Methodological Guide

Implementing Intercultural
Learning Activities
A Methodological Guide
Pat
ras
Good Practice Examples

Vie
nn
a of Intercultural Learning
from Austria, UK, Greece
Liv
erp
o ol
Languages: English, German, Polish, Slovak, Romanian, Hungarian
Project: 22470-CP-1-2005-1-DE-Grundvig-G4
nn dvv international
Institut für Internationale Zusammenarbeit dvv international
.net
des Deutschen Volkshochschul-Verbandes
Institut für Internationale Zusammenarbeit
des Deutschen Volkshochschul-Verbandes
Contents
Implementing Intercultural Learning Activities

A Methodological Guide
In addition to this methodological guide the NILE network has developed the following
tools to support the process of intercultural mainstreaming in the field of adult education:
Contents
- The DVD “Transfer” with good practice examples from Greece, the UK and Austria
Introduction
- Guidelines to support the intercultural opening of institutions
- The newzine “Get InterCultural” with different articles related to the media diversity issue I Concepts of Intercultural Learning
The tools are available for download from the website: www.intercultural-learning.net
1. Definitions
Project: 224790-CP-1-2005-1-DE-Grundtvig-G4PP
2. A Conceptual Model of Intercultural Learning
3. Goals, Competencies and Outcomes in Intercultural Learning
II Successful Intercultural Learning Activities

Published by: Final editing:
dvv international Dr. Beate Schmidt-Behlau 1. Influencing Factors
Obere Wilhelm Str 32 2. Working with Intercultural Groups
53225 Bonn Production and Printing: 3. Managing Group Work for Intercultural Learning
info@dvv-international.de Leppelt Grafi k & Druck GmbH, Bonn
III Designing Intercultural Learning Activities
www.dvv-international.de
© dvv international 2008 1. Introduction
2. Guiding Principles
3. Intercultural Learning Activities - Planning, Implementation and
This publication has been supported by the European Commission through the Grundtvig
Evaluation
4 Action of the Socrates Programme. The content of the publication does not reflect the
position of the European Commission nor that of any Socrates National Agency, nor does it IV Good Practice in Intercultural Learning
involve responsibility on their part.
1. Mainstreaming Intercultural Learning
2. Common Elements that enhance Good Practice in
Intercultural Learning Activities
Annexe and References
1
Introduction Introduction
Introduction for which they have not always been prepared sufficiently in their own trai-
ning. In many countries intercultural issues have only recently become part
of the teaching and learning curriculum and only in some countries efforts
are being made to develop quality criteria for the different training and ed-
“Differences are not intended to cause division or create distance. ucation courses available to trainers or students interested in developing in-
Instead of creating distance and division, all differences ensure a rich tercultural competencies for the field of youth and adult education. It was for
diversity that we should cherish in the interests of the unity that lies this reason that the NILE project set up one of its working groups to develop
beneath it. We precisely differ from each other to realise how much we some methodological guidance, based on the practical experience of adult
need each other.” educators working in the field and pulling together the results of discussions
(Desmond Tutu)1 on Intercultural Learning in the network.
The results presented in this guide are based first on answers to ques-
tionnaires developed in the NILE working group and collected through
This guide has been developed by a working group of the Network for In- partners in Belgium, Bulgaria, Latvia, Romania, and Slovakia, second on an
tercultural Learning in Europe (NILE)2. The network intends to address extensive discussion in the group and third an exploration of available ma-
the challenges of intercultural learning across Europe and this guide aims terial on the issue. The working group in itself has been a culturally mixed
to support practitioners who are contributing to the development of this learning group, so all of our conclusions and recommendations have been
approach to learning. constructed from our own practical experience of working as an intercultu-
In the field of adult education and lifelong learning a common feature ral team.
of learning groups is diversity. Although diversity is always visible in any As such, the development of the product itself mirrors an intercultu-
teaching or learning situation because individuals have different learning ral approach showing the wealth inherent in sharing different perspectives
styles, preferences and varied life experience, it must also be acknowledged and demonstrating that nobody holds the key to one single truth. It has also
that in many European countries constant migration and mobility have also been necessary to acknowledge that there are many ways to perceive what
brought an additional cultural dimension to the situation the teacher or fa- Intercultural Learning is. In this methodological guide we will focus on the
cilitator faces. Although this diversity is not always obvious, factors such as process of Intercultural Learning as a method for the systematic develop-
different value systems affecting for example, how men and women relate ment of intercultural competencies.
to each other or how the role of the teacher is perceived can have a major The guide is divided into 4 Chapters. The first chapter‘s aim is to share
influence on the learning process and outcomes. with the reader the background in terms of concepts and definitions to the
In many learning situations teachers, trainers, educators and facili- theme as they emerged in the NILE network based on an intercultural per-
tators (for the sake of simplicity in this guide we will most often use the spective and as results of the discussions.
word facilitators) are faced with intercultural challenges through diversity
1
Bishop Desmond Tutu was born in 1931 in South Africa. He was a leader in demanding “a democratic
and just society without racial divisions” and is a honorary doctor of a number of leading universities
in the USA, Britain and Germany.
2
For more informatons on all NILE products and intercultural learning in general see: www.intercul-
tural-learning.net
2 3
Introduction Introduction
The working group decided from the outset that a survey should be con- Acknowledgements
ducted amongst practitioners of different types of courses, in different coun- The guide was developed, drafted, discussed and rewritten several times by
tries and a questionnaire was developed for this purpose. The answers to the members of the NILE working group with:
these questions form the core for the description in chapter two of important
Prof. Dr. Dorin Herlo ( “Aurel Vlaicu” University of Arad, Romania)
factors which in some way or other influence the learning environment for
Intercultural Learning Activities3. Valentina Vasilionova (KNSB – Confederation of Independent Trade
The third chapter gives very practical methodological suggestions for Unions in Bulgaria, CITUB)
practitioners who are interested in implementing an Intercultural Learning Inga Zolude (LAEA – Latvian Adult Education Association until
Activity (ILA will be used as short form in this guide). December 2007)
In the fourth chapter transversal core elements for promoting and
Daniel Klimovsky (FEMAN – Slovak European Cultural Association)
mainstreaming Intercultural Learning are identified and some good practice
examples are given. Dr. Emel Topçu-Brestrich (Capital City Women Platform, Turkey)
We hope that you enjoy reading this guide and wish you success for the Benedicte Serroen and An Macharis (Citizenne, Belgium)
implementation of any Intercultural Learning Activity you plan to carry out Miguel Perez and Santiago Jose Elvias Carreras (FEUP – Federation of Spa-
Dr. Beate Schmidt-Behlau (Project manager of NILE) nish Popular Universities)
A special thank you for extra editing goes to:

- John Stringer (Berkley Associates, Brussels)
- Jane Watts (NIACE)
Members of the working group (from l. to r.): Dorin Herlo, Miguel Perez, Eduard Buras, Santiago
Carreras, Emel Topcu-Brestrich, Beatriz Lopez, Benedicte Serroen, Daniel Klimovsky
3
The questionnaires and original answers are available on the NILE website.
4 5
Chapter I – Concepts of Intercultural Learning Chapter I – Concepts of Intercultural Learning
Chapter I Oliver Hinkelbein from the Projektwerkstatt Umwelt und Entwick-

lung in Hannover, Germany, for example writes:
Concepts of intercultural Learning “The concept of culture has been the focus of intensive and contradictory dis-
cussion in humanities literature over more than a century. The literature in
What we can learn from this chapter disciplines like anthropology, sociology, communications to mention but a few
is vast. No one definition exists. Whether it is in academic discourse or in
Every person involved in educational activities such as teaching, trai- practice, culture and its different meanings are always a compromise. Mate-
ning, moderating or facilitating does this based on theoretical concepts rial things like clothes, tools, cars, books and various other things are seen
or models that he or she has in mind. It is important to be aware of these as culture. But also learning, theatre, cinema, storytelling, working, farming
concepts because they inevitably influence the design as well as the se- are seen as culture. Furthermore, the concept of culture also includes faiths,
lection of methods and activities used for intercultural learning. In this beliefs, traditions, identities, histories, concepts of place and space. In additi-
chapter the basic understanding of intercultural learning and concepts on culture is always a collective concept because it reflects on human beings,
of culture used in the NILE partnership will be made transparent. things and ideas in relation to each other.
It is therefore impossible to paint a complete picture of culture. But there
are always some key features of a culture. For instance, culture always involves
“communication” because culture as a “collective” of different actors, ideas,
1. Definitions practices and places needs communication to link all the different entities to-
gether. The way we talk to each other, how we exchange ideas, how we express
Before starting to organize and carry out a successful intercultu- our feelings and how we connect to other people is all about communication.
ral activity it is important to have an idea of the meaning of Intercultural Culture is also “practice” because it matters what, why and how we
Learning (IL) and other key terms so that we can share a common under- carry it out. It is about how we use tools, how we act, how and why we educate
standing of the basic principles. others, why we have faiths and how we bring them into practice, what we do in
In order to reach our own understanding4, participants of the NILE our daily lives, how we earn money, how we bring our children up and much
Network have worked together in over almost 6 years. We discovered just how more.
difficult and dynamic it is to explore the field of culture and interculturality Furthermore culture is always a “dynamic process” because human
from a European perspective. But before we focus on the term intercultural beings do things, change their ideas, develop new approaches how to do things,
learning, let us first look at the concepts related to the term “Culture”. convert to other faiths, migrate to other places and countries, learn other cul-
Defining “culture” is not an easy task. In the sections below, we would tural practices and languages, and so on. For that reason from our NILE point
like to share with you some results of our discussions in NILE on this issue, of view it is very important to reflect on culture never as something static but
including individual contributions from partners. as something very dynamic.”
4
The results of these discussions are documented in: Volume I and Volume II of the dvv international
publication IPE 55 “Adult Education Embracing Diversity”
6 7
So in the NILE project we agreed that: ”…culture is a system of be- And also, the already well known “iceberg concept of culture” (Weaver, 1993,
liefs and knowledge that is shared by a group of people and includes (un- p. 160) seems appropriate as it refers particularly to the process of Intercul-
conscious) expectations related to thoughts, feelings and actions. Culture tural Learning.
consists of material and non-material products (knowledge, beliefs, and The iceberg concept of culture implies that the visible parts of culture
symbols).” The focus of this understanding is on what people think and do are just expressions of its invisible parts (the norms, values, and the basic as-
in their everyday lives. sumptions behind behaviour, music, art, and attitudes) which are difficult to
The following definition offered by UNESCO (2002) comes closest to spot. It also highlights the difficulty of understanding people from different
the understanding of the concept of “culture” developed in the NILE pro- cultural backgrounds because although we may see the visible parts of their
ject. “iceberg”, we cannot immediately realize what its foundations are.
“... culture should be regarded as the set of distinctive spiritual, ma- This assumption is a milestone for the purpose of our Intercultural
terial, intellectual and emotional features of society or a social group, and Learning Activities. The learning process is like the concept of culture – only
that it encompasses, in addition to art and literature, lifestyles, ways of li- some part of it is “in the light”, “out of water”, “on the surface”, as with the
ving together, value systems, traditions and beliefs”. iceberg. A larger part even, our reflections, our emotions, the late effects of
something we have heard, seen or experienced often lie underneath the sur-
face in the water.
In the multicultural societies of today depending on the composition
of the society, we can find different cultures or sub-cultures not only in a
country, but also in a region, in a city or even on a very local level. In reality
many European countries have never been monocultural and they tend to be
ever less the more mobility and migration manifests itself in society.
We can however assume that to be able to understand and appreciate
other cultures and to act within them, an important requirement will be
one’s own development as an individual.
2. A Conceptual Model of Intercultural Learning

