American University of Cairo, Egypt - Stanford University, USA
|| Cross-Cultural Rhetoric Video Conference || October 13, 2010
Activity: Cross-Cultural Communication and Collaborative Work on Proposal for Leadership
I.
CONNECTING
6:00-6:30 pm (AUC) / 9:00-9:30 am (Stanford)
Tech Check in Small Groups for audio and video
Location: Put http://switchboard.stanford.edu into Marratech; choose CCR Room A-E
Get to Know Group Members
 Share your name, course of study, and a rhetorical object that represents your culture
Exchange of Research Project Ideas
 Briefly discuss: What are you researching? Share 1 sentence and feedback on these ideas
II.
ANALYZING as a TEAM
6.30-7:00 pm (AUC) / 9.30-10:00 am (Stanford)
Activity: Discuss the short reading – answer the questions below as you share perspectives.
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III.
Who is the audience for the speech or article?
What cross-cultural communication strategies seem to work? How so or how not?
How is the speaker or writer accommodating the audience needs in the speech?
What is your own perspective on the core issues raised in the text?
How does the speaker or writer's stance on the issue reflect your cultural values?
What core issues or problems does the speaker or writer refer to?
COLLABORATING
7:00-7:30 pm (AUC) / 10:00-10:30 am (Stanford)
Activity: Imagine that your group has been chosen as an international team to advise the
speaker or writer on how to solve one of the core problems referred to in the speech/article.
As a TEAM working together, decide as a group on one of the problems raised by the speaker or writer.
Come up with a proposal as to how to help SOLVE this issue. Remember, you are an international team, a
committee of advisors to this person, so you need to work together. You can use the whiteboard.
Either find a problem the speaker refers to and come up with a proposal that addresses that problem.
Or, for the advanced version: identify a problem in the speech - where does the speech fail to address
certain audiences and what would your team propose to solve this problem?
Write up your ideas and post them on the CCR Blog. Here is where your team will share what you
learned and communicate across cultures your vision as a team of leaders working together.
What is the problem? What is your team proposal? What is the significance of your proposal?
Post a comment on the CCR blog with your team’s write up – include all your names and anything
you’d like to share while communicating your proposal for a leadership solution:
http://crossculturalrhetoric.wordpress.com/category/ccr-exchange-stanford-auc/
IV. GATHER in CCR Virtual Lounge
Connect to CCR lounge at http://switchboard.stanford.edu (choose “leave” not “new”)
Closing Remarks by Instructors Ghada El Shimi (AUC) and Alyssa O’Brien (Stanford).
Debrief at Individual Universities: What did you learn about cross-cultural communication?