Intercultural competencies

While the role of culture in second and/or foreign language (L2/FL) learning and teaching has often been unquestioned, empirical research on culture learning and teaching in L2/FL education has been less common than opinion-oriented writings in relevant journals. This article offers a summary and synthesis of 52 empirical studies on L2/FL culture learning and teaching published during the 20-year period 1996-2015. In doing so, it first provides some background, then discusses the methods used for choosing, summarizing, and briefly analyzing these studies, and finally outlines a range of quantitative and qualitative findings. Culture learning and teaching research in L2/FL education during this period involved five main languages (English, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish) in 19 different countries; adopted mainly qualitative research approaches; and addressed a diverse range of age and educational levels, although postsecondary research studies were most common. The survey here highlights a shift from a focus on ‘culture’ to the ‘intercultural,’ and reveals that culture learning and teaching research has moved beyond reporting teachers’ and students’ attitudes to a range of topics impacting L2/FL learning and teaching, including instructional approaches, teaching materials, assessment, and technology. It also points to connections between the studies outlined and offers possibilities and directions for future research in this important area.

España ha vivido un vertiginoso crecimiento de la población extranjera1 en los últimos decenios. Millones de personas procedentes de países muy diversos, con situaciones administrativas, económicas y sociales muy heterogéneas se han ido incorporando a nuestra sociedad; generando nuevas necesidades, aportando nuevos recursos. La incorporación de estas personas en el sistema de salud ha comportado un sustancial cambio de escenario en nuestros centros asistenciales y, la atención a estas personas, un reto para las administraciones responsables del sistema de salud y, sobre todo, para los profesionales.
La presente comunicación, a partir del análisis de diversos programas e informes técnicos desarrollados por las diversas CCAA presentará el que, a nuestro juicio, es el significado implícitamente otorgado a la interculturalidad en el ámbito de la salud a tenor de las prioridades, estrategias aplicadas y análisis del perfil de los profesionales encargados de atenderla. Intentará reenfocar el constructo de interculturalidad en la salud, presentado otros aportes que ubican de una manera más extensiva y completa dicho tópico.. Se ha partido de lo próximo, de la realidad aplicada en el estado español, para mostrar después, un significado más global y extensivo. Mostrando, las lagunas y contradicciones que se han identificado en éstas acciones.

This paper discusses the issue of learner outcomes in learning culture as part of their language learning. First, some brief discussion on the role of culture in language teaching and learning, as well as on culture contents in language lessons is presented. Based on a detailed review of previous literature related to culture in language teaching and learning, the paper distinguishes three different levels of learner outcomes in learning culture, namely cultural knowledge, cultural awareness and cultural competence. It also suggests a framework for examining learner outcomes in learning culture towards the end of the discussion. Recommendations for further research are also provided.

Nuestro mundo global lleno de movimiento, caos e interacción ha hecho tomar
protagonismo a un fenómeno que ha acompañado a la humanidad desde que existen
los movimientos humanos y las relaciones interculturales, parejas a ellos: la
multiculturalidad. La presencia de inmigrantes, refugiados, transferidos, estudiantes
internacionales, etc, en las organizaciones, empresas, centros educativos y vecindarios
comporta retos y necesidades tanto para estas personas como para las personas de la
sociedad de acogida. Al abordar la cuestión del desempeño profesional en las
organizaciones multiculturales surgen una serie de cuestiones como: ¿Qué implica la
integración en una empresa intercultural?, ¿Qué significado debemos otorgar a la
cultura en este contexto?, ¿Cuáles serían las competencias interculturales que
permiten la integración en la empresa intercultural?, ¿Cómo se desarrollan? Las
siguientes páginas mostrarán las respuestas que hemos planteado a las mismas.

