Culture in Context: Critical Incidents for Raising Cultural Awareness (Culture, Context, Communication Book 2)

This book aims at addressing the need for more balanced and practical cultural learning, in order to raise student’s awareness levels and develop real intercultural communicative competence. Focusing on activities, both inside and outside the classroom, viable and effective student centered and generated approaches to cultural understanding are presented. Applying ethnographic research methods students engage, explore and interact with other cultures locally. Materials included avoid directly or overtly referencing cultural information such as proper names, places, nationalities or languages. This information tends to appeal to students preconceptions and crystalizes already held beliefs, expectations and stereotypes. The absence of cultural signposts allows students to form their own conclusions and interpret material openly, honestly and without bias. As students are in charge and free to shape their own perspectives, they are able to reach a 3rd place identity or neutral position, from which to objectively observe differences, create their own unique, world view and ultimately become more sensitive, tolerant, open-minded and compassionate communicators.