The concepts we have about culture also influence to a large part how we de-
fine and what potential we identify with regard to “Intercultural Learning”
Source: p.14 AFS Orientation Handbook Vol. 4, New York: AFS Intercultural Programs Inc. 1984
When we started the NILE project in 2002 and decided to describe the “state
8 9
of the art” on Intercultural Learning in the different countries we became

aware of the diversity of the perspectives in our partnership on the issue of
Intercultural Learning, not only due to migration “histories“ and differing
migration policies in the countries, but also in the way of understanding the
vocabulary of culture. We found out that it was not really possible to come
up with a common definition of Intercultural Learning but that we needed a
basic agreement about what we mean when we talk about it.
With this basic agreement on culture as described on page 9 we can fol-
low the discussion offered by Claudia Finkbeiner and Christine Koplin in their
article “A Cooperative Approach for Facilitating Intercultural Education”5
The word Intercultural Learning (IL) consists of three parts, Comissioner for Education and Culture, Ján Figel, with winners of the European citizens award 2007
“Inter- means it happens between at least two things (objects, individuals,

phic changes determined by expanding extra-European inward migration
groups, etc.) or, at least two mechanisms or ideas which are involved in the
flows during the second half of the twentieth century.
same process;
The Council of Europe6 has played an important role in better defining
Cultural – is not so easy to define, being a wide variety of cultural types such and promoting concepts such as “intercultural approach”, “intercultural ed-
as, for example: cultural diversity, cultural identity, cultural differences, cultu- ucation” or “Intercultural Learning”. The process of promoting Intercultural
ral competence, cultural anthropology, cultural relativism and so on. Learning was accelerated in the 1990s and coincided with the acknowledg-
Learning – ideally may be seen as an active, autonomous process, in which ment of its relevance not only in the countries of Western Europe that were
individuals construct meaning by relating new information to prior know- the most important receiving countries for migration, but also in other parts
ledge in a continuing top-down and bottom-up process’. From another per- of Europe, such as the southern countries, themselves confronted with re-
spective learning means acquiring knowledge, skills, and attitudes, required cent migration, or the countries of Central and Eastern Europe where issues
for effective communication and interaction of intra- and inter-human beings. of cultural diversity have become very important after the fall of the com-
Learning is a dynamic, developmental, and ongoing process which engages the munist regimes in this area.
learner cognitively, behaviorally, and affectively too.” The fact that the European Commission7 decided to declare the year 2008
to be the “European Year of Intercultural Dialogue” shows the growing im-
Seen from a European perspective, “intercultural” is a “western” word and portance given to the issue on a European level.
in Western Europe it has been used particularly in the context of the aware- NILE‘s perception of the term Intercultural Learning is to be under-
ness of the need for educational measures to deal with the recent demogra- stood in a larger philosophical context to denote a concept of how people,
5 6
www.readlingonline.org/newliteracies/fi nkbeiner/#fi nkbeinerpressa%23fi nkbeinerpressa Decision N° 1983/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (18.12.2006)
7
www.intercultural-dialogue.eu
10 11
with different backgrounds and from different cultures, can be challenged, If we take an up to date view of the concept of culture, the learning
develop more flexible attitudes, build bridges in spite of differences and live goals shift from the memorization of cultural facts (including sociolinguistic
together peacefully. This dynamic social process refers to an individual ac- conventions for language use) to higher order learning outcomes including:
tive process of non-stop exchange and acquiring knowledge, attitudes, or be- the acquisition of “interaction competence” (Allen and Moore, 1996) and
haviour, evolving from the interaction of different cultures. learning how to learn about culture. According to Paige (1997), such lear-
The NILE partners are convinced that Intercultural Learning should ning would include:
become a principle of adult education embedded in policy, programmes,
– Learning about the self as a cultural being.
structures and concepts and based on the notion of dialogue between the
diverse actors in a society. Thus, we assume, – intercultural learning will gain – Learning about culture and its impact on human communication, beha-
ground and become an indispensible part in the process of building the mo- viour, and identity.
dern knowledge society. – Culture-general learning, i.e., learning about universal, cross-cultural
As already discussed we came to an understanding of Intercultural phenomena such as cultural adjustment.
Learning within the NILE project. We agreed that the individual process of
– Culture-specific learning, i.e., learning about a particular culture, inclu-
acquiring intercultural knowledge should become a principle of adult lear-
ding its language.
ning. As one of our network partners, Media Diversity Institute, suggests:
interculturalism reaches beyond equal opportunities and respect for exis- – Learning how to learn, i.e., becoming an effective language and culture
ting cultural differences to the pluralist transformation of civic culture. learner.
So, intercultural learning is a process, an inter-action between indi-
viduals belonging to different or same groups and between different groups Intercultural Competence
aiming to promote cross-fertilisation across all boundaries, between “ma- If, generally speaking, competence is the capacity of an individual to accom-
jority” and “minorities”, “dominant” and “sub-cultures”, localities, classes, plish concrete tasks in a specific context, intercultural competence is the
faiths, disciplines and genres, as the source of cultural, social, civic and eco- ability of successful communication with people from a range of cultures.
nomic innovation. The process of acquiring intercultural competencies and knowledge
can be seen as positioning yourself in society. These competencies are among
the most needed individual basic skills; they are easily transferable from one
3. Goals, Competencies and Outcomes in Intercultural Learning area to another and improve the process of individual empowerment.
In the NILE working group we share the view that the main goal of Intercul-
tural Learning is the development of intercultural competencies.
12 13
Circumstances for acquiring intercultural competencies

same in another culture. Try to come nearer to the culture. Use thoughts and
There are several occasions, when one tends to acquire intercultural compe- ideas that stimulate rather than restrict cultural interaction. Look at values
tencies8: and habits practiced in another culture not as a threat, but as a widening of
your possibilities.
Cognitive dealing with foreign countries and cultures (factual knowledge)
If you plan to visit another country, it is advantageous to gather some ba- Self reflection
sic facts about the country and the people living there. Then you have basic Everyone can grow to understand and accept his/her own culture. Posing
background knowledge to converse with the locals and to ensure a successful the question for cultural norms, values from our point of view, we become
trip. conscious of our own image in relation to other cultures.
Curiosity about something else or something new Acceptance of insecurities and contradictions
Openness and general interest make a good basis for intercultural relati- When people of different cultures meet insecurity and contradictions often
onships. If you show the will to open your horizons and learn more about arise. Ask yourself the following questions:
the culture of your contact partner, you will mostly be welcomed with open - When are you unsure of yourself?
arms by the other person.
- How does your body react?
Ability to engage in different situations - What do you do?
When people from two or more cultures meet, certain problems can arise. - How do you behave in contradictory circumstances?
Within our cultural socialization process we have learnt to behave in ac-
- Have you experienced such situations in your life?
cordance with our own cultural standards. These are not necessarily the
At intercultural meetings, it is important to demonstrate these insecurities
to your contact partner. If you get something wrong then explain how you
would normally react within your own culture.
Ability to negotiate misunderstandings

