIOR INTERN, AFS INTERNATIONAL

“when an intergroup-friendship is established, prejudice and stereotypes

are reduced dramatically”

“after building opportunities for contact, the next step toward increasing intercultural

competence is to provide structured intercultural learning opportunities”

Page 4: Intercultural Link

AFS Intercultural Link | VOLUME 3 - ISSUE 2 - APRIL/MAY/JUNE 2012 | 4

conditions do help to facilitate the positive effects of intercultural interaction – but that the positive effects sometimes exist even without these criteria. They also show that when an intergroup-friendship is established, prejudice and stereotypes are reduced dramatically.

Implications for AFSBuilding connections between people from different cultures is at the heart of what AFS does. However, we don’t want to stop at reducing stereotypes – the goal of AFS is to develop

ICL INTERNS & VOLUNTEERS

Paul Edinger

Working to support AFS organizations in

their development of national ICL strategies,

Paul has an undergraduate degree in

International Studies with a concentration in

Latin America. While studying, he taught

English, Spanish and computer literacy

courses to Guatemalan and Salvadoran

immigrants to the U.S. Paul regularly

comments on differences and similarities

between the fields of intercultural

communications and international relations

on our blog: www.afs.org/blog/icl.

Charlotte Steinke Michelle Chan

Michelle is a volunteer who assists in

maintaining www.afs.org/icl as well as

contributing to the ICL …for AFSers

document series. Michelle holds a B.S. in

Business and Economics, studied abroad

in Italy, and taught English in South Korea

for two years. Currently, Michelle is a

master’s candidate in the International

Education program at New York

University, concentrating in International

Development and Cross-Cultural Training.

Obrigada Elis Motta!We say thank you and goodbye to Elis whose internship came to an end in March. For now, Elis has returned to Brazil where she

resumes her AFS Brazil volunteer career – and continues to contribute on the international level as an AFS Intercultural Link

Qualified Trainer.

Charlotte is the new Senior Intern for the

Intercultural Link Learning Program. She

is pursuing a master’s degree in

Intercultural Communication Studies at

the Viadrina University in Frankfurt

(Oder), located on the German-Polish

border; her undergraduate degree is in

Cultural Studies. She has a background in

German as a foreign language and has

both taught and studied languages in the

People’s Republic of China and Brazil.

intercultural competence in its audiences! As Michael Paige strongly emphasized in our interview with him on page 11 of this issue, after building

opportunities for contact, the next step toward increasing intercultural competence is to provide structured intercultural learning opportunities.

This more sophisticated approach leads to deeper insights about cultural norms, values, and communication styles to

help AFS audiences successfully cope with new environments and intercultural interactions – not only within their exchange programs, but in

the many other intercultural settings in which they will likely find themselves in the future. In other words, adding

structured reflection points allows for better intercultural learning.

By connecting people and then supporting their contact with appropriate structured intercultural learning opportunities, AFS can further improve its way of promoting peace and justice.

“adding structured reflection points allows for better intercultural learning”

Page 5: Intercultural Link

AFS Intercultural Link | VOLUME 3 - ISSUE 2 - APRIL/MAY/JUNE 2012 | 5

NETWORK AND PARTNER INITIATIVES

AFS Belgium French says Oui! to ICLPAUL EDINGER,

INTERCULTURAL LEARNING INTERN,

AFS INTERNATIONAL

Within the past 12 months, AFS Belgium French has put renewed focus on providing high-quality intercultural learning (ICL) opportunities to its participants, volunteers, staff, and others as part of their organization’s strategic plan. The result? A more visibly education-focused organization.

Staff: The staff at AFS Belgium French have worked to make intercultural learning a priority within their organization. Today, four of their twelve staff members are focused on ICL and work directly with volunteers involved in support, schools relations, and volunteer development from an educational perspective. ICL-centered activities include designing tools, organizing trainings, and interacting with schools and host families.

Volunteers: In 2011, with the assistance of AFS International, the organization created a training to introduce basic concepts of ICL to interested volunteers. Inspired in part by the AFS 2010 World Congress ICL installations, they then exhibited a visual display of ICL concepts as part of an “open house” about AFS to members of the public. In February of this year, AFS held another training to consolidate and build upon the volunteers’ basic knowledge of ICL theories.

Local Schools: Since January of this year, AFS Belgium French developed 35 ICL mini-lessons that have been implemented in approximately 80 schools. Staff and volunteers go to schools with ICL materials and give in-class lessons. These are about the nature of culture and cultural difference and use a variety of aids to more fully convey ICL concepts and theories. The organization is now developing four content offerings that schools can choose from, beginning with basic concepts of ICL and intercultural communication.

