Intercultural learning BUM BUM BOA – game: Half of the group are the Bum Bum Boa, the other half are researchers. There should be both men and women in both groups. The rules are explained separately, first the Bum Bum Boa, then the researchers.
Bum Bum Boa: You are members of the still undiscovered tribe of Bum Bum Boas, who live deep in the rainforest. A group of researchers has arrived from Europe to research on your habits and traditions. Your culture forces you to follow very strict rules of behaviour: You can only answer with YES or NO. All questions that cannot be answered with yes or no should not be answered at all. If someone asks you a questions SMILING, automatically answer “YES”. If the person asking does not smile, automatically answer “NO”. The content of the question plays no role at all. Women only answer to women, men only answer to men. If someone of the opposite gender asks you something, DO NOT REACT AT ALL.
Researchers: You are a group of cultural researchers who gets a unique opportunity to meet the tribe of the Bum Bum Boa, living deep in the rainforest. This tribe has never had contact to people of the western civilisation yet, and has very different cultural rules of behaviour. Your mission is to find out about these rules. Luckily, the Bum Bum Boas understand English. In order to find out about their rules, you need to ask them questions and to keep your eyes wide opened. Be careful: One already known rule of the Bum Bum Boas is that they only answer to questions that can be answered with YES or NO!!!!
Intercultural Learning and communication Presentation prepared by Karina Chupina, IFHOHYP
School exchange…
What is intercultural learning about? ICL is about: How to perceive others who are especially different from us. Fostering respect, promoting dignity amongst cultures
What makes me be a cultural being? Values Perceptions Beliefs Tastes Habits
The Iceberg
The iceberg model of culture… Conscious / can be changed The visible part of culture… Literature, arts, music, cooking, dressing, laws… Perceptions, values, relationships, dependance, work, body language, decision making strategies, space perception, time perception, distance perception, communication… The hidden part of culture… Unconscious / difficult to change
Competences in intercultural learning & communication Empathy: The ability to put yourself “in the other person’s shoes”. Developing empathy allows us to negotiate different values, work with different systems of interpretation and communication.
Role Distance/ De-centering the self: An attempt to see yourself from the outside. This self-reflection allows us to question our prejudices and stereotypes, and at a time, to concentrate on the values which are central to our identity and cannot be negotiated.
Tolerance of Ambiguity Tolerance of ambiguity is the ability to perceive and articulate new and conflicting information in a situation of insecurity / frustration.
Groupwork What are the differences in understanding hearing loss in different countries? Example questions to help your discussion: Is there a concept “hard of hearing” or are all just deaf or hearing? Do you hide hearing problems? How many times can you ask if you don’t hear or understand something? Will the people rather help you or turn away if you ask for help? Is it acceptable to ask for help? Do hoh people have equal opportunities with the “hearing” people or are they excluded from the society? Do hoh have their own culture? Are the hoh seen as a minority in your country? Do hoh organisations have a role in your society?