The need for new approaches, methods, and techniques in cross-cultural
training and intercultural education are virtually insatiable,
especially for experiential activities. The emphasis in this book is on
activities that foster the development of intercultural awareness and
cross-cultural sensitivity, helping learners understand some of the
principal dimensions of intercultural communication, cross-cultural
human relations, and cultural diversity.
The selections include simulations, case studies, role plays, critical
incidents, and individual and group exercises. A number address
relatively complex workplace issues; others focus on intercultural
dynamics in educational contexts. Some are printed here for the first
time; others are culled from less accessible sources. They range from
basic introductory activities to those that facilitate the exploration
of intercultural issues in significant depth.
In an introductory essay, Sheila Ramsey, an experienced scholar and
trainer, examines the nature of intercultural training and lays out a
conceptual framework for assessing its effectiveness. The rest of the
book is made up of activities organized around six facets of
intercultural contact: cultural differences for beginners, understanding
oneself as a cultural person, the intercultural perspective, working
across cultures, cross-cultural foul-ups, and returning home.
Each section opens with an introduction, followed by activities. Each
activity includes, at a minimum, objectives, audience, materials
required, setting, time required, and procedure for facilitation. Many
of the activities include handouts or illustrations. This book will be
especially valuable for trainers and educators who want to further
ground their work in a solid theoretical base and at he same time
augment their resources to expand heir repertoire.