Online: In addition to an intercultural learning section on their website, AFS Belgium French prominently displays ICL on their homepage (www.afsbelgique.be). The education section offers easy to understand definitions of the concepts behind intercultural learning and relates the pedagogical approach back to the overall mission of the AFS network.

“Establishing clear goals and a comprehensive, step-by-step National ICL

Strategy to pursue those goals has been key.”

AFS Belgium French’s new materials on display at the

AFS International office in New York.

Overall, AFS Belgium French has realized a wide array of fresh ICL activities in one year. The organization has found that being recognized as an educational one that is grounded in the principles of intercultural learning has been attainable. Establishing clear goals and a comprehensive, step-by-step National ICL Strategy to pursue those goals has been key.

Moving forward, they are working to establish common reference frameworks for host families, volunteers, and sending participants alike, not just hosting participants. Staff will continue to devote time and resources to establish materials, content, and an educational background that will allow everyone involved with AFS Belgium French to demonstrate unambiguously that they are an education-focused organization.

- Fabrice Gonet, Partner Director

Page 6: Intercultural Link

AFS Intercultural Link | VOLUME 3 - ISSUE 2 - APRIL/MAY/JUNE 2012 | 6

JENESYSプログラムと歩んだ5年間

2007年に安倍晋太郎首相(当時)が、今後5年間に渡ってアジアから毎年約6,000人の青少年を日本に招く「21世紀東アジア青少年大交流計画」(JENESYSプログラム)を提唱して以来、AFS日本協会はプログラムを実施する一団体として、アセアン事務局より委託を受け、日本政府の指導の下、プログラムを実施してきました。オーストラリア、インド、インドネシア、マレーシア、ニュージーランド、フィリピン、タイのAFSパートナーの多大な協力のもと、このプログラムを実施することで得たものは多く、また異文化理解教育の観点からも成果をあげました。

このプログラムが計画された目的は「東アジアにおいて強固な連帯を促進する」ことで、将来に向けて「協力的な」関係を築くと同時に、青少年の交流を通して、相互理解の促進と良好な対日感情の形成を促進することにあります。JENESYSプログラムは青少年を対象とした、招へい事業(長期及び短期)、派遣事業、交流事業(東アジア学生会議など)の3事業で構成されています。

プログラム受託団体として選定されるにあたり、AFSネットワークに属する国際教育機関として、AFS日本協会が長年に渡り外務省から一定の評価を受けてきたことも助けとなりました。AFS日本協会が受託したのはプログラム全体の10%にあたる720名の招へい事業ですが、得意とする1年間の招へいプログラム、また他団体とは異なり13

か国同時に招へいし、1週間のホームステイを含む短期プログラム(長期招へい参加者同様に短期招へい参加者の90%が帰国一年後もホストファミリーとの連絡を継続)を実行できる力及び、参加者や日本人にとって有意義な異文化理解教育の機会を提供できる点がAFS日本協会の強みです。ボランティアや職員にとっても、素晴らしい経験となりました。

JENESYSプログラムの当初の目的は達成されたでしょうか。参加者と日本の将来に渡る関係に良い影響を与えることができるでしょうか。JENESYS最終年を記念し、また日本を含む多くの国からの参加者を歓迎するために12月にJENESYSフェスティバルを開催しました。アジアの様々な国からやって来た参加者同士が交流し、帰国後も連絡を取り合うことを約束している姿が見られたフェスティバルは活力にあふれた素晴らしいものとなりました。外務大臣政務官よりプログラムの継続に向けて力を注ぐという話があった際には、参加者の輝く表情と盛大な拍手で「YES」が会場中に響き渡ったのでした。

EDUCATIONAL RELATIONS AT THE INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL

5 Years with the JENESYS ProgrammeSUSAN ADAMS YAMADA, PROGRAM COORDINATOR, AFS JAPAN

Read the English version in the AFS Inbox or the Digital ICL Library

Young people from over 13 countries celebrating learning and friendships at the JENESYS Festival

AFS Intercultural Programs President and CEO, Vincenzo Morlini, at the closing ceremonies

Page 7: Intercultural Link

AFS Intercultural Link | VOLUME 3 - ISSUE 2 - APRIL/MAY/JUNE 2012 | 7

We hope these suggestions inspire you in creating or expanding an ICL library in your AFS office or chapter. These resources can help us better understand what happens during the intercultural encounters that we all experience in our work with AFS (and otherwise) and can help us better support AFS sojourners, families, schools, volunteers, and staff.

