Intercultural Competence

Summary

The script explores the concept of intercultural competence in an increasingly interconnected world. It emphasizes the need for specialized training to navigate encounters with diverse backgrounds effectively. Intercultural competence involves a blend of knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, including specialist, methodical, and social competencies, along with self-competence. The script highlights that mastering intercultural situations requires transferring familiar competencies to unfamiliar contexts, reflecting on one's own culture, and understanding others', fostering effective communication and interaction.

Takeaways

• 🌐 The world is increasingly interconnected, leading to regular encounters between people from diverse backgrounds.
• 🤝 Intercultural situations are not limited to national cultures but occur whenever individuals from different contexts interact.
• 😕 Many people feel insecure in intercultural encounters due to unfamiliarity with the other person's norms and behaviors.
• 📚 Intercultural competence is a combination of knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors that enable effective action in diverse contexts.
• 👨‍🏫 Specialized intercultural training workshops are being attended by more people to improve their effectiveness in such situations.
• 🧠 Specialist competence involves possessing and applying relevant knowledge in a given field.
• 🛠 Methodical competence is the ability to know and apply appropriate methods or tools in various situations.
• 👥 Social competence includes understanding and implementing social rules in interactions.
• 🔄 Self-competence is crucial for self-reflection, motivation, and willingness to learn, as well as taking constructive criticism and responsibility.
• 🌟 Intercultural competence is not a one-time achievement but an ongoing process of adapting and applying skills in new contexts.
• 🔄 The process of intercultural competence involves understanding and negotiating cultural differences to establish normality and reciprocity.

Q & A

What is the significance of intercultural encounters in today's world?

Intercultural encounters are significant as they are increasingly common due to global interconnectedness and are essential for effective communication and interaction among people from diverse backgrounds.

Why do people feel insecure in intercultural situations?

People feel insecure in intercultural situations because they may not be familiar with the rules and norms of behavior of the other person's culture, leading to uncertainty in how to interact and communicate naturally.

What is the purpose of attending intercultural training workshops?

The purpose of attending intercultural training workshops is to develop intercultural competence, enabling participants to act effectively in diverse cultural contexts.

What is intercultural competence and why is it important?

Intercultural competence is the ability to act effectively in intercultural situations, combining knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. It is important for navigating and succeeding in diverse and global environments.

What are the three levels on which intercultural competence operates?

The three levels on which intercultural competence operates are knowledge, attitudes, and behavior.

What is specialist competence and why is it important in intercultural situations?

Specialist competence refers to possessing and applying specialist knowledge in a given field. It is important in intercultural situations to ensure that one's expertise can be effectively communicated and applied across cultures.

How does methodical competence differ from specialist competence?

Methodical competence involves knowing and applying appropriate methods or tools for interaction in various situations. Unlike specialist competence, which focuses on specific knowledge, methodical competence is about the practical application of interaction techniques.

What role does social competence play in intercultural encounters?

Social competence is crucial in intercultural encounters as it involves understanding and implementing social rules in different cultural contexts, facilitating smooth and respectful interactions.

Why is self-competence important for developing intercultural competence?

Self-competence, which includes self-reflection and self-awareness, is important for developing intercultural competence because it helps individuals understand their own cultural biases and adapt their behavior to unfamiliar cultural contexts.

How can constructive criticism and responsibility demonstrate self-competence in intercultural interactions?

Constructive criticism and responsibility demonstrate self-competence by showing an individual's willingness to learn from and adapt to feedback, as well as their commitment to being accountable for their actions in intercultural interactions.

Why is the development of intercultural competence described as an ongoing process?

The development of intercultural competence is an ongoing process because it requires continuous learning, adaptation, and reflection as one encounters new cultural contexts and situations.

What is the ultimate goal of intercultural competence according to the script?

The ultimate goal of intercultural competence is to enable effective communication and interaction in diverse and unfamiliar situations, ensuring reciprocity, confidence, and constructive interaction.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 Embracing Intercultural Encounters

The script discusses the increasing interconnectedness of the world and the frequent encounters between individuals from diverse backgrounds. It emphasizes that every interaction can be intercultural, not just those between people of different nationalities. The concept of intercultural competence is introduced as a set of skills and knowledge that enable effective interaction in these diverse contexts. The importance of understanding and adapting specialist, methodical, and social competencies in unfamiliar situations is highlighted. The script also stresses the need for self-competence, including self-reflection and the willingness to learn, to navigate intercultural situations confidently.

