Intercultural learning

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Basic training modules include:

  1. Information about the country, introduction to culture and history
  2. The norms and values of the society
  3. The role and the characteristics of communication
  4. Social contacts: Friends and acquaintances
  5. Women - life and role
  6. Leisure activities and customs
  7. Eating and drinking
  8. The relations at work and management
  9. Doing business in the country
  10. Education
  11. Studies and professional training
  12. Norms, laws, and taboos
  13. Action plan for the first two months in the country



  • Appropriateness. Valued rules, norms, and expectations of the relationship are not violated significantly.
  • Effectiveness. Values goals or rewards (relative to costs and alternatives) are accomplished.


  1. intercultural attitudes (like openness, curiosity, readiness)


Theories on approaching Culture[edit]




The MUSIC Intercultural Model was designed by Jon Jeeves in 1996 to help businesses become more aware and effective when dealing with people from different cultures. The name for the model is an acronym and is based on five cultural dimensions, which through research and practical experience of international projects, have shown to represent the major value differences with conflict potential in global business.

The model compliments research from Hall, Trompenaars and Hofstede in addition to the validation and refinement carried out by Jon Jeeves and his ongoing work with international teams.

The five categories are:

1. Matrix of Relationships 2. Uncertainty Tolerance 3. Sequencing of Time 4. I and We 5. Communication Context


Contexts for intercultural learning in the classroom[edit]


  • film: authentic film especially improves the language proficiency (and thus intercultural sensitivity), because it means direct and authentic contact with the L2; it also guarantees access to the evaluation of audiovisual media and maybe even new media- useful examples: Bend It Like Beckham, Save the Last Dance, My Beautiful Laundrette

Cultural Differences in Learning[edit]

Of particular importance to intercultural learning is understanding cultural differences in learning processes. Intercultural learning programs could benefit greatly from the analysis of cultural trends in these processes. By doing so, educators can see how indigenous people of America are affected by classroom norms. In indigenous American ways of learning, children are included in the community and have lots of experience collaborating with each other and adults in productive ways.

  • For example, members of indigenous American and indigenous-heritage American communities prefer to learn in collaborative groups as opposed to individually. Teachers in Zuni schools arrange the students’ desks in a circle and address the group from the center, spinning around slowly to address all members equally.[3] The Zuni are a Native-American tribe from the present day Arizona, New Mexico border. Arrangement of student desks in this manner is compatible with the larger cultural trend of preference for collaborative learning.[3] In addition, research has shown that communication styles among indigenous and indigenous-heritage groups differ from that of European-American “formal” instruction. For example, slower talking pace, distributed gaze among group members, more frequent teacher interruption, and longer wait time between teacher question and student response are some qualities of indigenous American learning practices. More specifically, all of these behaviors can be observed in Navajo students.[4] There appears to be a link between the collaborative preference seen in these specific groups, and the conversational styles they prefer to engage in.
  • Formal and informal learning are different among westernized cultures and indigenous cultures. Both formal and informal learning have two components one looking at it from situations/practices and the second one from the learning process. Indigenous ways of learning has often been marginalized or discriminated against in formal schooling because it does not follow society ways of learning.[5] Being able to understand the learning process through informal learning and making the connection of how it happens in today's society through formal learning can benefit and help us learn much more. It is overly simplified when saying that formal learning happens in institutions and that informal learning happens only outside of institutions.

Analysis of cultural differences in learning can provide new and useful insight that can be applied to intercultural learning practice. In other words, learning trends in students’ cultural backgrounds can be used by teachers to create more well informed pedagogy. For example, if indigenous American or indigenous-heritage American students were in an intercultural learning program, teachers could communicate knowledge by creating a more collaborative setting, and by adjusting pace of speech to be consistent with the students'.



  • Events that relate to family and community, such as working together help Native-American students in some classroom aspects. Many are used to collaboration, so they work in groups and interact with their peers. However, they still pay attention when working individually. Because Native American students are used to collaboration they are able to participate in group activities that don’t create a distinction between individual performer and audience. On the other hand, they had less willingness to perform or participate verbally when they had to talk alone (as an individual rather than group).[6] It was also observed that the Native American students didn’t want to talk when the teacher was addressing the whole class, which shows their preference of working in groups.

Future prospects - What is to be done?[edit]


See also[edit]


  2. ^
  3. ^ a b Yamauchi, L., A. & Tharp, R., G. (1995). Culturally Compatible Conversations in Native American Classrooms. Linguistics and Education 7, 349-367.
  4. ^ Tharp, R., G. (2008). A Perspective on Unifying Culture and Psychology: Some Philosophical and Scientific Issues. Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology 27(2), 2007 & 28(1), 2008.
  5. ^ Göran, Folkestad (2006). "Formal and informal learning situations or practices vs formal and informal ways of learning". British Journal of Music Education 23: 135–­145. doi:10.1017/s0265051706006887. 
  6. ^ Florio-Ruane, Susan (1989). Knowledge base for the beginning teacher. Oxford: Pergamon. pp. 163–177. 

External links[edit]