The following review explores Intercultural Information Ethics (IIE) in terms of comparative philosophy, supporting IIE as the most relevant and significant development of the field of Information Ethics (IE). The focus of the review is threefold. First, it will review the core presumption of the field of IIE, that being the demand for an inter- mission in the pursuit of a founding philosophy for IE in order to first address the philosophical biases of IE by western philosophy. Second, a history of the various philosophical streams of IIE will be outlined, including its literature and pioneering contributors. Lastly, a new synthesis of comparative philosophies in IIE will be offered, looking towards a future evolution of the field. Examining the interchange between contemporary information ethicists regarding the discipline of IIE, the review first outlines the previously established presumptions of the field of IIE that posit the need for an IE as grounded in western sensibilities. The author then addresses the implications of the foregoing presumption from several non-western viewpoints, arguing that IIE does in fact find roots in non-western philosophies as established in the concluding synthesis of western and eastern philosophical traditions.

Inconceivably, the dialogue about apocalypse readiness - the old paradigm dying and the new world being built here in the Americas - continues to ignore the values and earth-embedded lifeways as modelled to us by First Nations, the original inhabitants of these lands. As children of the western paradigm and the colonizer class who brought civilization to these shores, are we so sure of our status here on Turtle Island that our practices and movements don’t need to reference what came before? Why are First Nations so invisible, and rarely mentioned in our work to become connected to nature spiritualities? Are we that comfortable in knowing that our own earth-emergent traditions made the transition from Europe safely, or as interloper-aliens, are other claims to the land still in play? These are not idle questions to be sure.  Celebrating the death throes of capitalism and installing a blend of old/new holistic values into our lives is the great work, and mutual decolonization can offer us the opportunity to heal our fractured relationship with First Nations. But first, we need to unpack the mistakes our cultural group has been making, that continue to show up in rewilding, animist, pagan, druidry, ecopsychology, ethnocultural revival and other spaces.

Intercultural competence is suggested as what is necessary for more mature and effective communication in the multicultural situation. What can be considered as a part of the intercultural competence is cultural intelligence. Especially in this paper the relationship between prejudice and motivation in Cultural Intelligence will be focused. The motivation in cultural intelligence is the attitude of thoughts on the multicultural situation. However, one of factors that negatively hinder motivation is wrong prejudice. What various perspectives are needed and considered is studied to overcome the problems caused by the prejudice. prejudice is researched as an element to hinder intercultural competence. Prejudice itself has multi-layered access for research. It will be meaningful to study prejudice and obstacles as an important part directly connected to motivation of cultural intelligence.

The article aims to rethink the concept of intercultural conflict. Specifically, I argue that the use of the adjective “intercultural” within ‘intercultural conflict’ is usually an expression of rhetorical discourse or is not appropriate. Following a semantic analysis I show that a cultural conflict, here conceptualized as incompatibility of cultural values between a minimum of two people belonging to different cultural backgrounds, might be described as an intercultural conflict. This is possible if the interactants, rather than focussing on solutions, adopt an ‘intercultural attitude’ (comity, ethical relativism, critical self-reflection, openness toward a potential change, suspending judgment, reframing meanings, curiosity, respect, and self-decentralization) between them. Existing theoretical concepts are explored through qualitative research examining supposedly interculturally competent high school students’ (after one scholastic year abroad) attitudes towards others during a cultural
conflict. The study shows that curiosity and respect towards others might be considered as preconditions for a true dialogue. Two main attitudes emerge from the analysis: the multicultural one and the intercultural one. The former corresponds to respect for the different ideas of others. The second is exemplified by true interaction between interactants who seek a deep understanding of what is behind the point of view held by themselves and others. Adopting an intercultural attitude, they make all possible efforts to truly encounter each other’s otherness.

Experiential intercultural learning (IL) is considered crucial for student teachers so that they may act responsibly as intercultural educators and address inequalities in a multicultural world. In crisis-stricken Greece, studies consistently report teachers’ challenges in promoting intercultural education. The experiential IL initiatives that have been investigated to date have mainly focused on study abroad experiences or on-campus interactions among peers. There has been limited research on the opportunities afforded by intercultural encounters in the local community. These can in fact be more challenging than those in study abroad or higher education contexts.