05:05

🔄 The Dynamic Nature of Intercultural Competence

This paragraph delves into the fluid and evolving nature of intercultural competence. It outlines the necessity to apply a range of key skills in unfamiliar cultural contexts to ensure effective communication and interaction. The goal is to reestablish a sense of normalcy, plausibility, and routine while fostering reciprocity and confidence. The script suggests that intercultural competence is not a static achievement but an ongoing process that requires continuous development and adaptation. It acknowledges the complexity of theories surrounding intercultural competence, reflecting the inherent complexity of intercultural situations.

Keywords

💡Interconnected

The term 'interconnected' refers to the state of being linked or joined together, especially in a complex and extensive way. In the context of the video, it highlights how the world has become increasingly linked through various means of communication and travel, allowing people from different cultures to meet and interact more frequently. It is a foundational concept for understanding the necessity of intercultural competence.

💡Intercultural Situations

Intercultural situations are contexts where individuals from different cultural backgrounds interact. The video emphasizes that every interaction can be considered intercultural if there is a difference in context or understanding between the parties involved. It is central to the discussion on the challenges and the need for intercultural competence.

💡Cultural Competence

Cultural competence is the ability to interact effectively with people from different cultural backgrounds. The video defines it as a multifaceted skill set that includes knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. It is the ultimate goal of intercultural training workshops, aiming to help individuals navigate diverse social encounters.

💡Specialist Competence

Specialist competence, as mentioned in the video, pertains to having the necessary knowledge and skills in a specific area. It is one of the foundational competencies for effective action in intercultural situations, requiring not just knowledge but also the ability to apply it appropriately.

💡Methodical Competence

Methodical competence involves knowing and applying appropriate methods or tools during interactions. The video suggests that it is crucial for effective communication in intercultural settings, as it provides a structured approach to dealing with unfamiliar contexts.

💡Social Competence

Social competence is the ability to understand and follow social rules and to act accordingly in social situations. The video describes it as an important aspect of intercultural competence, as it enables individuals to navigate social norms and expectations across cultures.

💡Self-Competence

Self-competence, as discussed in the video, is the ability for self-reflection and self-improvement. It is particularly important in developing an attitude of continuous learning and adapting one's behavior in response to feedback, which is essential for growth in intercultural encounters.

💡Interculturality

Interculturality refers to the quality of being intercultural, or the degree to which a situation involves interaction between different cultures. The video explains that not all situations are strictly intercultural or not; instead, they possess varying degrees of interculturality, affecting how individuals need to adapt their behavior.

💡Transferability

Transferability, in the context of the video, is the ability to apply familiar competencies to unfamiliar contexts. It is a key aspect of intercultural competence, allowing individuals to effectively communicate and interact even in diverse and new cultural settings.

💡Reciprocity

Reciprocity is the concept of mutual exchange or giving and receiving. The video mentions it in relation to intercultural competence, suggesting that effective intercultural interaction involves a balance of understanding and respect between different parties.

💡Constructive Interaction

Constructive interaction is a form of communication that is positive, respectful, and aimed at achieving a mutual understanding or goal. The video positions it as an outcome of intercultural competence, where individuals can engage with others in a way that fosters confidence and cooperation.

Highlights

The world is increasingly interconnected, leading to frequent contact between people from diverse backgrounds.

Intercultural situations are not limited to national cultural differences but occur whenever individuals from different contexts interact.

People often feel insecure in intercultural encounters due to unfamiliarity with the rules and norms of behavior.

Intercultural training workshops are becoming popular to help individuals become effective in diverse cultural situations.

Intercultural competence is a desired objective, encompassing knowledge, attitudes, and behavior.

Competence in intercultural situations is made up of several parts, including specialist, methodical, and social competence.

Specialist competence requires possessing and applying specialist knowledge in an appropriate and motivated manner.