NEWS YOU CAN USE

Building Your Own ICL LibraryCHARLOTTE STEINKE,

INTERCULTURAL LEARNING

SENIOR INTERN,

AFS INTERNATIONAL

1. 52 Activities for Improving Cross-Cultural Education (Donna Stringer and Patricia Cassiday), 2009. With 52 easy-to-implement group activities for improving cross-cultural communication, this book is designed for a variety of audiences, including exchange students, staff in an international working environment, and organizational leaders.

2. Maximizing Study Abroad (Michael Paige et al), 2010. A guide to strategies for improving language and cultural learning abroad, this resource includes numerous ready-to-use activities and self-tests that can increase understanding of how we are shaped by our culture(s). This book was written with US-audiences in mind, but it can also be applied in other contexts.

3. The Silent Language (Edward Hall), 1959. This classic by the North American anthropologist Edward Hall describes the meaning of culture. It is easy to read and full of vivid examples that help readers to understand his perceptions of culture.

4. The SAGE Handbook of Intercultural Competence (Darla K. Deardorff, Ed.), 2009. An overview of the different aspects of intercultural competence, including articles about intercultural leadership, international differences in the concept of intercultural competence, assessments of intercultural competence, and many more.

5. Basic Concepts of Intercultural Communication. Selected Readings (Milton Bennett, Ed.), 1998. This book introduces the key ideas about what intercultural communication is, and is designed for a general audience. A second, updated edition will soon be released – first in Japanese and then in English.

6. The Psychology of Culture Shock (Ward, Bochner, & Furnham), 2001. This updated edition (original 1986) explores the psychological and social elements of intercultural interactions. It discusses the importance of learning new culture-specific skills and managing stress in an unfamiliar environment, among other themes, in order to reduce the sometimes negative effects of cross-cultural interactions.

AFS organizations around the world are looking to make available more interculturally-focused books and resources for volunteers and staff – both to help them prepare AFS training and orientation sessions, as well as for their own personal interests. With so many books to choose from today, though, it is easy to be unsure about the quality and relevance of different ICL materials.

ICL Team to the rescue! Following are suggestions that would be strong additions to any ICL library, traditional or digital (many of these are available as e-books). While these are not the only books relevant to the AFS context, they are ones that we find practical and accessible, especially to those who are new to intercultural topics.

Although these materials are in English, we will feature non-English resources as well as more advanced ones in future issues of this newsletter. In the meantime, check out our blog at www.afs.org/blog/icl for more suggestions or to add your own.

Page 8: Intercultural Link

AFS Intercultural Link | VOLUME 3 - ISSUE 2 - APRIL/MAY/JUNE 2012 | 8

Book Review:The Geographyof ThoughtELIS MOTTA,

INTERCULTURAL LEARNING INTERN,

AFS INTERNATIONAL

“You know, the difference between you and me is that I think the world is a circle, and you think it’s a line.” This is one of the opening sentences in psychologist, Richard E. Nisbett’s book, The Geography of Thought (2003). The quote is from a Chinese student speaking with the author who is a US American.

In his book, Nisbett uses cultural psychology combined with an historical analysis of cultures to explore how people perceive, process, relate with, and act differently in the world due to distinct social structures, philosophies, and educational systems.

Since he discusses such a large range of national and regional cultures, Nisbett notes in his introduction that writing such an all-encompassing book made it necessary to make some generalizations. Therefore, by East, the author means eastern Asia, mainly China and countries that, historically, have been heavily influenced by Chinese culture, such as Japan and Korea; and by West, all peoples heavily influenced by the European culture, that is, Europeans and Americans.

The main points highlighted in the book and among the most relevant for AFS, are:

• Eastern cultures tend to have a holistic worldview, paying attention to the whole, to contextual cues, and to focusing on the relationship and interdependence among objects; whereas Western cultures tend to see the world as full of salient objects or people, independent parts focusing on the attributes that assign each to specific categories.

• The Chinese tradition has been more oriented towards circularity, feelings, and acceptance of contradiction; whereas cultures influenced by Greek civilization tend to emphasize linearity, logic, objectification, and elimination through contradiction.

• So-called Interdependence/ Independence Polarity is further related to different concepts of “self” which, to Easterners, tends to directly relate to being part of a group and changes according to the occasion/context; whereas for Westerners, it focuses on the individual and is not a flexible concept. This is tied to Westerners’ preference for autonomy, while

Easterners tend to favor guidance from authority figures.

• Language and thought patterns are closely related: Western languages tend to classify objects into categories much more than Eastern languages, which usually describe objects in terms of relationships. As well, studies have shown that Western children learn nouns (that is, objects and their categories) much faster than verbs (that is, the relationship among things), and the opposite is true for East Asian children.