In order to address this gap, this thesis qualitatively explored student teachers’ experiences of Pedagogical Intercultural Community Encounters (PICEs) in two departments of pre-school education in Greece, applying Dewey’s experiential learning theory. Participants had to carry out projects that required them to go off campus and encounter diverse individuals in the respective local communities. These encounters mainly involved individuals of immigrant background, refugees and Roma children. The data were gathered through individual interviews with each participating student and through students' written reflective texts.

The inductive thematic analysis revealed that PICEs can be conducive to student teachers’ IL. Firstly, they help students to transform their attitudes towards culturally diverse people and to envision fostering change in others. Secondly, PICEs enable them to better understand the complexity of diversity by navigating the boundaries of equality, similarity and difference. Thirdly, through PICEs student teachers are actively involved in their experiential learning in a practical way that will be useful in their personal and professional lives.

This study offers an original contribution to knowledge by conceptualising PICEs as an educational initiative. It argues that PICEs deserve their own space in the literature of IL.

Jest to wersja w języku esperanto książki „Spotkania z Innymi. Czytanki do edukacji międzykulturowej”. Została opracowana na potrzeby portalu edukacyjnego edukado.net, w którym jest zamieszczona w postaci kursu do edukacji międzykulturowej adresowanego do dzieci w wieku 6-10 lat.
Esperanto:
„Renkontoj kun Diferenculoj” estas kolekto de rakontoj pri diversaj personoj, kiuj pro variaj kialoj estas en sia medio diferencaj de la plimulto de la homoj kaj pro tio oni perceptatas ilin kiel strangajn, malkompreneblajn, eĉ danĝerajn. Pri tiaj personoj kutime oni klaĉadas kaj kreas stereotipajn opiniojn – plej ofte maljustajn kaj suferigajn. La rakontojn prezentas Kamila – kelkjara knabineto. Helpate de siaj gefamilianoj, ŝi konatiĝas kun handikapuloj, malsanuloj, maljunuloj, personoj apartenantaj al fremdaj nacioj kaj kulturoj, praktikantaj diversajn religiojn ktp. La personojn karakterizas diferencaj stiloj de vivo kaj diversaj perspektivoj. Ilia nuntempa situacio estas kutime la sekvo de okazintaĵoj, kiuj influis iliajn karakteron, ideojn pri la mondo kaj motivojn de agado. Kamila konsciiĝas, ke ne ĉiuj homoj estas samaj, sed ĉiuj estas egale gravaj, do ili same bezonas estimon, amikecon kaj amon. La edukaj valoroj de „Renkontoj kun Diferenculoj” estas: toleremo, estimo por individuaj diferencoj, konvinko pri devo konatiĝi kun aliaj homoj antaŭ ol krei propran opinion pri ili kaj deziri pritaksi ilian agadon. La libreto estas destinita al infanoj en la aĝo de 6 ĝis 10 jaroj. Ĝi povus servi kiel legaĵo en familia rondo, aŭ kiel didaktika materialo en baza lernejo kaj kursoj de interkultura edukado. En Pollando, „Renkontoj kun Diferenculoj” akiris pozitivajn opiniojn de universitataj fakuloj pri psikologio kaj pedagogio. Ĝiaj tradukoj estas disponeblaj en la angla, franca kaj germana lingvoj (sed sen aludoj pri Esperanto). Se iu deziros traduki ĝin al propra lingvo aŭ aperigi ĝin en sia lando (en bita aŭ presita versio, kun propraj ilustraĵoj aŭ preparitaj de lokaj lernejanoj ktp.) bonvolu interkonsenti kun la verkinto pri transdono de la eldonrajtoj.

The aim of this paper is to explore how the Italian secondary schools deals with the issue of assessing intercultural competence and, in general, transversal competences gained by returnees (16/17 years old) who participated in an annual individual exchange program. The considerations proposed in the present paper are the first results of ongoing doctoral research developed through a qualitative approach. The outcomes indicate a lack in the assessment of intercultural competence as well as a difficulty in assessing transversal competences by the Italian secondary schools. However, first attempts that seek to identify shared answers to the challenges posed by the student mobility to educational policies are developing.