Methodical competence involves knowing and applying appropriate methods for interaction in various situations.

Social competence includes understanding and implementing social rules in different contexts.

Self-competence is crucial for intercultural interaction, with self-reflection being particularly important.

Attitudinal self-competence is demonstrated through motivation and willingness to learn from intercultural experiences.

Behavioral self-competence is shown through constructive criticism and taking responsibility in social interactions.

Intercultural situations require transferring familiar acting competence to unfamiliar contexts.

Understanding the cultural context of others and reflecting on one's own cultural relationship is essential for intercultural competence.

Intercultural competence is not a static skill but an ongoing process that adapts to various contexts.

The goal of intercultural competence is to enable effective communication and interaction in diverse and unfamiliar situations.

Intercultural competence involves the negotiation of normality, plausibility, and routine while ensuring reciprocity and confidence.

Theories of intercultural competence are as complex and varied as the intercultural situations they aim to navigate.

Transcripts

the world is becoming more and more

interconnected and people from vastly

different contexts and backgrounds now

come into contact on a regular basis

whether at university in their work or

another everyday situation most people

assume that these intercultural

situations are limited to when members

of different national cultures meet for

example between a German and an Indian

citizen the reality is however that

every situation is intercultural in

which we encounter a person who comes

from a different context to us and who

does not share much of our understanding

normality while we're confident of the

rules and norms of behavior in many

usual situations in many intercultural

situations we feel insecure

this makes the intercultural encounter

difficult because we don't interact and

communicate in a natural way

in order to overcome this problem more

and more people are attending

specialized intercultural training

workshops to enable the participants to

become effective in intercultural

situations the desired objective is

often said to be intercultural

competence but what is intercultural

competence let's take a closer look in

fact every intercultural situation is

one in which two individuals meet the

prerequisite for mastering such a

situation is the competence to act

effectively which is made up of several

part competency these part aspects of

effective action can be seen on three

levels our knowledge our attitudes but

also our behavior a pillar of these

competencies is specialist competence

here on the level of knowledge we need

to possess specialist knowledge however

it is equally important that we are

capable of applying our specialist

knowledge and also acting in an

appropriate and motivated manner a

further aspect of acting effectively is

methodical competence while interacting

it is important to know methods that

will serve as appropriate tools in each

situation however it is not enough to

know these methods we must be capable of

putting them into practice there is also

another important type of competence and

that is the social competence when we

are socially competent then we not only

have knowledge of social rules but are

also capable of implementing these in

social situations finally we also have

the appropriate motivation required in

order to want to put our capabilities

into practice within social interaction

furthermore we need to train self

competence for which self-reflection is

particularly important

on the attitude level self competence

can be seen through our motivation and

willingness to learn while on the

behavioral level it expresses itself

through constructive criticism and

responsibility once we have trained

these part competencies we can act

effectively in most familiar situations

in an intercultural situation however

this familiarity and confidence is

lacking in this case people with

differing backgrounds and assumptions

need to communicate with each other

these backgrounds don't have to be

completely different and can have

similarities and overlap therefore a

situation is not either intercultural or

not intercultural but simply possesses a

particular degree of interculturality in

order to master an intercultural

situation one's usual ability to act

effectively must be transferred to the

unknown situation so therefore not only

a general acting competence is important

in order to master intercultural

situations we need knowledge and

capabilities that ensure the transfer to

the unfamiliar context to this end we

require knowledge about the cultural

context of the other but also the

ability to reflect on our own

relationship to our culture and also to

the foreign culture

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thus the training of intercultural

competence cannot be seen as a

competence that is gained once and then

complete and finished in contrast it is

a competence that is an ongoing process

and in a constant state of flux it

attempts to combine a variety of key

skills while transferring familiar

competency to unfamiliar contexts this

enables us to find a way to communicate

and interact effectively even in the

most diverse and unfamiliar situation

thus through the negotiation process

normality plausibility and routine can

be reestablished while ensuring

reciprocity and enabling confidence and

constructive interaction this is the

goal of intercultural competence the

understanding of intercultural

competence presented here is of course

only one way of viewing things theories

of intercultural competence are as

complex as the intercultural situation's

themselves

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you

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