The Geography of Thought is a fascinating read, demonstrating that there is no single, universal and “correct” way to think and understand the world. As Nisbett himself states in the introduction, “the book has implications for how East and West can get along better through mutual understanding of mental differences.”

For those organizations that already stocked

their ICL libraries with the basics, this is a

highly recommended addition that explores how

cognitive styles are also cultural constructs.

Page 9: Intercultural Link

AFS Intercultural Link | VOLUME 3 - ISSUE 2 - APRIL/MAY/JUNE 2012 | 9

LEARNING SESSION OUTLINE

SESSION GOAL

This session aims to raise awareness

of how everyday actions can be

based on one’s values. It also aims to

increase acceptance of cultural value

differences, focusing on the task

versus relationship continuum.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After this session, participants will be

able to:

• Describe the cultural value

continuum of Task versus

Relationship.

• Identify their own preference along

this continuum.

• Identify situations in which they are

passing value judgments based on

another person’s behaviors, in relation

to this continuum.

• Name ways that they might adapt

their behavior/attitude to be more

accepting of variations along the Task

versus Relationship continuum.

SPACE REQUIREMENTS

An open space to allow people to

spread themselves along a line on the

floor. Chairs in a semi-circle facing a

flipchart.

NECESSARY MATERIALS

Flip chart (and flip chart pages) or

white board

Colored pens/markers

HANDOUTS

Everyday Intercultural Learning:

Supporting Theories (see AFS In Box

or the Digital ICL Library)

STEP-BY-STEP SESSION

DESCRIPTION

Interactive Session (up to 75 minutes

total)

STEP ONE:

AWARENESS OF PERCEPTIONS

(10 MINUTES)

1.1 Open the activity with a question

to the group: What are the first things

you do when you arrive at the office

in the morning? Example answers

could include: drink coffee in the

kitchen, grab coffee and sit down

immediately at your desk, greet

everyone who is already in the office,

etc.

1.2 Ask people to determine if their

actions are more focused on

completing a task or building

relationships, and then invite them to

place themselves along a line that has

“very task-focused” at one end and

“extremely relationship focused” at

the other. Once they have decided on

their place along the line, each person

can quickly share what they do in the

morning and why they think it is more

task or relationship based. Next,

people return to their seats and,

without speaking, write down how

they perceive the people’s actions at

the other end of the line (i.e., most

different from themselves).

STEP TWO:

THE THEORY BEHIND THE ACTIVITY

(20 MINUTES)

2.1 Lead a brief discussion/

presentation on the following topics:

1) the idea that people naturally feel

more comfortable with and tend to

have greater trust in people who they

see as more similar to themselves,

and 2) one of the main goals of

intercultural learning is increasing

people’s comfort with difference and

there are several concepts within

intercultural learning that link directly

to our interactions with people at

work – both inside and outside of

AFS.

Being more thoughtful and aware of cultural

differences, including increased cultural

self-awareness, helps us improve our

interactions with people from other cultures,

even in situations as everyday as the workplace.

This new Learning Session Outline (LSO) from

our education department supports the themes

present in the Contact Theory (p.3) and Michael

Paige’s advice for AFS (p.11).

EverydayInterculturalLearningA New Look atour WorkplaceInteractions

Are you more relationship oriented?

Page 10: Intercultural Link

AFS Intercultural Link | VOLUME 3 - ISSUE 2 - APRIL/MAY/JUNE 2012 | 10

2.2 Using the handout, Everyday

Intercultural Learning: Supporting

Theories, as a guide, briefly introduce

and discuss the intercultural

concepts of:

a. Task versus Relationship

b. Time Orientation

c. Communication Sty les and

Face-Saving

d. Risk Avoidance

STEP THREE:

TASK VERSUS RELATIONSHIP:

WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE AND WHY

IT MATTERS (30 MINUTES)

3.1 Engage your audience in a more

in-depth discussion on task-focused

actions compared to

relationship-focused ones. Provide

examples of actions as “artifacts”

(visible indications) and the

underlying values attached. Some

examples might be: Immediately

starting to answer emails

(task-orientation) could be related to

valuing other people’s time and

wanting to respond to their

questions/inquiries as soon as

possible; Conversing with colleagues

(relationship-orientation) could

reflect one’s value of companionship

among colleagues.

3.2 In pairs, people share their

answers to the following questions.

They should answer them in the

order they are presented here. After

people have had a few minutes to

discuss a certain question, ask if

anyone would like to share with the

large group.

a. Why do you think you have the

focus you do? What values and

perceptions are attached?

b. What comes to mind when you

interact with and/or observe people

who have another focus? What values

and perceptions are attached?

c. What effect can these different

perceptions of the importance of Task

versus Relationship have on our

interactions with others?

d. What implications does this have on

our interactions with others during

our workday, with our AFS colleagues

as well as people external to AFS?