L'obiettivo del presente articolo è di esplorare in che modo le scuole secondarie di secondo grado in Italia affrontano la questione connessa alla valutazione della competenza interculturale e, più in generale, delle competenze trasversali acquisite dalle studentesse e dagli studenti (16/17 anni) che hanno partecipato a un programma annuale di mobilità studentesca individuale. Le considerazioni proposte in questo contributo rappresentano i primi risultati di una ricerca di dottorato in corso, sviluppata mediante un approccio qualitativo. I risultati indicano che nelle scuole secondarie di secondo grado in Italia vi è un'assenza di valutazione della competenza interculturale e vi è difficoltà nella valutazione delle competenze trasversali. Tuttavia, si stanno sviluppando dei tentativi di risposte comuni alle sfide poste dalla mobilità studentesca alle politiche educativa. Parole chiave: competenze interculturali, competenze trasversali, internazionalizzazione della scuola, mobilità studentesca, programmi scolastici interculturali, valutazione degli studenti, legislazione italiana.

Los medios de comunicación tienen un papel clave en el desarrollo o no de estereotipos que puedan fundamentar prejuicios y conductas discriminatorias en relación a la inmigración. La obra presenta el concepto de periodismo cultural y una propuesata de formación para el desarrollo de competencia intercultural en los profesionales de la comunicación.

This paper expects show some facts, theories and models that the intercultural field has developed and I that can help to politicians and technicians when these develop proposals and programs to facilitate the accommodation, reception and integration of the people, from other countries, are already here and which are going to follow coming to Spain. Thus variables will be analyzed that can affect intercultural relations between the host society and several cultural minorities. The role of the cultural identity will be analyzed in these relationships and other socioeconomic type variables will be gone over that have to consider when planning politically this reception and integration. The cultural integration and the equal opportunities based on equitable criteria seem the more suitable choice to achieve intercultural Spain is an inclusive society.

The present study explores the internationalisation of secondary schools. It focuses on the assessment of the intercultural competence (IC) of returnees who participated in an annual study-abroad programme offered by the Italian educational association Intercultura (a non-profit organisation). The precise aim of this research is to find possible assessment indicators of IC, specific to the context of student mobility in secondary schools. To reach this goal, a qualitative methodology was adopted; 21 semi-structured interviews were conducted with the returnees, their parents, friends, teachers and Intercultura volunteers. The findings suggest that the elements to be considered in assessing the IC of returnees should include, among others, curiosity towards people perceived as having different cultural backgrounds, interest in global issues, self-awareness, new understanding of home context, knowledge of host context, ability to make critical comparisons, adaptability and ethnorelative view.

This contribution provides an overview of different facets that can be developed or promoted in exchange stays andthat are specific for teachers. By systematizing the available findings with a conceptual approach, it assigns themajority of the findings to three different facets of teaching-specific ‘intercultural competencies’: It indicates apotential to develop professional knowledge, teaching-specific beliefs as well as motivational orientations that allowstudents to engage actively in challenging intercultural situations. The overview uncovers a range of methodologicalconstraints in the prevailing literature and reveals an urgent need to add more solid evidence specifically in thecontext of teacher education.

La naturaleza multicultural de nuestra sociedad está generando nuevos requerimientos a los profesionales de la administración pública. Los nuevos usuarios de los servicios públicos presentan condicionantes y necesidades específicas derivados de su situación administrativa y su origen cultural. El presente estudio plantea dos objetivos: (1) la identificación de las necesidades formativas en relación a las competencias interculturales del personal del Servicio de Empleo de Cataluña que está en contacto con personas inmigradas y (2) el diseño de una propuesta de formación en competencias interculturales para el personal del Servicio de Empleo de Cataluña. Los ámbitos donde más se necesitan estas competencias son en la gestión y solución de conflictos interculturales, las habilidades de comunicación y relación con personas de diferentes culturas, el conocimiento de otras culturas, el conocimiento del hecho migratorio en nuestro contexto y el papel de los estereotipos y prejuicios en las relaciones interculturales.