Communication is an important factor in intercultural meetings. Therefore
you need to acquire communication skills. When you know how communi-
cation difficulties develop, then you can talk about these and find a solution
to the problem. It is necessary to adopt an open mind in addressing a break-
down in communications and to admit mistakes.
8
Source: WBZ Interkulturelle Kompetenz. ESTA – Bildungswerk (HRSG., Bad Oeynhausen, 2006)
14 15
Chapter II – Successful Intercultural Learning Activities Chapter II – Successful Intercultural Learning Activities
Chapter II ther but parallel to each other? Is success to have contact and communicate
with others? Is it to be curious about “the others”? Is it trying to understand
Successful Intercultural Learning Activities “the others” and to give a place in your life, in your heart to “the others”?
Does success mean to change your life style in accordance with what you
What we can learn from this chapter have learnt from “the others”? Is it to shape all together a new societal struc-
ture where everybody has a stable and happy place in it?
The comments in this chapter are based on the analysis of the ques- Who are “the others” whom we refer to here? Nowadays “the others”
tionnaires that were answered by facilitators and teachers practically are very different. They are the people from many different countries and
involved in intercultural activities. To implement an Intercultural Lear- continents, coming from many different backgrounds and cultures. To be
ning Activity is a very demanding task for any teacher, trainer, facilita- able to bring all these people together and let them live in a peaceful manner
tor or educator not only because of the diversity in the group, but espe- in one society would be a great success.
cially because of the invisible values and emotions that are part of every Being respectful and tolerant is the main prerequisite of this success.
learning process. The intention of this chapter is to help you to avoid In Intercultural Learning Activities, the interaction between the facilitators
some common mistakes, though it cannot guarantee success. and the participants is the keystone of the success of such activities. People
should accept and try to learn about‚ “the others“. At the same time, they
should be sensitized to other cultures. When they are not sensitized enough,
1. Influencing Factors even their goodwill can cause problems. In this kind of situation, the role
In order to achieve successful outcomes in a group dealing with Intercultu- of the facilitators is very important. How they set their activities, how they
ral Learning Activities, certain ground rules need to be established. Dealing structure them, their information about the participants, their backgrounds
with this issue will help to reach the training objective and avoid some of the
pitfalls.
However, what is success? Everybody will answer this question diffe-
rently. For some it can be a good career while for others, a harmonious fa-
mily life. We can make a huge list of items which we consider as success, for
example, to have a big bank account, to win a Nobel Prize, to be healthy or to
have a partner or children. The success that we refer to here is a bit different.
What is success in intercultural activities? These activities can be quite di-
verse; for example, a workshop, long term training, study in an international
context, living side by side with different cultures. What is success in such a
context? Is success to avoid conflict but ignore each other? Is it living toge-
16 17
and needs, the kind of methods they use and their attitudes will all play a - Participants in education or training activities have to be informed
very important role in the success of the activities. about any important rules with respect to the activities. Moreover,
Since the participants of intercultural activities come from different these rules should be discussed with participants at the beginning.
backgrounds, we have to be aware of cultural differences as well. It is not
- Changes in the agreed rules should only be permitted very exceptio-
always easy or possible to apprehend the concepts of other cultures. For ex-
nally and have to be discussed with participants.
ample, representatives of some cultures may not always understand the ex-
amples used for some tasks because these might seem strange and unusual. - Only one person speaks at a time.
These kinds of things can be barriers to successful activities and turn the - Not only start in time but also finish in time.
act of communication into a failure or, as many researchers on intercultural
- Keep mobile phones switched off
communication would call it, “intercultural miscommunication” or “inter-
cultural accident”, or “intercultural misunderstanding”, or “mismatch”. - Less is sometimes more
If we take into account the above issues and want to avoid the barriers
or to handle them properly to achieve success, we need to speak about some Although these suggested ground rules represent some guidelines to avoid
ground rules or guidelines. We can see that it is not easy as there already a some of the more obvious obstacles in an Intercultural Learning setting, we
lot of rules that are associated with adult education/training. Just briefly, we thought it would be useful to describe some of these barriers in more detail
can mention the following as examples: in order to be better able to develop strategies to cope with them.
Ground Rules Barriers that may occur in any group

- Be friendly and take the others as well as their opinions into consideration.
There are several barriers that may occur in any group and not only in one
- Use some ice-breaking activity at the beginning.
dealing with Intercultural Learning Activities. These barriers are mainly is-
- The main objective of the education or training has to be clear from sues which are also reflected in equality and diversity discussions, policies
the very beginning. and in many cases are also reflected in legislation.
- The programme of education or training has to comply with its main
objective. National identity
- All relevant written material or papers have to be delivered to partici- National identity may include a loyalty towards one’s country and culture. It
pants in advance. is respect towards one’s cultural values, beliefs and traditions.
National identity is a purely cultural product, as it is influenced by a
- Explain all the content in writing, if possible or helpful. particular culture – either by the one of origin or the one that is dominating
18 19
Religious differences
Religion is often determined by culture, but not always. Some cultures are
very tightly bound by religion. It is important to understand that different
religions imply different modes of behaviour that are not always understan-
dable to others. Some religious doctrines are more externally exhibited, for
example, in appearance by special clothing worn in everyday life.
Religious conflicts are often more violent than conflicts caused by
other reasons. This might be explained by the involvement of the spiritual
world, which concerns basic values which govern peoples lives.
The best way to cope with religious differences might be to encourage the par-
ticipants of an ICL course to talk about their religious background if they agree
in the community where one lives. It is not however necessarily fi xed. So, a to do so. Such activities must not be imposed, as beliefs and religion are deeply
German may not always have a German national identity, but might concei- personal issues. Prohibiting wearing some clothing or accessories related to
ve himself for herself as, for example, French, if he / she has lived most of his one’s religion would not be the best solution, as it would imply discrimination
or her life in France. of particular tradition and its believers. Religious conflicts or even differences
Often national identity might be exhibited also in extreme patriotism should be handled with the greatest caution and understanding.
or in fanatic behaviour. These two might become a real barrier to Intercul-
tural Learning as they are perhaps combined with extreme views which are Gender Issues
likely to be aired in public. In order to cope with such characteristics in a It is undeniable, that different cultures have different attitudes towards
group, the facilitator should suggest respect towards representatives of other gender issues. These can vary even in the European context, without even
nations. mentioning other regions of the world. Some cultures are male oriented and
National identity may also include national holidays that are celebra- some female. When people with different understandings of gender come
ted in particular ways, for example, independence days or special national together, not only may passionate conflicts arise, but also issues relating to
festivals. To enable participants to inform others about national characte- discrimination, the fight for equality and feminism.
ristics a facilitator could introduce some activities where participants can In this kind of situation the facilitator should establish an environ-
describe their cultural background, show pictures, give a power point pre- ment inside the group that would not focus on gender differences, but rather
sentation, or in some other way present their cultural background in order on the equal role of women and men, at least in group work, explaining that
to deepen understanding about it by the other participants. Such activities in each participant’s private life these issues might be dealt with according
would also allow the group to compare cultures and to find similarities that to their beliefs. The facilitator should not insist that people who are of extre-
could establish common ground for further activities. mely different views work together in pairs. The facilitator may need to avoid
20 21
Age
Age is an important factor in learning because different age groups can have
different needs and abilities. Moreover, the cultural aspect can make this
even more complex, as not all cultures have the same attitude towards people
from different age groups. Such basic things as, for example, the age of majo-
rity, the concepts of old or middle age might vary greatly. Age is also closely
connected with cultural traditions; for example, in some cultures people are
permitted to marry at the age of twelve or even less. The facilitator should
understand that these people would differ in their world view and its repre-
sentation from others.
The facilitator should take into account the knowledge, experience,
any confrontation of opposing views. The understanding of gender equality needs, and capacities of different age groups representatives, as well as their
might be deepened through discussions on this issue in different contexts, as reactions and attitudes towards the world. A clear pattern of relationships
well as by the facilitator’s equal attitude towards women and men. should be established within the group consisting of different generations.
Sexual orientation Learning difficulties and disabilities

