Bridging differences sounds great. But, is cross-cultural training ever really effective? What does it take to help people adapt? Most of us are familiar with the story of Alice in Wonderland. Alice follows a white rabbit down a hole and finds herself in a world unlike anything she’s ever ...
Culture & Communication
Our ability to reach out to anyone in the world is unprecedented. The barriers to connecting are no longer technological. They’re cultural. It feels tough enough to communicate with people just like you, let alone those who come from radically different cultural backgrounds.
Difficult, but doable. By building your competence in culture and communication, you can adopt a relaxed approach to understanding people from different cultures and engaging them effectively.
Read all about culture & communication here.
How to Manage Cross-Cultural Misunderstandings
If you’ve ever traveled to another country, you’ve likely experienced some disorientation. And perhaps a few surprises. We tend to expect a bit of the unexpected when we travel far and immerse ourselves in a vastly different culture. But for teachers, it’s important to think about those small ...
Cultural Competence for Working Relationships
The classic television show "Star Trek" was adept at putting the main character "Captain James T Kirk" in situations where he had to fight his way out of misunderstandings with alien life forms and captain a ship with ever. present. dramatic. pauses. One of the most dramatic elements was the ...
Cultural Adjustment: Embracing Your Journey Abroad
“You’re such an American!” In the U.S., those are words you’re proud to hear, they bolster your pride and patriotic spirit. When you hear them uttered in another country, though, those four little words can really sting. There is a substantial difference between visiting a place to experience ...
How Learning New Cultures Boosts Your Creativity
Yuck! Splashes of chicken blood and insects fly everywhere. The old Chinese woman waves the butcher knife and squirming corpse triumphantly. She flashes a toothless grin. You’re speechless. Flabbergasted. Grossed out big time. You thought you’d take a leisurely stroll in a quaint ...