Do you want to help others develop their intercultural competence?
The Centre for Language and Culture is pleased to welcome Dr. Janet Bennet, one of the founding figures of the field of intercultural communication, as well as the executive director of the Intercultural Communication Institute (ICI), and the editor of the Sage Encyclopedia of Intercultural Competence. Following the success of last year’s winter school, Dr Bennet returns to provide intercultural training designed to enhance culture learning.
As Dr Bennet observes, in contemporary society ‘Being ‘global souls’ – seeing ourselves as members of a world community, knowing that we share the future with others—requires powerful intercultural competence. Such competence embraces the paradox of globalisation, and seeks to reconcile the competing commitments to the self and others, knowing that this is profoundly difficult’. With increasing demands on our ability to collaborate with others from diverse backgrounds, accepting differences hence is more critical than ever, crucial to any sustainable, pluralistic society.
‘How can we develop in ourselves the necessary mastery and concomitant humility required to be effective across cultures?’ – asks Dr Bennet. Over time interculturalists have learned that intercultural competence might bring together differing domestic and global issues and Dr Bennett shares her thoughts on this matter: ‘The key variable, determining our reluctance to acknowledge and accept differing cultures revolves around anxiety. As we continue to fear the unknown, familiarity with cultural creations does not in itself enhance intercultural competence’.
Curiosity, however, does. ‘Americans have a saying that curiosity killed the cat. But conceivably, in intercultural relations, a lack of curiosity is more of a problem’ – claims Dr Bennett.
So if you are curious and wish to develop specific abilities to foster intercultural sensitivity and bridge differing cultural systems, apply for the Winter School on Intercultural Competence! With an emphasis on using developmental approaches to decrease learner resistance, the offered programme will cover everything from distinct thinking and communication styles to intercultural training methods and resources.
…Unleash the creative and innovative potential of cultural diversity!
For more information, visit this website.