STEP FOUR:

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

(15 MINUTES)

4.1 Invite people to observe their

actions and perceptions over the next

few weeks around Task versus

Relationship, as well as the actions of

their colleagues, and to ask

themselves:

a. Are you avoiding interactions that

do not reflect your preferred

orientation on the Task versus

Relationship continuum?

b. What are your initial reactions when

interacting with someone with your

preferred focus versus someone with

the other focus?

c. What do these observations lead

you to, in regard to your next steps in

increasing your comfort with

difference?

4.1 As a concluding question, ask

people what are some things that

they can start doing immediately to

improve their interactions with, and

understanding of, people who operate

on a different place on the

task-relationship continuum than

they do?

For a full LSO including suggestions on how to use this within the AFS Orientation Framework, please contact us at [email protected] or AFSers can visit the AFS Digital ICL

Library (http://icllibrary.afs.org; search term: Task versus Relationship).

CONCEPT REFERENCES

Time Orientations: Edward T.

Hall

Uncertainty avoidance: Geert

Hofstede

Communication Styles and

Face-Saving: Edward T. Hall,

Stella Ting-Toomey

Task versus Relationship:

Harry Triandis, Nancy Adler

Do you prefer to focus on tasks?

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BEYOND AFS ICL NEWS

Interview with Michael PaigeBASED ON AN INTERVIEW WITH LAURA KLINE-TAYLOR,

INTERCULTURAL LINK LEARNING PROGRAM MANAGER,

AFS INTERNATIONAL

Dr. R. Michael Paige is Professor of International and Intercultural Education at

the University of Minnesota in the US. Among his many accomplishments, he has

contributed to important research projects such as the SAGE (Study Abroad for

Global Engagement) study (2009) and is the author of numerous books on

intercultural topics. AFS is connected to Paige through a long-lasting friendship.

We had the opportunity to talk with him about his most recent study and

upcoming book, and hear his advice for AFS.

How did you get involved in the intercultural field? I joined the US Peace Corps and volunteered in Turkey in the 1960s. During this time I became fascinated by the training the Peace Corps did and didn’t do, and my intrigue led to my becoming an intercultural trainer for the Peace Corps for five years.

After this experience I completed a PhD in International Education and have continued in the Intercultural field to this day.

How and when did you get to know AFS? I had known about AFS for many years and was familiar with the important work it had done on cross-cultural orientation in the 80s. Then in 1985, I was asked by the Indonesian government to work on an orientation project for Indonesian students about studying in the United States. Through this project, I met Irid Agoes from AFS Indonesia. More recently I have stayed connected to AFS through discussions about its Intercultural Link activities and as a faculty member at the Summer Institute for Intercultural Communications (SIIC) in Portland, Oregon, USA where there is a strong

presence of AFSers. [Editor’s note: Dr. Agoes is currently a member of the AFS Network Intercultural Learning Work Group.]

How can we ensure successful development of intercultural sensitivity in our AFS Participants, Volunteers and Staff? I see two responses to this question: First, AFS needs to insure that there is a strong cultural component for all of its audiences – something that links intercultural theory to the practical work and experiences of AFS. Some excellent sources for information on cultural values include the GLOBE study and Geert Hofstede, among others. Donna Stringer’s 52 Activities For Improving Cross-Cultural Communication is also a very good reference. [Editor’s note: For more on this as well as Paige’s own book, see page 7.]

Secondly, AFS needs to combine its current work on the ABC’s of culture (affective, behavioral, and cognitive) with a developmental framework. It is not enough to provide bits and pieces of the ABC’s. If the goal is to demonstrate an increased level of

intercultural sensitivity, these theoretical and practical pieces must be combined with a framework that shows what and how much AFS audiences are learning and improving. Assessment of intercultural development and learning is crucial.

We are excited to hear more about your new book, Student Learning Abroad: What Our Students Are Learning, What They’re Not, And What We Can Do About It. What did you discover that can inform our work at AFS?In the new book I have co-edited with Michael Vande Berg and Kris Lou, we present three types of evidence (research, knowledge from the disciplines, and actual programs) about the effects of studying abroad on intercultural competence development.

Our main takeaway is that if you want students to progress in their intercultural development and skills, and if you want them to expand their worldview, you need to offer them structured, facilitated learning opportunities because they won’t all do this on their own.

