{"id":5894,"date":"2013-06-25T12:41:08","date_gmt":"2013-06-25T12:41:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/?p=5894"},"modified":"2026-02-19T12:32:32","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T20:32:32","slug":"intercultural-competence-tool-kit","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/connected-learning\/global\/resources\/intercultural-competence-tool-kit","title":{"rendered":"Intercultural Competence Toolkit"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Wondering how to engage students of vastly different economic, social, racial and cultural backgrounds in the classroom? Interested in becoming more skilled at communicating across cultures? This collaborative webpage offers resources, strategies and activities to develop intercultural competence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key concepts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Both intercultural competence and cultural humility presume that it is not possible to become competent in someone else’s culture. Instead, they focus on the lifelong learning that begins with understanding of one’s own cultural positionality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Intercultural competence<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A set of cognitive, affective and behavioral skills and characteristics that support effective and appropriate interaction in a variety of cultural contexts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cognitive<\/th>Affective<\/th>Behavioral<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Cultural self-awareness<\/td>Curiosity<\/td>Relationship building<\/td><\/tr>
Culture-general knowledge<\/td>Cognitive flexibility<\/td>Listening, problem solving<\/td><\/tr>
Culture-specific knowledge<\/td>Motivation<\/td>Empathy<\/td><\/tr>
Interaction analysis<\/td>Open mindedness<\/td>Information gathering<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>
Bennett’s (2008) definition of intercultural competence has been developed by the Association of American Colleges and University (AAC&U) into the Intercultural Knowledge and Competence VALUE rubric.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Cultural humility<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Originating in the healthcare field, cultural humility is an approach to engaging with others that requires self-reflection and self-critique, includes the desire to fix power imbalances where none ought to exist, and involves aspiring to develop partnerships with people and groups who advocate for others (Tervalon & Murray-Garcia, 1998).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cultural Iceberg<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Like an iceberg, only a fraction of culture is visible, manifested through customs, language, physical appearance. 足彩app哪个是正规的 majority of culture is hidden from view and expressed implicitly, through deep-held values and preferences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

足彩app哪个是正规的 iceberg analogy was first proposed by Edward T. Hall in his 1976 book, Beyond Culture<\/em>. 足彩app哪个是正规的 Cultural Iceberg shows explicit culture as the small visible area of an iceberg that includes behaviors, attitudes and beliefs. While below the surface is a much larger area we cannot see, the implicit culture, which includes our values.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Activities to develop intercultural competence<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cultural Awareness Self-Assessment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To begin to assess your cultural self-awareness, ask yourself these questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. What are some of my core beliefs and how have they been culturally influenced?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. How would I describe my worldview?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. How would I describe some of the students\u2019 worldviews?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. How might these differ from the ways in which I see the world?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. How much do I know about my students\u2019 cultural backgrounds?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. What information am I missing and how can I get that information?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. How can I incorporate my students\u2019 worldviews into my course materials?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. What worldviews are demonstrated through the course materials I currently use?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  9. How can I enhance those materials so that other worldviews are represented?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Activity: Mapping Your Cultural Orientation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    This simple Mapping Your Cultural Orientation activity<\/a><\/em> is a great way to engage participants in a conversation about cultural values and appreciate how these relate to others. It can be done as an individual, written reflection or be \u201cacted out\u201d by participants lining up along imaginary continuums.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Strategies to engage culturally diverse students in the classroom<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    While mainstream American academic culture prizes individual accomplishments and promotes an egalitarian treatment of others, individuals from many other cultures find it highly awkward to be singled out in front of a group, challenge their instructor, or call their superior by their first name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    To increase engagement of culturally diverse students, try these specific classroom strategies, developed by a group of faculty and staff from the University of Washington Bothell and Cascadia College during a workshop in October 2013, and during the Teaching in Progress Series in Spring 2017:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    1. Set clear expectations<\/strong>. Use your syllabus, a collaboratively-developed community agreement and modeling desired behaviors for class participation and the value of sharing cultural perspectives.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Model the learner mindset<\/strong>. Share your awareness of personal limitations and worldview.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Take time to get to know students as individuals<\/strong>. For example, have students complete a short questionnaire or notecard during the first week of class; use nametags with gender pronouns throughout the quarter.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. Think > pair > share<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    5. Vary forms of classroom participation<\/strong>. This can include:\n