The crisis of multiculturalism is commonly associated with the intensification of international migrations and their consequences in the host countries. The relevance of this work – supported by exploratory research based on the implementation of multiple methods – is the proposal of an alternative to the current Western discourse on the phenomenon of international migrations and its political and sociocultural long-term impact. In this context, culture is an essential element to spread the values of tolerance, dialogue and mutual understanding. The role of culture and cultural heritage is thus emphasised not only within the process of integration of refugees and asylum seekers, but also as measure to overcome the identity crisis occurring in Western countries, which in turn we believe to be among the main causes of the crisis of multiculturalism. In this context, cultural heritage managers’ new responsibilities are complex: on the one hand, to boost public participation in enhancing local heritage, on the other, to support migrants’ cultures and the promotion of intercultural competencies within society.

Techniki ewaluacji kompetencji międzykulturowej: Założenia teoretyczne a praktyka projektu edukacyjnego Connect Evaluation techniques for intercultural competence: Theoretical assumptions and practice in the educational project connect In academic education there is an increased emphasis on curricula with activities that stimulate the acquisition of knowledge, development of skills and shaping of attitudes that are needed during intercultural meetings. Although the discussion on the substantive and methodolog-ical aspects of intercultural education, which has been going on for several decades, has raised many theoretical considerations and led to practical solutions, the issue of the evaluation of intercultural compe-tences still remains quite problematic. What is intercultural compe-tence? How can it be measured? What tools should be used for this? How can their relevance and reliability be measured? These issues are discussed in the context of the European educational Erasmus+ project Connect (2015-2018).

In un mondo interdipendente, il futuro non deve solo essere pensato ma anche pensato insieme. Questo presuppone un’interazione
fra persone che potrebbe comportare conflitti. La proposta che emerge da questo contributo è che la competenza interculturale – alla base della comunicazione interculturale – sia una competenza chiave per coltivare un pensiero nuovo creato insieme nell’interazione. Per argomentare questa tesi si considereranno le nozioni di ‘competenza’ e ‘interculturalità’; in seguito si presenterà, problematizzandolo, il concetto di ‘competenza interculturale’. Si tenterà, infine, di analizzare alcune implicazioni per la scuola.

In an interdependent world, the future must be not just thought about but also thought about together. The action of thinking together supposes an interaction between people which might give rise to conflict. This paper proposes that intercultural competence – foundation of intercultural communication – is a key competence to facilitate new thought created together within the interaction. To argue this hypothesis the notions of ‘competence’ and ‘interculturality’ will be considered; then, the concept of ‘intercultural competence’ will be presented and problematized. Finally, several implications for schooling will be analysed.

An essay about the need of intercultural competence and the “Intercultural Driving Licence | Vocational (Icudriving)” project - and a contribution to it -, which was a learning partnership project within the framework of the Leonardo da Vinci Programme (2012-2014).

The Leonardo da Vinci programme was a European Commission funding programme focused on the teaching and training needs of those involved in vocational education and training (VET). The programme was part of the European Commission's Lifelong Learning Programme 2007-2013.

The project “Intercultural Driving Licence | Vocational” being coordinated by the Izmir Governorship (Turkey)  was a non-profit teamwork of experts from six different countries (Austria, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain and Turkey) and various social sectors, doing research and exchanging their knowledge and points of view about the most important aspects of intercultural competence (ICC), like methods of ICC learning/training, its evaluation and certification. They also investigated opportunities concerning sponsoring and implementation of intercultural competence within different reference systems, especially the European Qualifications Framework (EQF).

The outcomes of the Icudriving Projects are available here: http://www.icudriving.org/outcomes.html

There were no co-authors, but the text was discussed by the members of the Bilbao Icudriving Team (BIT), a group of teachers of the German School in Bilbao (Deutsche Schule Bilbao / DSB) and also parents (of DSB students) who worked as experts at the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA, Bilbao), the Universidad de Deusto/Bilbao, the DEKRA University of Berlin and at Coach Culture, Bilbao.

