Intercultural Communication Competence Interview Simulation

Dr Bean (高來圭)

http://drbean.sdf.org/interview.html

Scholarship interview simulation

A committee of 6 Taiwanese government & company representatives has money for students to live overseas.

It will give some to all, but more to students with greater intercultural communicative competence.

You, as students

Choose which country to go to, but convince the committee you have the 5 intercultural skills (and can speak English).

The ‘beans’ you get from the committee are your grade for the class.

Beans

For each of the 5 intercultural skills plus English ability, each committee member decides to award either 2 or 3 beans.

Then each of the 6 committee members hands over a total of 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, or 17 beans.

Beans

Make sure you get 6 beans from all committee members.

The ‘beans’ you get from the committee are your grade for the class.

On return

You join the committee and award your remaining ‘beans’ (NOT the beans you got from the committee) to following students.

  • Keep the beans you were AWARDED separate. Don’t lose them. They are your grade.

Committee questions

  • Why do you want to go there?
  • How much do you know about their customs?
  • Why would life there be interesting?
  • How well will you be able to relate strange customs to Taiwanese culture?
  • Will it be easy for you to fit in?
  • How will you solve communication problems?
  • Will you be able to justify your opinions about life there?

Simulation procedure–3 stages

Interview

  • Interviewee-interviewers talk about the culture. Interviewers ask about & interviewee tries to show the 5 savoirs and English ability.

  • Interviewers award beans, totaling 60~100.

Metamorphosis

Interviewee-to-interviewer

  • Interviewee joins the committee, becoming an interviewER.

Interviewer-to-interviewee

  • Interviewer 1 leaves for an interview with the next committee and committee member 1 from the committee on the other side comes to be interviewed.

Awarding beans

Each committee member has only 6 different value beans for the 6 interviewees.

Awarding beans

Each committee member has no choice about the beans to be awarded the last interviewee.

Awarding beans

Keep in mind how many more interviewees remain. Try to predict how well they will do.

2 sets of beans

Some committees only have 5 members.

I will give an extra set of beans to one member.

When that member leaves, give the remaining beans in the set (maybe only 1) to another member to give to interviewees.

Initial groups

  • Leave belongings in the bag racks!
  • Find other members.
  • Arrange chairs in a circle.
  • Check
    • understanding of procedure
    • own role in next step
  • Practice questions, statements.

First interview

  • Interviewee moves to next group
  • Greets/is greeted by interviewers

Interviewers!

Are you ready to listen and ask questions?

Interviewees!

Are you ready to talk about the culture/country you have chosen?

Stand up.

Savoir 1–Interest

  • Why do you want to go there?
  • Why would life there be interesting?
  • Other questions

Savoir 2–Knowledge

  • How much do you know about their customs?
  • What do you know about their customs?
  • Other questions

Savoir 3–Comparison/contrast

  • What are some strange customs in that place?
  • How well can you relate strange customs to Taiwanese culture?
  • Other questions

Savoir 4–Quick to learn, adept

  • Will it be easy for you to fit in?
  • How will you solve communication problems?
  • Other questions

Savoir 5–Critical

  • What is good and bad about the place?
  • Why do you think so?
  • Can you justify your opinions about life there?
  • Other questions

2nd interviews

3rd interviews

4th interviews

5th interviews

6th interviews

7th interviews

Dr Bean answers questions

Savoir 1–Interest

  • Likes Taiwan
  • Feels free
  • Expatriate
  • Counter culture representative

Right committee response

  • 2 beans

I talk about how I’m in a bubble isolated from, and not having an interest in Taiwan culture.

Savoir 2–Knowledge

  • Been here for 20 years
  • Not much idea about family life
  • Would like to study calligraphy

Right committee response

  • 2 beans

I talk about what I DON’T know about and what I would like to know about, but not about what I DO know about.

Savoir 3–Comparison/contrast

Savoir 3–Comparison/contrast

Sees parallels, compares 2 events

  • Christmas and Chinese New Year
    • Family gathering
    • Eating
    • Gifts
    • Not really religious

Savoir 3–Comparison/contrast

Distinguishes differences

  • Learning foreign languages
  • Parents’ attitude to children’s education

Right committee response

  • 3 beans

I can interpret Taiwanese culture in terms of my own culture.

Savoir 4–Quick to learn, adept

  • Careful (passive), rather than masterly (active)
  • Patient, accept ambiguity/confusion

Right committee response

  • 2 or 3 beans

Good communicator learners are not afraid of making mistakes. In the other culture, they LIKE making mistakes, and learn from their mistakes.

Savoir 5–Critical

  • Cultural relativism

Right committee response

  • 2 beans

I AVOID making judgments and have REASONS for doing that.

Homework

  • Savoir 1. Think of a country to go to. Why?
  • Savoir 2. Find out some cultural facts/way of life in that country.
  • Savoir 3. Interpret those facts in terms of Taiwanese culture.
  • Savoir 4. Think about communication problems (NOT language problems) there. How would you solve them?
  • Savoir 5. What is good/bad about the culture? What are your criteria?

Byram book

DEVELOPING THE INTERCULTURAL DIMENSION IN LANGUAGE TEACHING

Other savoir activities