The international experience can be a starting point, but we have proof that facilitated intercultural learning opportunities are as important as the international component in helping

“Without facilitated intercultural learning opportunities sojourners will not make the most of

their intercultural experience”

Page 12: Intercultural Link

AFS Intercultural Link | VOLUME 3 - ISSUE 2 - APRIL/MAY/JUNE 2012 | 12

sojourners make the most of their experience. Maybe forms of cultural mentoring can be made available to AFS sojourners, beyond the orientation and support work you already do, or some other form of regular, facilitated cultural learning.

One of the study abroad programs we examined, AUCP (the American University Center of Provence), has achieved extraordinary results regarding their students’ progress in intercultural learning. What differentiated them from other study abroad programs was that they have a guided and structured learning program that all students attend before, during, and after their stay abroad. Their students progressed substantially and have obviously had very effective learning experiences.

We found out that the content of intercultural learning (like knowledge about differing values and conversation styles) helps students to understand

their experiences. Our study shows that this knowledge gives them the words to describe and process their intercultural experiences adequately. Without facilitated intercultural learning opportunities sojourners will not make the most of their intercultural experience.

With the Intercultural Link Initiatives, we are working to achieve this goal for AFS. Can you share ideas on how we could improve our approach? Continue to approach intercultural learning more systemically. An assumption regarding intercultural learning that has only recently begun to change involves the belief that if you plunge someone into a pool of cold water (a new host culture) they will eventually learn how to swim. We now know that this is not necessarily true. Progress made by many students is insignificant and often unobservable by those with whom the student interacts, and even to the students themselves.

However, students from the AUCP, for example, showed a drastic increase in intercultural competence. In short, our conclusion was that facilitated and guided programs are much more effective than non-guided ones – the results were profoundly different!

AFS has a very rich history it can build on, and when intercultural knowledge, skills and understanding are increased, AFS will be more successful in working towards creating a more just and peaceful world.

Stay up-to-date on AFS’s take on ICL, including the latest about events and scholarships.

www.afs.org/blog/icl/

Page 13: Intercultural Link

Last year, three AFS volunteers who attended a 2010 version of the Intercultural Link Learning Program were selected to attend the Summer Institute of Intercultural Communication (SIIC) in Portland, OR, USA. As part of their commitment to pass forward what they learned, each gave a webinar for the 45 other AFS volunteers in their Learning Program class. The online presentations were followed up with virtual discussions about how AFSers can apply these insights in their daily work.

Different Ways of Teaching and Learning

AFS Argentina’s Julia Taleisnik, who was in Janet Bennett’s “Training Design for Intercultural Learning” course, focused her webinar on different learning styles, such as how David Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle can be applied to help AFS sojourners make the best of their exchange experience. She also discussed different teaching styles like demonstrating, using case studies, and asking questions.

Learner-centered Training ApproachesNatalia Salazar of AFS Chile attended “Interactive Experiential Strategies for Intercultural Training” taught by Sivasailam “Thiagi” Thiagarajan. She shared ideas about when, how and why trainers (ie AFS orientation providers) might move away from lecture style presentations to instead use methods that give participants the opportunity to be in the center of the learning event themselves.

AFS Intercultural Link | VOLUME 3 - ISSUE 2 - APRIL/MAY/JUNE 2012 | 13

THE STUDENTS BECOME THE TEACHERS

AFSers Share What They´ve LearnedDiversity as a Strength

Silvia Roloff of AFS Brazil was a student in Anita Rowe and Donna Stringer’s “Diversity as Culture Change” workshop. Based on this, she outlined the advantages of diversity in organizations, the importance of leadership support for diversity, and how a diversity strategy can be implemented and promoted in an organization like AFS.

Sharing knowledge at an institutional level both improves how we help others connect and contributes to our goals as a learning organization as well as an educational one. Gracias y obrigada Silvia, Julia & Natalia!

“Four Layers of Diversity” by Marilyn Loden and Judy Rosener (1991), used in Silvia

Roloff’s webinar

MORE 2012 LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUIncluding Scholarships for AFSers and Others3rd Annual Summer Academy on Intercultural Experience (Karlsruhe, Germany)

This July 30th to August 10th, Karlshochschule International University, AFS Germany and

InterCultur (sister organization of AFS Germany) will offer the 2012 edition of the Academy.

Blending intercultural management and communication, the Academy aims to foster

intercultural perspectives within the field of management theory—and develop applied

solutions for problems in business and society. Courses encourage dialogue between

researchers and practitioners of different backgrounds.

The program is offered in English and is open to individuals aged 18-35 who have

demonstrable interest in the field of intercultural communications and management.

Undergraduate students and young professionals with a background or interest in

intercultural experiences are encouraged to apply.

