Exploring and Assessing Intercultural Competence - Center for ...

Exploring and Assessing Intercultural Competence
(FEMS1+SFs)
- noted two sides of life (unstructured life of street children/structured life of volunteers)
- respect
- tolerate differences as got to know foreign volunteers
(FEMS1+I)
- “Contact with people from other cultures . . . is an opportunity to meet new people, develop
myself, and learn from the volunteers who have different points of view.”
(FEMS3+I)
- learned about communication
- strengthened relationships I had due to contact with Vs
(FEMS3+I)
- “Sharing a new culture is important. While working with volunteers, I constantly learn to
collaborate with them and this helps me to work better. This also helps me to know them
(foreigners) better and be more open to them. There are some (customs) that volunteers don’t
share (with us since) they haven’t lived our reality. As they get to know this reality better
(through language), they tend to adapt better to this situation.”
(FEMS4+I)
- “This experience has helped me to recognize many differences between our cultures and theirs:
the way they live, the way they dress, and the things they eat. I find (the volunteer) also very
curious about other cultures. She told me this experience has made her want to travel and get to
know other cultures on a deeper level.”
(FEMS5+I)
- “This contact has allowed me to understand volunteers better and to become friends with them.
Outside the work environment, I have become more open.”
(FEMS5)
- learned from contact with Vs
- became more understanding
- more open
- more tolerant
- has helped me with my daily tasks
Summary
Intercultural research generally focuses on the sojourner – on those traveling to a new
environment. However, their presence among their hosts most certainly must also have some
effect on people they interact with. It is clear in this case that the monolingual-monocultural
mentors have been challenged through this IC contact even while remaining at home. As a result,
they too have grown although perhaps not in all the same ways (e.g., language) nor to the same
degree.
Mentors specifically cite the following effects on themselves:
- derived insights by comparing
- developed respect
- opportunity to meet new people / develop relationships (2)
Center for Social Development
Washington University in St. Louis
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