What is Intercultural Competence?
Intercultural competence is..
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Developing self awareness by building relationships and connections with people from various cultures.
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Being respectful towards one's beliefs, values, and traditions.
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Fostering a sense of belonging by creating a classroom that invites language and culture in.
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Celebrating differences and honouring diversity.
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Acknowledging that everyone is unique and important.
Learning, Unlearning, and Relearning...
Times are changing, and there are many things that I have learned over the years that I need to revisit. Why? What I was taught, the history that I learned, was not the whole story. In an evolving and ever changing world, it is so important to check in with what you know and what you think you know. Learning is a lifelong journey that requires reflection and a growth mindset.
REFLECT:
Have you had to unlearn or relearn anything? What was it? How did you go about this?
Visit this site to learn more about Learning, Unlearning, and Relearning Model.
Understanding Terminology
In order to develop my intercultural knowledge, I felt that it was important to understand and become more 'informed' about the terminology and their definitions. The Racial Equity Glossary has every term you need to know and learn about.
Develop Intercultural Competence
How many people do you know from other cultures?
The more we get to learn about different cultures, the more comfortable and confident we will be in our interactions. When we expand our connections and get to know people from various cultures, the more knowledge we will gain. Developing intercultural communication skills is an important step towards building stronger relationships that enrich both our personal and professional lives.
Action Plan
The University of Victoria shares Cultural Intelligence Competences to support you on your journey to becoming a confident and competent communicator across all cultures and in a variety of contexts.
REFLECT:
What competency stands out most for you?
Set a learning goal related to your reflection.
ACTION PLAN: How are you going to achieve your learning goal?