Approximately 50 different scholarships are available to qualified applicants. Learn more online:

http://summeracademy-karlsruhe.org/index.php/registration/tuition-scholarships-open/

For more information look

for the webinars in the AFS

Digital ICL Library

(http://icllibrary.afs.org) or

contact Charlotte Steinke

([email protected]).

Page 14: Intercultural Link

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Asia-Europe X-Cultural Summer Academy on Intercultural Experience (Bangi, Malaysia)

From August 27th to September 7th of this year, the first Asia-Europe X-Cultural Summer Academy will take

place. The Asian and European organizers, AFS Malaysia, AFS Germany and InterCultur, working with University

Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and Karlshochschule International University will offer two one-week courses on

Intercultural Learning that emphasize Intercultural Communication and Culture and Society . Focus will be put on

fostering improved understanding between European and Asian students.

The program is offered in English and is open to individuals aged 18-35 who have demonstrable interest in the field

of intercultural communications and management. Undergraduate students and young professionals with a

background or interest in intercultural experiences are encouraged to apply.

Approximately 25 scholarships are

available to qualified applicants.

Learn more online:

http://summeracademy-malaysia.

org/fees/tuition-scholarships/

Summer Institute for Intercultural Learning (Portland, Oregon, USA)

This July 11th to July 27th the Intercultural Communication Institute’s

36th annual edition of the Summer Institute (SIIC) will offer a lineup of

courses ranging from Assessing Intercultural Competence to Facilitating

Structured Dialogue in Intercultural Conflict and over 40 other

professional development and networking opportunities.

The program is offered in English and is open to all individuals with demonstrable practical or academic experience in

intercultural communications or learning. All professionals working in education, training, business, and consulting

with a background or interest in intercultural experiences are encouraged to apply.

Registration is open through July, but early registration rates are in effect up to June 1st. Although the scholarship

application deadline will have passed on April 30th 2012, there may be additional scholarships available to qualified

AFS applicants (contact [email protected]). Learn more online: http://www.intercultural.org/siic.php

Intercultural Development Research Academy

This June 21st to June 26th the IDRInstitute will offer a coordinated curriculum

organized around two core courses: Constructivist Foundations of Intercultural

Communication: Applying the New Paradigm and Constructing Sustainable

Intercultural Development . Both offer domain-specific applications.

The program is offered in English and is open to all individuals with demonstrable practical or academic experience in

intercultural communications or learning. All practicing interculturalists, professionals with an interest in

intercultural issues, and graduate students pursuing an intercultural specialty are encouraged to apply.

Discounts are available to qualified AFS applicants (contact [email protected]). Learn more online:

http://www.idrinstitute.org

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So far in 2012, AFS has attended and/or

presented at two international

conferences related to ICL.

Thanks to Laura Kline-Taylor and

Manon Mullane-Prévost for their

reportage.

International Association for Intercultural Education (IAIE), a global

organization that focuses on issues of

diversity in education, held its 2012

annual conference in Veracruz, Mexico

from 15-17 February. Titled “Tapalewilis

for Intercultural Education,” the event

featured bilingual English/Spanish

sessions and panels exploring the

“Northern” and “Southern” experiences

of intercultural education.

Special attention was paid to

identifying non-traditional ways to

promote innovative and creative

exchanges in local, national, and

regional systems of education. Other

key topics included:

• Current global debates in Intercultural

Education; • Educational contexts that foster the

preservation of indigenous languages in

Mexico and nearby areas in the region;

• Approaches to culturally sensitive

collaborative learning;

• The use of drama in intercultural

education, and critical pedagogy; and

• Cultural diversity in the classroom, and

constructions of difference.

AFS Mexico presented a poster on how

AFS approaches intercultural learning,

which incorporated our educational

history and our current relevance as a

leading intercultural organization in the

region.

Sherifa Fayez has been the Executive

National Director of AFS Egypt since

2004. She is passionate about

intercultural education and was excited

to see it as a priority in the network. She

recognizes its importance in the world

of today, especially with the Arab

Spring in bloom. In 2008, she initiated

AFS Egypt’s Intercultural Peace

Caravan: a bus carrying youth from 12

countries toured 8 cities around Egypt.

In each city, the youth interacted with

local students and NGOs, shared ICL

concepts and spread the mission of

AFS. ICL has been incorporated in all

AFS Egypt orientations and trainings

since. It is Sherifa’s goal in AFS Egypt to

Meet anICL ResponsibleSHERIFA FAYEZ, AFS EGYPT

Intercultural Management Institute (IMI) is an organization that works to

promote cultural understanding

through innovative and dynamic

intercultural communication training. It

held its 13th annual conference from

15-16 March at American University’s

School for International Services in

Washington, D.C., US.