The Icudriving project is designed to be followed by other European projects concerning ICC and integration of migrants.

La integración de competencias interculturales en el currículum de la universidad es una necesidad justificada por las políticas educativas y la configuración de nuestra sociedad actual. El presente capítulo tratará sobre su integración en el currículum universitario. El contenido se ha articulado en torno a cuatro apartados. El primero explica los motivos por los que puede considerarse dicha integración una cuestión pertinente para la universidad española. Seguidamente se clarificará conceptualmente la noción de competencias interculturales presentando sus bases teóricas así como sus autores más relevantes. A continuación se presentarán las tres modalidades de integración curricular con las que se puede plantear el desarrollo de competencias en la universidad; presentándose algunos ejemplos relativos a la integración de las competencias interculturales universidades de España. El capítulo finalizará con una reflexión de las autoras sobre la clara vinculación entre las competencias interculturales y la ciudadanía.
En este capítulo se ha intentado citar, fundamentalmente, a autores y autoras españoles/as dado que es un campo de estudio relativamente novedoso y las autoras consideran el valor de difundir los avances en el campo de investigadores de nuestro país.

Arab World English Journal, August 2015                Bejaia University, International Conference Proceedings - 2015 
                 
                                                                                                                                              Pp. 3-16


The Implementation of the CBLT in Algeria: from Euphoria to Bitter Criticism

Farouk A.N. BOUHADIBA
Faculty of Foreign Languages, Department of English
University of Oran II, Algeria


Abstract:
This article explores the gap which exists between the spirit, principles and objectives of the Competency Based Approach to Language Teaching (henceforth, CBLT) and its implementation in the Algerian educational context. The euphoria that prevailed in Algeria around the CBLT and the Educational Reform led, later on, to bitter criticism on its official implementation and its actual application and practices. Some observations are made on how this approach has been implemented since September 2003. These are based on issues related to what has been done for the CBLT at the institutional level and what the reality is at school. Classroom observation and practices and outside school behaviours of both pupils and teachers are indicative of the distancing between institutional decisions and field realism. Some factors related to the socio-educational environment in which this approach was introduced are examined and discussed. The article raises the question on the hiatus between myth, reality and challenges concerning the issue on the CBLT in Algeria.
Key words: Algeria, competencies, education, foreign languages, teacher-training

Purpose
Universities have increasingly been adopting intercultural virtual collaboration (IVC) to connect and develop the intercultural competence of students from different locations. The design and implementation of IVC have proved to be challenging, and thus there is a need for sharing positive experiences. This paper explores students’ overall impressions towards their participation in an IVC project (involving a Spanish and Dutch university) and discusses the on-going improvement process inherent to such practice.

Design/methodology/approach
This article presents (a) the results obtained from a content analysis of students' feedback collected through a satisfaction survey, and (b) the observations of participating teachers on the challenges encountered during the implementation of the telecollaborative project.

Findings
The analysis shows the potential of IVC to develop different aspects of students’ intercultural competence, especially intercultural teamwork, awareness and skills. Students appreciated the experience of working in intercultural teams, ‘the real-life application’ of the project and the opportunity to gain cultural knowledge. At the institutional level, the biggest challenge related to aligning participating institutions, demanding an intense dialogue at different levels. At the classroom level, students should interact gradually, negotiating individual responsibilities within the virtual teams. It is also argued that partnerships between universities and companies could contribute to making training in intercultural virtual collaboration even more authentic. 

Originality/value
Given its impact on the development of students’ intercultural competence, the intercultural virtual collaborative project has been recognized as a best-practice in both universities, being officially incorporated into the curriculum of the participating institutions and replicated within other subject areas.

Outclass is an e-community project of informal education for children of elementary educational levels. The project intends to develop the Portuguese language and digital literacy, increase the use of computers and Internet as a tool for teaching Mathematics and others sciences. The Portuguese Cooperation jointly with the Education Minister of Mozambique created a different way to use and put the Internet in the centre of the education process.