The facilitator should not forget to consider also issues around homosexu- There can be two kinds of disability which may impact on access to learning:
ality. Although such cases might be comparatively rarely encountered, the the ones that influence the cognitive processes and the ones that do not.
facilitator should be aware of such a possibility and be prepared to take a Some learning disabled people are supported by a specially trained facilita-
position on it. tor and may learn separately from others but other learners may be integra-
The issue of sexual orientation may be perceived as a delicate one, as ted into a general group. In all cases however the groups may be made up of
well as all the issues connected with one’s personal life. This issue should be people from a range of cultures and backgrounds. Other disabilities that do
treated as a personal and intimate one, without exposure and discussions. not influence the learning process are physical disabilities, for example, peo-
One’s personal life is in no way connected with the learning process except ple with impairments which impact mobility or sensory impairments; there
that the problems in one’s personal life might be unconsciously shifted to is no impact on cognitive function and these groups equally form part of
other contexts, for example, a person’s behaviour (see below). any Intercultural Learning Activity and indeed add a new cultural dimension
Untraditional sexual orientation might seem confusing for other partici- to it – for example the culture of the deaf community. Disabilities should
pants and create unpredictable reactions. The facilitator should keep the at- not be an obstacle to joining an intercultural or any other learning group.
mosphere in this respect balanced, the facilitator him-/herself should be in However, other participants or indeed facilitators are sometimes not very
neutral position to avoid splitting of the group. tolerant of difference. The facilitator should try to control the situation and
22 23
ensure that the attitude towards people who have some difficulties should be Lack of basic skills
tolerant and non-discriminatory. Disabled people have the right to be fully Traditionally language, literacy and numeracy are regarded as core or basic
included on their own terms and should not be seen as victims or objects of skills. However the term “new basic skills” would now tend to include IT skills,
pity. The facilitator should establish the learning atmosphere based on the foreign languages, technological culture, entrepreneurship and social skills.9
philosophy that one’s knowledge and personality is more important than The lack of any of these skills may lower the quality of communica-
physical conditions. Some learning themes that might be possibly connected tion, especially for Intercultural Learning, for example, if some participants
with disabilities, illnesses, accidents, they should be handled with delicacy lack the knowledge of foreign languages, or the language that is used in the
and caution, though may present an ideal learning opportunity. group, but basic skills learning groups are very likely to be multi-cultural in
As with other participants, the disabled person should not have to be- many countries. Difficulties for intercultural learning may also be created
come the spokesperson for disability or the only person to take responsibili- due to poor basic skills but a skilled facilitator can make all the difference
ty for ensuring that their specific needs are met – for example, that hearing in enabling successful intercultural communications between participants.
support is in place. The learning process can be made more complicated if a group consists of
people who cannot read or write or have a poor vocabulary. The facilitator
Behaviour / Politeness in such cases has a difficult task of finding a compromise both for the par-
Although in adult training/ learning, the issue of behaviour and politeness ticipants who have low level of skills and for advanced students, so that all
might sound a little childish, it still should not be ignored, especially where of them are involved, participating, and interested in the subject and able to
Intercultural Learning is concerned and there is nothing wrong with thin- communicate on a similar level. The facilitator should encourage the lear-
king carefully about tolerance and kindness. Behaviour in most cases will ning of the participants with lower skills, as well as encourage more advan-
be quite closely related with one’s culture and national identity. These are ced students to be tolerant and helpful to each other.
traditions that each individual follows consciously or unconsciously. Beha-
viour might include everything starting from attitudes, reactions, one’s self-
expression (gestures, voice, and tone) to relationships with others. Gender 2. Working with Intercultural Groups
differences may be visible as well. The facilitator should agree with the parti-
cipants of the course about a common behaviour code to be used inside the Skills needed by facilitators, educators and trainers
group, so that some disruptive behaviour or very culturally specific behavi- If a facilitator is working with any intercultural group, he/she has to be ready
10
our would not disturb the group work and other participants. The facilita- to play several roles:
tor could suggest expressing one’s reactions in the form of verbal or written - be the first who shows empathy, i.e. he/she must sometimes put him/herself
feedback without provocative physical behaviour or gestures, so that others into someone else’s shoes to feel her/his way into other norms, rules and pri-
do not get offended. orities, including, for example, a different attitude to time, space or one’s own
body.
9
According to A Memorandum on Life Long Learning that defines new basic skills as those required for active participation
in the knowledge society and economy – in the labour market and at work, in real-time and in virtual communities and in a
democracy, and as a person with a coherent sense of identity and direction in life. (A Memorandum on Life Long Learning.
http://www.education.gov.mt/edu/edu_division/life_long_learning/key_message_1.htm).
10
A catalogue of Skills needed by facilitators for multicultural groups has been developed in the framework of the Socrates project and published in
2005 under the title of: Developing Skills for Efficient Communication with People from Different Cultural Backgrounds. www.unec.eu.com
24 25
- be a good observer however not only of the group but of himself/herself so

cultural Learning Activities which should lead to certain outcomes achieved
that these reflections can be fed back into the learning process.
by the group of participants within his/her influence. But as a facilitator, his/
- be prepared to both speak and listen to the statements which come from her attention will be focused on what issues are alive in the group, what kind
the heart or from deep personal experience. of question participants have, if there is any resistance in the group which
Besides these roles, there are five basic recommendations which can be hel- obstructs these questions being explored and what kind of questions he/she
pful for any facilitator who is working with an intercultural group: can put forward in order to develop a deeper understanding. By taking this
approach, the needs of the group will be placed at the centre of the learning
- the facilitator has to be flexible in many ways
process rather than the expectations and objectives of the trainer.
- the “learner” is the most important person, not the facilitator
- the facilitator has to develop an understanding of both the participants Understanding the participants and their cultures
and the norms related to the different cultures present Society is complex and some theorists agree that everybody constructs his/
her “own world”. Society is constructed differently within differing cultural
- the facilitator has to respect both the participants and the variety of cul-
contexts. Even such basic dimensions as time and space can be perceived in
tures represented
a dramatically different way from culture to culture. Therefore facilitators
- the facilitator and the participants need to be open to change have to develop an understanding of who their students are and what basic
attitudes or habits derive from their cultures. A trainer should have at least a
Flexibility basic understanding of codes of conduct, customs and traditions of the com-
Flexibility is the term for the ability to adapt to different circumstances. We
can say a facilitator is flexible at a particular point of a situation if he/she ad-
justs the planned learning strategy in accordance with the participants‘ con-
tributions that may differ from those that he/she has expected from them.
To be flexible does not mean that a facilitator does not have any plan or
structure, the absence of which would cause chaos and would not promote
learning. The facilitator’s flexibility is expressed in the adaptation of the ini-
tial course plan to the needs of the participants and the process.
The learner-centered Approach

When the trainer sees himself/herself as a facilitator rather than a teacher
or tutor he/she can operate within another paradigm. As a teacher, he/she
might have the idea that he/she has to set the aims and objectives of the Inter-
26 27
munities in the region where he/she lives. It gives him/her understanding of Openness to Change
the meaning and the reasons for the behaviours of certain groups. Know- Resistance and fear of change can present a serious obstacle in learning, es-
ledge of the local language is important and especially the fact that the literal pecially in Intercultural Learning Activities that require understanding and
translation of expressions do not necessarily have the same meaning, both imply diversity and flexibility. Since, within an intercultural training activi-
emotionally and technically. So this basic skill would give him/her a tool to ty, people come from different backgrounds they can see events differently.
cope with cultures which he/she may not know or be acquainted with. The When the participants express their critical thinking and views in one ses-
facilitator should develop an understanding of and the ability to notice that sion, it should be taken as an innovative impulse to improve the seminar for
the behaviour of a participant might be strongly influenced by cultural tra- the next. Even when the facilitator adapts his/her programme according to
ditions. It is particularly important when dealing with a very mixed cultural the wishes of the participants, he/she must give up the idea that anything
group. In conclusion, every facilitator involved in Intercultural Learning Ac- he/she likes is good, and anything he/she doesn’t is bad. The facilitator must
tivities should be able to draw on a range of different cultural resources and separate his/her personal preferences from the more abstract analysis of the
responses that he/she will be able to use in the educational process. work and then he/she will rarely provide much useful feedback. It should
be remembered that criticism is not about the facilitator, but is about the
Respect work which is being carried out. In this case, the task of the facilitators and
The ability to respect others is important anyway for developing a harmoni- participants is not to convert themselves or others to a particular way of
ous existence within society. However, it is especially important if one speaks working, but to be able to adapt themselves in the established methods of
about intercultural coexistence or learning activities. Intercultural Learning learning activities and group work and especially the group atmosphere. In
Activities themselves are based on making a difference or on focusing on dif- Intercultural Learning Activities one has to accept that there will not always
ferences. In this matter it is necessary to respect personal freedoms because be an answer, or the right answer, and one needs to be open to remain in
every individual is unique, as well as the group. If participants (i.e. students) constant search and to welcome change. However, everybody who takes part
do not feel “free” in term of their culture, they do not feel “free” at all. Of in such activities has to be ready to both question his/her own assumptions,
course, the other necessary condition is the acceptance of another person’s ideas and stereotypes, and break away from his/her old beliefs or traditions.
views as equal in value. Although some participants may present different On this subject, the facilitator should not seek to impose any changes, parti-
attitudes or opinions than the facilitator, it would be mistake to consider cularly individual, character changes but rather seek to widen the horizons
these less important than the others. However, if there are very different opi- and perspectives of each participant in respect to the group work and each
nions, the facilitator needs to seek reconciliation of these different points of other’s culture. Any Intercultural Learning Activity is useless without such
view. In other words, he/she must cope with the difference between his/her approach.
values, feelings and thinking, behavioural patterns and those of other cul-
tures, and deal with any feelings of isolation or “otherness” which may
result from it.
28 29
3. Managing group work for Intercultural Learning

always find a solution for every kind of conflict but it certainly needs to be
Managing Intercultural Learning Activities in a multicultural group is not an expressed. An environment that creates the conditions for self-confidence
easy task for the facilitator. Therefore the facilitator should reflect on several and mutual trust can allow people to feel comfortable and express their in-
important issues. Basically, one has to be aware of possible errors occurring securities, doubts, hurt feelings, frustrations and misunderstandings. Over
because of newly established cultural contacts and the way these have been such kind of cultural conflicts, it is possible that diversity can be experienced
established. Firstly a healthy learning atmosphere within a group should be as a helpful and enriching element towards building new relational forms
created. Then, one has to turn to aspects related more to the Intercultural and solutions.
Learning Activities, in particular:
Facilitating a multicultural group
Balance in a group Any group work requires attention to be focused on the group as a whole,
The balance in a group here is meant as balance of people from different as well as on each individual. Successful inclusion into a group only when
cultures. If there is a possibility to balance the proportion of the representa- participants feel safe in the group, when they are aware that their specific
tives of different cultures it may be positive and might even help in the group needs can be expressed and respected and when they are self-confident en-
work. Balance is very important in establishing order, harmonious sessions ough to formulate and express them. Creating this level of self-confidence in
and relationships. If there is one representative from one culture and ten a multicultural group requires participants to have contact with each other.
from another one, there is a risk that either the sole representative of a cul- They can learn from their differences and develop common understanding
ture will be neglected or be paid too much attention. through, for example, “national“ evenings that are organised to let partici-
pants learn from each other.
Participants’ comfort with their own diversity
To create a common area as a safe place for the participants is a prime factor The facilitator must also take care that:
for a successful Intercultural Learning Activity. This is also a constant chal- - different ethnic groups and their views are represented,
lenge for all participants with their cultural, religious, linguistic, differences.
- particular ethnic or linguistic groups are not always in the limelight,
When there is a trustful atmosphere where participants feel safe and secure,
they can develop and grow together and after some time they will become - stereotypes and prejudices are addressed,
more open to each other. - no side is taken with some of participants during the training,
In this climate it is possible that our feeling of safety and our thinking
- in a very small group participants should rotate,
may also be challenged. This process may cause strong reactions to come
from some group members. The facilitators should also anticipate this kind - harmony cannot be imposed and when there is conflict, it should be dis-
of confrontation. Sometimes the group can manage this kind of confrontati- cussed openly
on and still stay on track, but sometimes the group breaks down. We cannot
30 31
An environment that creates conditions for self-confidence and mutual trust

