International Co-ordinator
Training for Schools
Cultural iceberg and Byram’s framework
Starter: The six-culture-game
The six-culture-game:
Discuss in your group the following questions ( 5 min)
• What was my reaction when the other person didn‘t behave as I expected?
• Did I feel good/uncomfortable/confused /shocked?
Why - and how did it show?
• (What forms of ritual greetings do I/ we know or practice?)
Illustrations by www.teresa-robertson.co.uk
Hidden below the surface…
Stereotypes
are the source
of prejudice !!!
Stereotypes
involve
generalisation
Encounter and
Experience
Byram’s Model of
Intercultural Communicative Competence (1997)
Intercultural
attitude
(savoir être)
Skills I
(savoir
comprendre)
Critical cultural
awareness
(savoir s‘engager)
Knowledge
(savoir)
Skills II
(savoir
comprendre)
BRITISH AND BULGARIAN CHRISTMAS CARDS: A
RESEARCH PROJECT FOR STUDENTS
Krassimira Topuzova (Bulgaria) – 2001*
Objectives were:
Show whether Bulgarian Christmas tradition has changed – after 1990
Compare with British tradition and introduce other cultural issues
‘Research': analysing data, form concepts, draw conclusions.
*Krassimira Topuzova 2001, British and Bulgarian Christmas cards: a research project for students. In: M Byram,
A Nichols and D Stevens (eds) Developing Intercultural Competence in Practice Clevedon: Multilingual
Matters (246-259).
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Organisation of the project
Before lessons start
- Each student to go to a shop and buy one Christmas card they'd like to post for
Christmas.
- In shop, observe: who buys cards - age, sex, nationality - how many do they buy which cards sell more and which less?
- At school, exhibited cards and explained why he/she had bought a particular card:
price, size or colour OR images and messages.
8
In the classroom: groups of 5/6 in order to analyse
the cards
WHO BUYS CHRISTMAS CARDS?
1.What age, sex, occupation are they?
2.Are they local people or tourists?
3.How many cards do they buy?
WHAT CHRISTMAS CARDS?
1.What size and format are they?
2.What images are included?
3.Who printed them?
WHY BUY CHRISTMAS CARDS?
1.What do Christmas cards mean to Bulgarians?
2.Why do they buy them?
3.Who do they send them to?
4.What do they write on them?
9
Second stage: classification cards into types,
according to the images and messages
The following types emerged:
Traditional Bulgarian Christmas cards - illustrating the traditional Christmas
table
Religious Christmas cards with Biblical images - new development -official rejection of church before the changes.
Children's cards - e.g. children making snowmen, playing with snowballs
Winter-landscape cards -snowy woods or fields
Christmas-tree decorations - typical Bulgarian cards - traditional
decorations
10
Third stage: discussion of the cultural implications:
traditional Bulgarian Christmas cards haven't changed;
recently introduced innovations, e.g. UNICEF cards
with 'Merry Christmas' in English
Comparisons
-
-
Distribute British cards to groups: analyse as before - four types:
religious cards, winter-season cards, children's cards, Christmas
decorations.
Comparative analysis of the Bulgarian and British Christmas cards;
make two columns: for differences and for similarities; summarise the
findings.
Most striking difference: information on cards: what charity and what
material made of
11
The example and the competences
1.Becoming curious about Britain AND the recent history of Bulgaria, thinking about the
future. Realising that Bulgarian society has not been always ‘like this’.
Attitudes (savoir être) curiosity and openness, readiness to suspend disbelief about
other cultures and belief about one’s own.