The purpose of the paper is to assess the experience of Russian students in the online project class. The authors studied the impact of the international project "X-Culture" on the level of development of socio-cultural competencies of students and their knowledge of the English language. An additional aspect of the analysis was the question of the connection of students' perception of the goal of participation in the international project "X-Culture" with their self-motivation and self-assessment of the success of the results achieved. The study used both quantitative and qualitative methods-student testing, database analysis provided by the project "X-culture", and focus group records. The result of the participation has been inconsistent. As expected, such sociocultural competence as the level of proficiency in English increased among the majority of students, as confirmed by the values of the student's criterion for the results of language testing, conducted before and after the project. At the same time, average indicators of sociocultural competences such as "interpersonal skills", "creativity", "leadership", and "friendliness" have deteriorated during the project that is confirmed by the trends lines of time series. The focus group revealed differences in terms of participation in the X-Culture project, their connection with self-motivation, and student satisfaction with the results achieved. Students who have achieved high levels of sociocultural competences have set themselves the goals of participation in the project related to the improvement of professional competencies and intercultural communications. At the same time, students were most satisfied with their activities in the project and the results achieved, aimed at obtaining new professional knowledge and skills, and students whose goal was simply to obtain an international certificate of the project participant.

The multicultural nature of our society requests new professional requirements at the Public Administration. There are news users that present specifics needs and conditions provoked by the legal situation and cultural origin. The research has two aims: 1) The assessment of Intercultural Competencies of the public employees of el Servicio de Empleo de Cataluna and 2) The design of a training program for the development of this competencies. The scope where are more needed this competencies are the capacity to solve intercultural problems, the intercultural communication, the knowledge of cultures and the migratory phenomena, and the role played by the stereotypes and the bias.

The consequences of globalization include advances in technology and greater interactions among nations, as well as unpredictable world events and high levels of voluntary and involuntary movement of groups of people across national borders resulting in demographic shifts throughout the world. Also, due to globalization, professionals such as speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and audiologists (AUDs) can choose to be employed outside of their home countries. Acquiring global competencies is essential for providing successful services to groups of people from various racial, ethnic, cultural, economic, and national backgrounds. In this paper, we present theories of globalization, a framework for global competencies, proposed global competencies, and argue for the necessity of global competencies to be integrated into pre-professional educational experiences and in the standards of professional organizations. We are well aware that competencies for global engagement may differ for every country context. This article is only an initial step in beginning to outline and define some competencies that SLPs and AUDs need to be effective service providers in this 21st century and beyond, with the hope of provoking an international conversation, and ultimately, a universal list of global competencies that will work for all.

La naturaleza multicultural de nuestra sociedad está generando nuevos requerimientos a los profesionales de la administración pública. Los nuevos usuarios de los servicios públicos presentan condicionantes y necesidades específicas derivados de su situación administrativa y su origen cultural. El presente estudio plantea dos objetivos: (1) la identificación de las necesidades formativas en relación a las competencias interculturales del personal del Servicio de Empleo de Cataluña que está en contacto con personas inmigradas y (2) el diseño de una propuesta de formación en competencias interculturales para el personal del Servicio de Empleo de Cataluña. Los ámbitos donde más se necesitan estas competencias son en la gestión y solución de conflictos interculturales, las habilidades de comunicación y relación con personas de diferentes culturas, el conocimiento de otras culturas, el conocimiento del hecho migratorio en nuestro contexto y el papel de los estereotipos y prejuicios en las...

Purpose Universities have increasingly been adopting intercultural virtual collaboration (IVC) to connect and develop the intercultural competence of students from different locations. However, the design and implementation of IVC have proved to be challenging, and thus there is a need for sharing positive experiences. This paper explores students’ overall impressions toward their participation in an IVC project involving a Spanish and Dutch university and discusses the on-going improvement process inherent to such practice. Design/methodology/approach This article presents (a) the results obtained from a content analysis of students’ feedback collected through a satisfaction survey, and (b) the observations of participating teachers on the challenges encountered during the implementation of the intercultural virtual collaborative project. Findings The analysis shows the potential of IVC to develop different aspects of students’ intercultural competence, especially intercultural tea...