Bringing together individuals from the

business, education and training

sectors, key topics this year were

related to:

• Healthcare, including intercultural

communication between patients and

providers;

• Communication via social media, such

as facework on Facebook and using

mobiles phones as intercultural

communication training platforms; and

• Global leadership, mediation, and

coaching to manage corporate

challenges across cultures.

make sure that all volunteers and staff

members understand the basics of ICL

and become experts, if interested.

In March 2012, AFS Egypt held its first

national training dedicated only to ICL

for 60 volunteers and hopes to make it

an annual event. The goal was to

recognize the importance of ICL in AFS

and in life beyond AFS; in other words,

be mindful of ICL in everyday

encounters.

Sherifa is a graduate of the American

University in Cairo with a major in

economics, and is currently a graduate

student for Masters in Intercultural

Education.

AFS Mexico presented a poster on how AFS approaches intercultural learning, which incorporated our educational history and our current

relevance as a leading intercultural organization in the region.

CONFERENCE UPDATE

Exploring GlobalPerspectives of ICL

Page 16: Intercultural Link

KIntercultural

NIL

AFS Intercultural Link | VOLUME 3 - ISSUE 2 - APRIL/MAY/JUNE 2012 | 16

AFS Finland featured a renewed focus on intercultural learning

at its Annual National Meeting on 17-18th March 2012 in

Seinäjoki.

Representatives from around the country began creating

concrete action plans to increase educational content

development and in the organization’s General Assembly, ICL

was formally added as a priority area.

Contact Anna Collier ([email protected]) if you would like to put the spotlight on ICL

at your next meeting.

Timing & Location sucoF / leveLnoigeRnehW

Timing & Location sucoF / leveLnoigeRnehW

Pre-Registration

2012 Calendar

2012 AFS Intercultural Link Learning Program Distance Events

2012 AFS Intercultural Link Learning Program In-Person Events

Contact your local AFS organization or Laura Kline-Taylor ([email protected]) to learn more.

September North America 1 / Qualifying Trainers AFS Academy 1 / Leadership (Partner Directors, Program Directors & ODCs)October Asia-Pacific 1 & 2 / CoreNovember Central America 1 & 2 / Core (en español) Nordic Europe 1 / Core All Europe 1 / Leadership (ODCs & ICL Responsibles)

May Caribe & Asia-Pacific Session 1.1 (2011 Participants) Reflection Call

Stay tuned for exciting new additions, which will bring the Inter-cultural Link Learning Program to more AFSers in more parts of

the world even sooner!!

FIN = ICL

Page 17: Intercultural Link

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KIntercultural

NILYOUR SOURCE FOR INTERCULTURAL LEARNING IN THE AFS NETWORK

Newsletter Editor: Melissa Liles

Newsletter Manager: Anna Collier

Contributing Writer: Charlotte Steinke

Intercultural Learning Work Group

Johanna Nemeth (AUT)

Rosario Gutierrez (COL)

Annette Gisevius (GER)

Irid Agoes (INA)

Melissa Liles, Chair (INT)

Lucas Welter (INT)

AFS members are invited to submit proposals for 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 us at AFS International: [email protected]

Call for Submissions

Questions or [email protected]

© 2012 AFS Intercultural Programs, Inc. All rights reserved.

July AugustMay June

NAFSA27 May–1 June; Houston, TX USA

http://www.nafsa.org/annualconference/default.aspx

AFS is presentingAFS is organizing

International Association for Intercultural Communication Studies (IAICS)

88-11 June; Chung-li, Taiwanhttp://140.138.168.79/2012iaics/

Intercultural DevelopmentResearch Academy21-26 June; Milan, Italyhttp://www.idrinstitute.org

Dialogin Conference: Global Leadership Competence29-30 June; Konstanz, Germany

http://www.dialogin.com/index.php?id=224

Empires, Post-coloniality andInterculturality: Comparative Education between Past, Post, and Present18-21 June; Salamanca, Spain

http://www.cese-europe.org/

ICL Field Conferences & Event Updates

If you are aware of upcoming conferences in the intercultural area, please advise us at [email protected]

Connecting Lives, Sharing Cultures

Summer Institute for Intercultural Communication (SIIC)11-27 July; Portland, OR, USA http://www.intercultural.org/siic.php

AFS will be present

International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS)2-6 July; Sydney, Australia http://www.isls.org/icls2012/

Summer Academy on Intercultural Experience30 July – 10 August; Karlsruhe, Germany http://summeracademy-karlsruhe.org/

AFS is organizing

Cross-Cultural Europe-Asia Summer Academy27 August – 7 September; Bangi, Malaysia http://summeracademy-malaysia.org/


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