2. Knowledge about: Christmas cards in England and Bulgaria; recycling; recent history
in Bulgaria; the role of charity in capitalist welfare states (and others)
Knowledge (savoirs): of social groups and their products and practices in one’s own
and in partner country, and of the general processes of societal and individual
interaction
3. Relating/comparing: English and Bulgarian symbols of Christmas; English and
Bulgarian concepts of charity
Skills of interpreting and relating (savoir comprendre): ability to interpret a
document or event from another culture, to explain it and relate it to documents or
events from one’s own
12
4.Discovering social practices in Bulgaria (and England) connected with
Christmas by investigating/observing/collecting data, categorising data
i.e. being scientists
Skills of discovery and interaction (savoir apprendre/faire): ability to acquire new
knowledge of a culture and cultural practices and the ability to operate knowledge,
attitudes and skills under the constraints of real-time communication and
interaction
5. Evaluating the change in Bulgarian society since the change from
communism – the advantages and disadvantages.
Critical cultural awareness (savoir s'engager): an ability to evaluate, critically and
on the basis of explicit criteria, perspectives, practices and products in one’s own
and other cultures and countries
Comment
The students found it difficult to accept the idea of buying Christmas
cards to support a charity.
The concept of charity didn't exist in our culture before 1989.
Now the concept of charity has emerged with a clear shape and
meaning. The 'classless society' has practically become non-existent.
Instead, two distinct classes have formed - those of the rich and the
poor. Homeless and unemployed people started to appear.
At the same time, the first charity organizations appeared, usually
founded and sponsored by people with money and power..
At this point we had a discussion on British charities, their role
and value in society.
They were surprised to find out that these charities got their
funds from public donations, not from state or private
businesses as is the case in Bulgaria.
They explained this by reference to the centralised social
service system in our country which is still surviving, though
quite neglected by the state due to its financial and economic
crisis.
However, they came to the conclusion that the charities in
Bulgaria would develop in very much the same way as West
European charities because of the guidance they received from
them, and the expertise they followed in organization and
activities
Intercultural Communication and school
partnerships
When I come to you I am a
resource, when you come to me
you are an honoured guest
Scenario
A UK school has managed to bring teachers from their partnership cluster in India
into the UK at the same time as a Comenius partner meeting and the two groups
are brought together. The other partners begin to talk about some fundraising
initiatives for the Indian schools and one partner especially has a very
stereotypical view of schools in the less developed world. The UK-India
partnership is founded on an equitable relationship and this philosophy is well
understood by both sides. One of the European partners says to the Indian
representative;
"We are going to give your school all our old sports equipment and 4 old laptops!”
What has happened here ?
How does each of the partners feel ?
Why do they feel that way ?
What assumptions have they made ?
What other actions could they take ?
Film clip
http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_
a_single_story.html
Eye contact in different cultures
The amount of eye contact regarded as acceptable or necessary in different
situations is culturally specific. For example:
Culture
Arab
Convention
A lot of eye contact: too little could be disrespectful, but unrelated
men and women may avoid eye contact with each other as this
could be seen as flirtatious.
White British
The speaker makes eye contact but periodically looks away to
avoid ‘staring’; a speaker who does not make eye contact may be
seen as untrustworthy. A listener is expected to look at the
speaker: not to do so is seen as disrespectful, or implies the
person is not listening.
South Asian
Direct eye contact can be seen as aggressive and disrespectful.
Japanese and Chinese Direct eye contact for more than a couple of seconds is
disrespectful, especially towards people seen as social
‘superiors’.
Afro-Caribbean
The speaker looks at the listener and the listener looks away:
looking at the speaker may imply challenge and disrespect.
What the British say
What they mean
What others
understand
You must come for
dinner
It’s not an invitation, I’m
just being polite
I will get an invitation
soon
Very interesting
That is clearly nonsense
They are impressed
That is a very brave
proposal
You are insane
He thinks I have courage
That’s not bad
That’s good
That’s poor
With the greatest respect I think you are an idiot
He is listening to me
I hear what you say
I disagree and do not
want to discuss it further
He accepts my point of
view
Oh, by the way
The primary purpose of
our discussion is…
That is not very
important
How might cultural diversity affect your partnership ?
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Misinterpretation
Assumptions about one another
Expectations of money
Way schools work
Different teaching styles
Respect for elders
Time issues
Moral/religious differences
Traditions/family structures
Willingness to admit mistakes
Flexibility
Prejudice
What’s important for you?
Thinking about all the things we have talked about today