"La integración de competencias interculturales en el currículum de la universidad es una necesidad justificada por las políticas educativas y la configuración de nuestra sociedad actual. El presente capítulo tratará sobre su integración en el currículum universitario. El contenido se ha articulado en torno a cuatro apartados. El primero explica los motivos por los que puede considerarse dicha integración una cuestión pertinente para la universidad española. Seguidamente se clarificará conceptualmente la noción de competencias interculturales presentando sus bases teóricas así como sus autores más relevantes. A continuación se presentarán las tres modalidades de integración curricular con las que se puede plantear el desarrollo de competencias en la universidad; presentándose algunos ejemplos relativos a la integración de las competencias interculturales universidades de España. El capítulo finalizará con una reflexión de las autoras sobre la clara vinculación entre las competencias interculturales y la ciudadanía. En este capítulo se ha intentado citar, fundamentalmente, a autores y autoras españoles/as dado que es un campo de estudio relativamente novedoso y las autoras consideran el valor de difundir los avances en el campo de investigadores de nuestro país. "

The purpose of the paper is to assess the experience of Russian students in the online project class. The authors studied the impact of the international project "X-Culture" on the level of development of socio-cultural competencies of students and their knowledge of the English language. An additional aspect of the analysis was the question of the connection of students' perception of the goal of participation in the international project "X-Culture" with their self-motivation and self-assessment of the success of the results achieved. The study used both quantitative and qualitative methods-student testing, database analysis provided by the project "X-culture", and focus group records. The result of the participation has been inconsistent. As expected, such sociocultural competence as the level of proficiency in English increased among the majority of students, as confirmed by the values of the student's criterion for the results of language t...

"International conflict coverage as intercultural communication
Intercultural communication occurs when large and important cultural differences create dissimilar interpretations" (Lustig/ Koester 2010: 52)

If this problem focussing definition of intercultural communication seems familiar to the reader, it could be reasoned by the occurrence in the last weeks’ media coverage according to the Maidan protests in Ukraine reaching its peak in the beginning of March with diplomatic threats and bilateral accusations. Hilary Clinton is, perhaps not without a reason, comparing Putin’s strategy of ‘just securing Russians in Ukraine’
with Adolf Hitler’s annexation of Czechoslovakia (Robes Meeks 2014 and SZ 2014h), Putin and Yanukovych claim the protesters as fascists putschists (SZ 2014k), German leftists scent a counterrevolution of bourgeois and fascist forces (Arbeitermacht 2014, indymedia 2014, MLPD 2014, SZ 2014b) and German mainstream media celebrate the folk’s victory. These differences in interpretation occurred mostly in the end of January when the before 2 months lasting mainly peaceful protests converted into riots and radical fascist fighters appeared more frequently in media pictures. Here, a weakness of modern protest and conflict communication became aware.
Transnational communication and delivery systems now facilitate the internationalization and even globalization of some protests […] and today’s complex media ecology […] offer unprecedented opportunities for the wider dissemination of political protest and dissent – from the local to the global

(Cottle 2008: 855) While, according to Simon Cottle, news coverage has been getting more direct and international and, therefore, foreign protest movements and revolts are omnipresent in today’s media, intercultural differences are often ignored. Hence we may misjudge these movements mistakenly since we have fundamentally different senses for categories like
in- and out-group or power distance or analyse all happenings in relation to us and our value system driven by an enormous
eurocentrism  ignoring cultural asymmetry and identities. For analysing these problematic reinterpretations of international protest, I use a biased quantitative analysis of German print media online coverage assessing the frame of news transported via linguistic elements and support this with a qualitative analysis of a few chosen exemplifying articles by quoting some parts of them. I will mostly use articles of "Süddeutsche Zeitung" since this is one of the highest quality newspapers in Germany, not too left or too right for providing an exemplifying picture and was endeavoured of being objective. Both analyses, qualitative and quantitative, are embedded into the following chapters which each pick one of the mentioned intercultural communication categories as core.