should also be an environment where everybody feels comfortable about
expressing his/her insecurities, doubts, misunderstandings, frustrations or
hurt feelings. In cases that are associated with some culturally or ethnically
sensitive problem, as many neutral elements as possible should be used as
these can play an important role in term of participants´ feelings. This may
relate even to the choice of venue where the course takes place or of the choice
of teacher/facilitator For example, if the facilitators culturally “belong to one
conflict-side” the participants from “the other side” could feel hurt unless
the facilitator is skilled and open. The same is true with regard to venue or
language. It is necessary to remember that not every conflict necessarily has
a solution but it still certainly needs to be expressed.
The group work process

Once the facilitator has established a positive cultural climate in the group,
NILE Partners at the Europe for Citizens Forum 2007: Valentina Vasilionova, Beate Schmidt-Behlau,
he/she should develop methods for uniting the group. Teamwork may result Dorin Herlo (from l. to r.)
in more success than work which is carried out by individuals working sepa-
rately. Through teamwork one can achieve high levels of creativity and mem- Like any other group an intercultural group will usually have some
bers will work enthusiastically. Every group may experience phases such as sub-groupings. Participants normally divide themselves in groups of inte-
shaping, moving, standardizing and realizing (also sometimes referred to as rest, reliability, or in the case of an intercultural group – cultural similarities.
forming, storming, norming and performing). In every phase of the team The facilitator should be aware of any splits in the group and try to bring
or group development process, participants can play different roles, such as, them together at times so that any issue that arises can be treated in a sensi-
leaders, followers, protesters, outsiders. Each group, even if it is not an inter- tive way.
cultural group, develops over the course of time its own inner climate that The facilitator must always remember that cultural conflicts are very
would basically include and be based on the relationships among the parti- complicated to solve and consequently, the facilitator must support the group
cipants. It is well known that each group usually has a leader who tends to to eliminate the causes of such conflicts whenever possible. The facilitator
either represent or unite the group, or in some other way be the centre of it. should also remember that in intercultural groups, other conflicts can be
The facilitator should take note of this persons role, but try to treat everybo- attributed to and reduced to cultural differences, such as “You do not like me
dy in the group equally. because I am a Christian!”(or similar).
32 33
Techniques for managing Group Dynamics

cultural group. On the other hand, the facilitator must use his/her authori-
Even though one can try hard to unite the group, there could always be group ty wisely; sometimes it is good not to expose it too much, especially if it is
members who will avoid inclusion. Group processes include norms, roles, re- not used appropriately. Likewise the facilitator should take care with his/her
lationships, development, the need to belong, social influence, and effects on authority so that it does not appear to be autocratic. Different cultures have
behaviour. In every group there are some people who don’t want to join in different understanding of a teacher, a leader, an authority, and this needs to
the process. They have strategies to escape from group work and activities or be investigated and understood by the facilitator. The facilitator also needs to
to sabotage the activities. Annette Simmons writes in her book: “A safe place maintain appropriate boundaries in the relationship between him/her and
for dangerous truth: using Dialogue to overcome Fear and Distrust at Work” within the group. This issue should not be ignored but discussed.
that there are four kind of avoidance strategies in groups. These tendencies
which are developed by participants are barriers which prevent the group in Motivation as the priority
reaching a real dialogue. These are: Now the facilitator moves on to Intercultural Learning Activities. He/she
should start with motivation because no matter what Intercultural Learning
- to flee (not caring about what is going on in the team, not being present
Activities are involved, they may fail if there is insufficient motivation. In
with your mind)
general ideas of the participants should be taken into consideration when
- to fight (dominating in the group) developing the course programme, because this leads to highest motivation.
- to ally (acting together) On to of that the facilitators must themselves be very highly motivated. Their
motivation will affect the participants and they will learn all together from
- to be dependent on some people
each other. Participants should be allowed to get involved in the process and
A facilitator can explain these possible risks at the beginning of the pro- share their own experience and reveal their own stories. Story telling and
gramme or session and support these words with the help of visual aids such listening are effective ways to learn in a short time. Despite a well-motivated
as posters on the wall. If strategies are put in place at the outset, members are facilitator and well-designed programme, it is still possible that some parti-
more aware and so solve any problems rapidly. cipants are unwilling to cooperate.
Authority in the group Different learning styles

Once the facilitator has identified the inner hierarchical relationships within Each individual has differences in their learning style, type of memory,
the group and the group members feel comfortable with their roles and the knowledge acquisition strategy, method of information gathering and un-
group functions as a whole, one should next turn to the issue of facilitator’s derstanding. These individual characteristics might also vary depending on
authority. Sometimes, especially at the beginning, the facilitator can face the cultures because each country has different educational systems that people
difficulty of establishing his/her authority in the group. The facilitator must get used to, and frequently people think that their particular learning style
have this authority in order to manage the sessions, especially in an inter- is better than others. The facilitator in this case, should identify these stra-
34 35
tegies at the beginning of the course, for example, by using appropriate tests
and discussions11. This is necessary in order to plan the work with the know-
ledge of what kinds of activities and learning strategies would be suitable for
that particular group. However, group work requires compliance with the
needs of the group as a whole, thus individuals in order to integrate into a
common learning process, will need to adopt some common learning strate-
gies. However the facilitator should keep in mind that this change or journey
towards a more or less common system within a group should be gradual.
Each new or different learning strategy must be supported by corresponding
tasks and explanations, so that it does not seem imposed, but rather looks
like a natural process from which everybody as an individual and the group
as a whole, will benefit.
Lingua franca Materials should be adjusted to the language level of the participants
Even though we usually understand each other when we communicate, lan- of Intercultural Learning Activities and be made interesting as well. If the
guage can sometimes become of utmost importance in Intercultural Lear- group of participants is mixed (in terms of their language skills), it is parti-
ning Activities. Language is one of the most visible elements of culture and in cularly necessary to use appropriate handouts, textbooks or glossaries.
that sense is the central aspect in intercultural communication and learning
activities. Language allows the communication to occur, but at the same Measuring learning distance travelled
time it might be also a source of misunderstandings, and it is not without When the Intercultural Learning Activities and processes go well in the group,
limitations; body language can sometime help to overcome the latter. In an it is important to look back and track the development. Distance travelled is
environment where people have different first languages and where one or the progress that a person has made towards something. For example, it may
two languages become the main means of communication, it is often difficu- be the progress that participants have made while on a particular course or
lt to avoid situations of dominance and the resulting frustration experienced working towards a qualification. They also add to their skills.
by those who are not fluent in the language(s) that are chosen for the com- The phrase “value added” describes the progress that a learner has
munication. The biggest problem occurs when a part of participants uses made between starting something, such as a course, and finishing it when
the chosen language as its first language. These participants especially need compared to similar learners. Since every individual is very different, people
to be very tolerant and to pay attention to the speed, pronunciation, accent, who take part in Intercultural Learning Activities will also be at different
and facial expressions when communicating. Moreover, they should always levels and have a range of interests. While some are coming to the sessions
be prepared to repeat or confirm what has been said. with a lot of knowledge and information, others arrive without basic know-
11
Interesting reading for trainers is provided in the concept: “Achieving Mindful Learning” available
on the website of the SPICES project:www.trainingspices.net
36 37
Chapter II – Successful Intercultural Learning Activities Chapter III – Designing Intercultural Learning Activities
ledge about the subject. So it is possible that the people who do not start Chapter III
with as much information and skills can travel a greater distance than the
others who are already more informed. This information can be used for the
Designing Intercultural Learning Activities
further motivation of the participants to continue learning, to take up some
additional or other courses and to believe in their abilities. What we can learn from this chapter
Patience In this chapter you will find methodological information on how to
We live in a time of great speed. We want a quick solution to every problem. plan, implement and evaluate Intercultural Learning Activities. ILA
In an intercultural situation, since the understanding of time, life styles, dif- can take on many forms but one aim always lies in the possibility of
ferent perspectives play a very important role, we cannot be as fast as we reflection on the learning process. This also differentiates Intercultural
want to be. Sometimes, we cannot achieve what we have planned for the Learning Activities from purely cultural events12.
session. It is not important to reach the planned goals, but to reach into the
hearts and minds of the participants. Give the participants time to think and
reflect about what they get, draw attention to new issues in their mind, let 1. Introduction
them work on these issues after the sessions, make them curious about other
cultures so that they want to learn about them later on their own. When we speak about ILA, we should take a broad and inclusive view. People
learn from the achievement of everyday tasks, especially those which allow
people from different cultures to communicate, to work or to do something
together.
As facilitators in adult education, we have set out below a few examp-
les of intercultural activities:
- a workshop, where we discuss, debate, reflect on and learn about an issue;

- a seminar, using panel discussion with experts from the field who present
an intercultural issue and answer questions from the group;
- visiting an exhibition or watching a new film together, after which we
could reflect upon, challenge and explore our views and emotions;
- developing a common project, where the partners are from different coun-
tries, different cultures, but the aims and objectives are agreed and set by
12
For information in this chapter the following websites were used: http:// www.varianty.cz/english/online.
php. We strongly recommend also to read T-Kit No. 4 – Intercultural Learning, 2004, on www.training-youth.
net Valuable information are on www.dialogue-education.org as conclusions of the project Tolerance and Un-
derstanding of Our Muslim Neighbours. Concerning diverse didactical models used in ILA, see http://www.
integration-eu.org.
38 39
Chapter III – Designing Intercultural Learning Activities Chapter III – Designing Intercultural Learning Activities
the group; - It’s a challenge to find themes that appeal to a diverse group. Experience-ori-
- organizing and carrying out an evening or a day of intercultural cooking, entated learning and participative methods are important principles here.
where every participant is invited to prepare something special from his These themes can vary according to the atmosphere in the group, the needs
own traditional cuisine; of the participants and the specificity of the learning being undertaken.
- organizing and carrying out an inter-cultural festival - The commitment of the participants requires involvement from the very
beginning. The participants must be fully involved and engaged. If they
This list of activities could be extended with many other examples from our are involved in the process of choosing the themes of the learning process,
practice; we just have to be willing to be imaginative and dedicate ourselves their participation is more guaranteed.
to the task. - It’s necessary to create optimal learning environments, for example to
The European Year of Intercultural Dialogue (2008) has made this is- provide a safe setting and a pleasant room. Make the room cosier by, for
sue more visible. The Year has helped to “kick start” many inspiring and example, pushing all the tables against the walls and providing biscuits
creative ideas on intercultural learning in its widest sense (www.intercul- during the break.
tural-dialogue.eu). All Member States have been asked to prepare National
- Participants need to participate voluntarily and at their own pace. They
Strategies for this year, which can be made use of by civil society to support
should always have the possibility of opting out of any particular activity,
their requirements.
if they don’t feel comfortable with the task.
- Develop clear ground rules. Values such as trust, respect for others and re-
spect for difference come to the fore. Anticipate that there will be diversity
2. Guiding Principles
within the group.
“Most people discover themselves by working with others. They can help you to - Don’t avoid the things that pre-occupy the participants. On the contrary,
discover parts of your character that were invisible to you previously. In lear- work with their examples and experiences. Thank the participants regu-
ning to cope with one another’s differences in an appreciative and confronting larly for their contribution and openness.
way, you can get to know yourself increasingly better and engage yourself more - Use terminology and language appropriately and sensitively and in line
fully in life.” (“Salto Humano” by R. Vermeylen) with the participants’ background and experience.
- Time planning must be suitable to all cultures included in the activity.
Designing Intercultural Learning Activities requires a specific ap-
Some of the participants may not want to work or study on Fridays, others
proach. Below we describe some general principles for working with mixed
during Easter, for example. It is best to consult the participants about when
learning-groups. Some of these principles are related to the rules and guide-
they want to learn. All the activities should be planned and carried on with
lines described in the second chapter.
a sense of respect for the dignity and safety of the participants and respec-
40 41
ting the space of each individuals participant. 3. Deciding on the topic

- Each participant is capable; each has the capacity to act. It’s important to 4. Choosing the methods and supplementary tools
value, practise and improve these skills. This means that participants are 5. Organizing the activities and providing the course/workshop, etc.
stimulated to think in terms of solutions using the qualities and skills they
6. Feed-Back and Evaluation
have. This exercise strengthens their (self) confidence.
- The focus on communication is very important. Interaction concerns the
self and one’s surroundings, between the self and others. For this reason,
the group process is central to the learning process. 3.1 Needs Analysis
- The experiences of the participants determine the process. Examples and
This is essential for designing a worthwhile and appropriate Intercultural
case studies used should originate in their daily life.
Learning Activity When we are starting to plan the ILA, as much informati-
- Cultural diversity has to be dealt with constructively. Intercultural skills on as possible is required. For collecting it, we should try to answer several
have to be trained constantly. This involves all the knowledge, attitude and questions, around a number of themes:
skills individuals have, to deal with diversity in a constructive way.
- There are differences between the participants, differences related to the About the participants
diverse cultural backgrounds, or differences in expectations. It is impor- Who is the Intercultural Learning Activity targeted at? Why should the par-
tant to recognise, acknowledge and name the differences. It is important ticipants come? What is their background (for example: cultural, religious,
to create an environment where differences can be discussed and win-win ethnical, gender, age, fears, hopes, motivation, interests, level of education,
solutions searched for. ability to express themselves?)
About the organizational setting for the ILA

3. Intercultural Learning Activities What is the organization/institution like? What do I know about it? What
is the frame, set to the specific course? What kind of facilities, materials,
Planning, Implementation and Evalation rooms, payment, time, cooperation, and resources are envisaged for the ac-
When one is aware of the specifics of ILA and the key concepts in the field, tivity?
the following different elements of the ILA design prove to be relevant in the
field of adult education: About me as a trainer/facilitator/educator
What are my most important ideas, intentions and expectations for organi-
1. Needs analysis
zing the Intercultural Learning Activitiy ? Why am I involved in this activity?
2. Setting learning aims and objectives What are my strengths and weaknesses as an educator? How can I create a
42 43
Example of a goal that educators, providing

good learning environment? What materials and resources do I have access
to?
Intercultural Learning Activities, should try to achieve13
Goal 1 = Interest
Reflecting social issues
The learner demonstrates curiosity about the target culture and empathy to-
What current concerns are related to or influence the course subject? What ward its people.
is the expected benefit from the course for the participants? How is the ILA
theme perceived by others? Goal 2 = Who
The learner recognizes that role expectations and other social variables such as
About the possible difficulties age, sex, social class, ethnicity, and place of residence affect the way people speak
What kind of difficulties could arise during the Intercultural Learning Acti- and behave.
vity (thinking about the possible challenges concerning the trainees, techni- Goal 3 = What
cal equipment, rooms)? Do we have a plan “B”?
The learner realizes that effective communication requires discovering the cul-
turally conditioned images that are evoked in the minds of people when they
think, act, and react to the world around them.
3.2 Setting the learning Aims and Objectives
Goal 4 = Where and When
Overarching aims and objectives can also be formulated to describe the The learner recognizes that situational variables and convention shape behavior
most important learning outcomes that participants should develop during in important ways. She needs to know how people in the target culture act in
an entire activity. Ask yourself: when my learners leave my class at the end of common mundane and crisis situations
this activity, what are the essential understandings that I want them to take
Goal 5 = Why
away?
Once we have gathered the pre-course information needed, we need to The learner understands that people generally act the way they do because they
formulate the aims and the objectives of the Intercultural Learning Activity. are using options society allows for satisfying basic physical and psychological
Knowing that the aims will meet the intended outcomes, they should be needs, and that cultural patterns are interrelated and tend mutually to support
limited by, for example, time, space, quantity, quality. need satisfaction.
Goal 6 = Exploration
The learner can evaluate a generalization about the target culture in terms of
the amount of evidence substantiating it, and has the skills needed to locate and
organize information about the target culture from the library, the mass media,
people, and personal observation.
13
Source: H. Ned Seelye 1993, “Teaching culture – Strategies for intercultural communication”
44 45
The learning objectives should be concrete, realistic/accessible and measu- Objectives:

rable, and outcome focused. The desired outcome for the participants, which
could include awareness raising, knowledge, skills, behaviour and attitudes Participants will be able to:
acquired during the ILA should be included in the objectives and be for- - discover minimum five stereotypes and patterns of their attitude to-
mulated in a way that can be verified during and at the end of the learning ward the “others”, based on self observation;
process. - explain in few sentences the reaction towards certain stereotypes;
Developing the objectives is an important step of the planning pro-
cess, because, once defined they lead to the process of following them to - raise awareness on the positive effects of the intercultural team work
develop the content, related to the topic, the appropriate methods, technical putting trainees of different cultures together to solve daily life pro-
equipment required, and so on. blems;
Objectives are outcome- focused and should be linked to concrete - increase team spirit in working together having to solve a case study;
learning activities in order to achieve the aims of the ILA. Learning activi- - express emotions when beginning a communication with people of
ties are our set of instruments, used during the programme to achieve our other cultures.
objectives and aims.
By the end of the training participants will:
- have an understanding of the 5 suggested methods;
- have gained enough experience to facilitate at least one session;
Example for setting learning aims and objectives14:
- be able to creatively adapt the suggested methods to their working settings.
(for the theme/subject “Intercultural Communication”)
Aims of the training:

- present 5 innovative methods used in the SMILE project to adult edu- 3.3 Deciding on the Topic
cators;
- have the participants organize their own facilitated sessions during the To implement successful Intercultural Learning Activities, the facilitator/edu-
training; cator, should be aware that learners may have a positive, strong view on the to-
- provide a context for methods-exchange between adult educators at- pics proposed for discussion. This is an important factor to reflect upon when
tending the training; deciding on the topics for the activities. Taking into consideration this aspect
the facilitator should consult with the learners and ask her/himself questions
- initiate an adult educator’s network
like:
14
Example from the SMILE Training Facilitators Seminar, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, 2005: “Participato-
ry Methods for Shaping Our Realities”. SMILE Project - Seeding for Multiethnic and Intercultural
Learning Experiences – Project in South-Eastern Europe (With fi nancial support from the German
Ministry for Foreign Affairs and coordinated by dvv international, office Bulgaria)
46 47
- What topics are of interest to my learners?

- What is driving my learners’ interests?
- What worked/didn’t work in the past and why?
- How might existing courses be developed or modified?
- Which exercises/problems/assessment were the most appropriate?
and finally, select the adequate topic/content.
3.4 Choosing the Methods and Supplementary Tools

Knowing that the principles of adult learning are: experiential, self-directed
and reflective we can enumerate some valuable methods and tools used cur-
rently in ILA15:
heuristic conversa- keeping a “learning

experiment
tion16 journal”17
role play panel discussion Balint Groups

Many of the above described methods were also mentioned in the answers to
case study improved lecture The World Café the questionnaire undertaken by the NILE project partners available on the
NILE website in detail.
Future Creative
exercise working group
Workshop The best way to choose the most appropriate methods and tools for ILA is to
Future Search establish a sound relationship between the aims and objectives, developed
brainstorming language animation when planning the ILA, and the programme content, which should relate
Conference
to the subject. Methods should be appropriate to the individual facilitator’s
Open Space Appreciative preferences but also be adjusted to the participants’ backgrounds and levels
simulation games
Technology inquiry of knowledge and experience.
15
more details about those methods and complex strategies see Publications and Resources on
www.smile.dvv-international.org
16
system of education in which the student is trained to fi nd out things for himself
17
participants will be expected to reflect on their learning
48 49
Example of a Case Study Method used in ILA18 realize that it is unacceptable?

Diversity - What can you say to the immigrant to ease his discomfort with the situation?
In adult education as well as in society as a whole, the mix of people from - Is there a way of bringing the two learners together outside of the class
different ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds is growing. This to discuss the situation?
enriches group discussion and provides a wealth of experience for the
educator to draw on. However, it can lead to antagonism and misunder-
standing, often because of lack of knowledge about each other’s culture.
The Case 3.5 Activities Plan

A woman, 47 years old, lives in a village which has experienced an incre- The activities outlined in the plan help learners to identify the factors that
ase in shoplifting and burglary. This has occurred at the same time that shape their individual views, promoting active appreciation for diversity in
the number of immigrants in the village has increased and the percepti- their classroom and world communities, and provide tools for analyzing
on amongst some people is that the immigrants are to blame. In an adult information sources. Facilitators are encouraged to review all the activities
class this woman meets her neighbour, who is an immigrant, 21 years and to select or adapt the materials that are most appropriate for their lear-
old. She openly shows her hostility and refuses to co-operate with him. ners. Activities are included to help learners develop awareness of the many
She also spreads accusations about him in the classroom. The slander groups to which they belong and to build appreciation for diverse cultures.
increases and the immigrant feels attacked and unjustly treated. He feels
We suggest that each ILA or other form of learning activity be supported by
picked on and he complains to you.
a project plan, as follows:
Reflections - title of the session
- Can you think of a group exercise in which the woman and the immig- - learning Objectives
rant could work together in a positive way? - activities related to each objective
- Is there a way this incident can be related to the course content so that - methods and materials used for each activity
there might be a general discussion about discrimination and stereo-
types? - evaluation of each activity
- Have you thought about discreet ways of approaching the woman? - time table for each activity
- How might you discuss the situation with her so that she does not become - final evaluation of the session
hostile? Feed-Forward
- What might you say to alert her about her behaviour and make her When planning an Intercultural Learning Activity whether a course, a ses-
18
http://assetproject.info/valuing_diversity/case_studies.htm – for more examples see the website:
www.intercultural-learning.net
50 51
sion or a workshop, the best place to start is at the end. Determine what
Facilitator self-evaluation and learner evaluation are both necessary to pro-
learners might reasonably be expected to achieve from the ILA and then de-
vide effective quality control. Self-evaluation requires you to reflect on your
sign the objectives, content and with which methods, tools and materials the
practice throughout a course, to critique your presentation style, to analyze
activity can be organized and delivered to achieve this outcome. This can be
your group and time management skills, and to consider how you might
described as feed-forward (planning backwards). Feed-forward clarifies ex-
alter your practice in future.
pectations of what needs to be accomplished. Feed-forward focuses on futu-
Learner evaluation allows the learner an opportunity to evaluate both
re performance. Feed-forward is the opposite of feedback, which is excellent
the facilitator and the course content. The evaluation can provide informa-
for adjusting the programme and ensuring that learning is taking place ,but
tion on whether the course met participants’ needs and supply recommen-
it is “after-the-fact”. Feedback provides evaluation of what has been done,
dations as to how a course might be modified in future. Time for course
focusing on past performance.
evaluation and review should be allocated at the design and planning stage.
Once the overarching aims and objectives are determined, the next For the facilitators, it is important to collect, both during and at the end
step is to break this into identifiable and manageable units of achievement, of the activities, evidence of the learning achieved by the participants. This
i.e. learning outcomes. Learning outcomes are statements of what a learner is why, when designing a programme, it is necessary to bear the following
is expected to know, understand and/or be able to demonstrate after comple- questions in mind:
tion of a process of learning.
- How do I determine if objectives/outcomes have been met?
- How will I be able to distinguish between those who really understand
3.6 Feed-Back and Evaluation and those who don’t?
- What would constitute appropriate evidence of understanding?
Evaluation is the collection of learners’ opinions on an activity, a course or
- Against what criteria do I measure achievement?
a workshop to determine how the course content and presentation has been
received. Evaluation is essential in ensuring quality control. Feedback recei- - If not formally assessing the course, how can I be sure that there is evi-
ved in this way provides information on the: dence of learning?
- standards of the course

Ongoing and systematic consultation with participants does go some way to
- materials distributed ensure that outcomes are being met. Learner feedback should be sought to
- delivery methodologies used ascertain whether content is being understood and to ensure the material is
being covered at an appropriate pace for the group. Individual/group exer-
- nature of the group dynamics and facilitator/learner rapport
cises and problem based learning exercises can also be used throughout the
- ability of learners to transfer/apply knowledge gained course to ensure that participants are progressing through the material.
52 53
Example of a workshop evaluation form Example of learner self-evaluation

Final evaluation of the workshop Diary kept by the participant – before, during and after an intercultural
activity;
NAME
Portfolio developed by the participant – during and after an ILA;
Mark please an “x” into the column containing the number between: 1-5 (1 least – 5 most)
Questionnaires for supporting critical thinking, such as, for example:
Field Activity 1 2 3 4 5
- “How do I develop a sense of self in this setting or culture?”
I. Training Design Learning Style Test
- “What have I gained or lost by doing this module/workshop/course/ac-
Facilitators Type Questionnaire
tivity in Intercultural Learning?”
World Café
- “What am I challenged by?”
Future Creative Workshop
Open Space - “What do I want to continue with?”
Future Search Conference - “When did the shift occur from feeling like an outsider to feeling that
Appreciative Inquiry I was a member of the community?”
The materials given to the participants - “What brought about that shift?”
II. Facilitators‘ Facilitator 1 - “What questions do I now have that I did not have at the beginning of
prformance
Facilitator 2 the module?”
III. Organization Hotel accommodation (if relevant)
Seminar room & equipment
Meals
Travel arrangements
IV. Cultural
Programme Cultural events
V. Please tell us that you have any specific recommendations for the training!
Thank you for your participation!
54 55
Chapter IV – Conditions for “Good Practice” in Intercultural Learning Chapter IV – Conditions for “Good Practice” in Intercultural Learning
Chapter IV since 2002, the partnership has come up with the following recommendations:
Intercultural Learning should be fully integrated in the field of education
Conditions for “Good Practice” using all its forms – formal, non-formal or informal
in Intercultural Learning To achieve this, there is consensus in the Network that Intercultural Lear-
ning has to be:
What we can learn from this chapter Transversal at the policy level
A set of policies should be developed and applied to all levels and areas of ed-
Intercultural learning takes place under global conditions of increased ucation/learning. Planning the training activities, designing and elaborating
mobility, migration and the growing necessity for a lifelong learning the learning methods and materials for both facilitators and trainees should
strategy. At the moment and especially reinforced through the European be included in both formal and informal systems.
Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008 there is a general acknowledgement
that intercultural competencies on different levels in society should be Cross-cutting at the level of learning
considered to be amongst the basic or core social skills. At the same time The goals and objectives of Intercultural Learning are universal, so they refer
neither education systems nor many important stakeholders working to all parts of knowledge acquisition including social and political science,
in the field of integration policies have fully grasped their responsibility natural science, literature and cultural studies, arts and so on. Its cross-cut-
for providing the necessary space for an intercultural dialogue in soci- ting principles should therefore be reflected in all programmes and subject
ety and setting appropriate conditions for mainstreaming intercultural areas in school, post-school and informal learning activities.
learning in the broadest possible sense. In this chapter we will describe
NILE’s vision of the promotion of how to contribute to the development Across all modes of education and learning
of interculturally competent societies. Intercultural Learning should be included as a matter of course in formal,
non-formal, informal education; – it could, for example, be a lecture about
cultural identity in a university or evening of Arabian cuisine, organized in
1. Mainstreaming Intercultural Learning a community centre.
NILE partners from 20 different European countries are convinced that Inter- Strategic and practical
cultural Learning should become a general principle in adult education embed- Every Intercultural Learning Activity should be planned in compliance with
ded in policy, programmes, structures and concepts and developed in dialogue appropriate standards, for example; – setting goals, the design of the pro-
between all stakeholders in a society. Based on the research of needs of lear- gramme, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the activity.
ners, facilitators and communities and the debate in the framework of NILE
56 57
Based on one underlying principle: Using different interactive methods the participants were encou-
To contribute to the process of raising awareness and enhancing knowledge raged to reflect from the perspective of different roles and to check their
and skills of everyone in our society to live in a culturally and socially hete- attitudes towards intercultural dialogue in the light of migration chal-
rogeneous environment, to acknowledge, respect and live with diversity, and lenges. The workshop provided participants both with theoretical and
to foster democracy. practical knowledge of intercultural communication and how to put into
practice this mindset in their everyday life as active citizens.
2. Enhancing Good Practice in ILA

Encourage the integration of the target group.
Institutional Support The practice of ILA should promote the opportunity for groups from dif-
Any programmes which promote Intercultural Learning Activities in all lear- ference cultures, religions or ethnicities to meet each other. The target group
ning settings need to be institutionally supported since they involve poli- should be diverse. This means that we are in favour of courses and actions de-
tical, legal and ideological issues. This institutional support, backed up by signed for particular or specific target groups, but not in exclusivity, therefore,
sufficient resource is therefore, a pre-condition for implementing ILA. we promote a variety of different courses and activities, for example language
classes with students from different nationalities.
Nevertheless, in some cases we need to make some exceptions, when
Example we come across a possible cultural conflict. Addressing the issues should start
CITUB National Workshop on Intercultural Dialogue and slowly, step by step, paying attention to a range of possible changes. A course
Intercultural Learning for Moroccan women, for example, may be better to start for women only be-
Intercultural learning is not even amongst the highest priorities of trade cause if they have men in the course the women might not attend. From our
unions but intercultural competencies are seen as very important cross- own experience by the end of the course they tend to become more flexible and
cutting skills for trade union activists. to have a more open mind about studying in the same course as men through
The CITUB National Workshop on Intercultural dialogue and In- meeting men and women from different backgrounds from their own.
tercultural learning, seen as an integral part of the facilitators’ work for
developing a strong civic society, was planned and organized from 27-29
March 2008 in Borovez, Bulgaria and its main goal was to make partici- Example
pants – trade union activists and educators of network of CITUB - awa- Workshops of Religions and World Views
re of cultural diversity and differing cultural models, to provoke them to An ex-evangelical religion teacher, Ruthild Hockenjos started this initiative
think positively about diversity and to explore their own tolerance towards in Germany nine years ago. At that time she was working in one school in-
the “otherness” in our world. Berlin where most students attending her lesson were Muslims.
58 59
She noticed the need of developing the possibility of a dialogue between courses delivered some very basic information on how everyday life in
the students. People come together once a month and talk about their Spain is organized, including information about the stores for shopping,
own experiences in religion, world view and tradition according to the the kind of food and transportation system.
topic of the year. It is a democracy based, dialogical meeting. Everybody With this information parents of young migrants could discuss about
has the chance to talk and everybody is seen as an expert for her/his own what was different for them and their children compared with the coun-
experiences. They do not need any other expert. At the end of the year tries where they come from and enabled them to learn about how to
there is a big conference with over one hundred people, directed specifi- move around in their host society.
cally to the teachers but open for everybody.
One small group from the dialogue circle contributes extra time for the
preparation of the annual conference. They also meet once a month for The active participation of the target group
this purpose. Until now, after the conference, the material with the results The active participation of the target group from the conception of the pro-
of the dialogue between the participants is published as teaching mate- ject throughout its whole development is essential as an element of the Inter-
rial in a brochure. Werkstatt der Kulturen in Berlin supports this initia- cultural Learning process that reinforces its independence and improves the
tive, supplies rooms for the monthly meetings and a hall for the annual group’s sense of security in managing their own processes.
conference. Bundeszentrale für Politische Bildung supports publishing
of the teaching material. So far they have published three brochures.
Example
Coalition of Migrant Selforganizations
Transversal themes
In the city of Halle in Germany a Coalition of Migrant Selforganizations
The incorporation of cross-cutting thematic topics in contents of learning has been set up in 2006. Members of different organizations meet on a
programmes, such as environment, health, hygiene, and especially women monthly basis to exchange information and plan activities together on
and equality, enhance and reinforce the work done about values in an inter- local community level. The goal of the coalition is to support the partici-
cultural context. pation of migrants in activities of the city.
Example
Information, Values and Norms of living together for Parents Promoting empowerment
of Immigrants In non-formal or informal educational community projects, the actions
In Spain in different adult education centres courses were organized es- which aim to develop the “empowerment” of minorities should offer support
pecially for mothers and fathers of young immigrants. The content of the so that each group is able to define its needs, look for its own resources and
60 61
days and want to build on their future. However, there are a number of
obstacles that hinder the access of these asylum seekers to regular offers.
The pilot project: “right 2 learn” responded to this and created 15 initial
modules, in contact language, aimed at skills that are useful in a variety
of situations. Between December 2005 and June 2007, the different mo-
dules took place in Flanders and Brussels.
Each module of the training offers a personal-oriented course. This in-
volves improving the social skills of the participants. As a result, they:
- are sure of their ground

- can join groups with which they can share experiences
- can train and adjust their social skills, so that the can always fall back
on them.
to define its own identity inside the society that hosts it. One example is,
enabling community consultation with the representatives of different mig- Key skills such as acting independently, solving problems, accepting
rant associations. Another good idea is to ensure that there is permanent differences, being able to formulate clearly what one wants, etc, are use-
participation in the learner representation in adult learning organizations ful in every context.
and that migrant groups can take part in any forums where decision making
about adult learning or other issues takes place. The role of the facilitator is - can build a social network and expand their existing network.
to support an understanding of the processes, also to escort, help, facilitate
resources, contacts, scholarships or subsidies and mediate on any pedagogi- In our approach, we worked on seven key abilities:
cal or other advice, especially at the beginning of the programme. - displaying self-confident behaviour,
- managing one’s own territory,
Example - thinking and acting autonomously,

“I am because we are” – Working on social abilities of asylum - dealing with one’s emotions, dealing with conflict,
seekers19 - the ability to negotiate and finally,
There is a great need for training and education among asylum seekers - the ability to connect and cooperate.
in reception care. They are searching for meaningful ways to fill their
19
Source: “I am because we are” – Working on social abilities – Report on the course for individual
education for asylum seekers by Vorminglus within the Right 2 Learn project – 2007 – Citizenne
- Brussels
62 63
The questions that are treated are: How do I communicate? What effect and South Eastern Europe, presented by over 2 000 children from 5 to18
do I have on others? What are my qualities? What is present in my terri- years old. It is a good example of intercultural and cross generational
tory? What do I want out of life and how can I achieve it? How do I deal exchange which brings together values and emotions in sharing and
with negative emotions? How do I react in conflict situations? The chro- preserving the cultural heritage of the region.
nology of the key abilities is important. For example, one cannot negoti- Another example from Romania is a traditional “Volleyball Festi-
ate well if one does not know what one wants (managing territory). val” which is organized for the former volleyball players from Hungary,
These abilities provide a great source of strength to fall back on. This Romania and Serbia. The aim of this annual tournament is particularly
source of strength is not continuous, it needs constant maintenance. relevant to the field of intercultural learning.
This implies that it’s not a one-time process but a course that must be In Germany a young Islamic organization based in Berlin had the
experienced, adjusted, practiced, throughout one’s life. idea to organize a soccer match between imams and Christian leaders,
which brought a lot of fun to the players and spectators. It is now es-
tablished as an annual event.
Recreational spaces (sports, art…) based in the learning environment
Intercultural Learning projects and practices based in sports, recreation and
arts activities are a good approach to overcome barriers and let people have Contents should be taken from reality
fun together. Music or any other artistic expression used by facilitators or Intercultural Learning is mainly an adaptation relating to the new reality
trainees in their own collective and individual skills is also an important affecting both minority or the immigrant and the host or majority commu-
element of ILA. At the same time, inside the learning group, artistic expres- nities. Therefore, the contents should be taken from a concrete social reality.
sion, games and sports can sometimes provide a common language without Employment programmes; getting to know the environment and informati-
having to rely on language skills for understanding each other. on about institutional resources, social, working, educational and training,
cultural and artistic opportunties are tools with which we can build curri-
cula. Aspects of everyday life that provide solutions to basic needs and inte-
Examples rests in relation to citizen participation are able to be incorporated into the
Intercultural Festivals and Weeks curriculum.
In this field we can find lots of in Spain festivals as examples: “Leganes
Open City Intercultural”, “La Mar de Músicas” (“A Sea of Music”) from
Cartagena, Cultural Weeks.
The Child “Ethno Festival” traditionally organised by CITUB
since 2001 in the Mineral Spas of Haskovo, Bulgaria. The festival is a
celebration of diversity playing music and dances of the Balkan region
64 65
Chapter IV – Conditions for “Good Practice” in Intercultural Learning List of References
Example Annexe and References

Strawberry Harvest
As an example we could mention a Popular University (PU) from the
south of Spain working on agriculture. The PU works with and supports
temporary workers for the strawberry harvest and this provides an edu-
cational topic for Spanish classes. List of References (selection)
We could also highlight the experience of a Dominican Women
Association in Lérida, Cataluña. They have developed a programme on AMORIM, L. (2001): Intercultural Learning: A Few Awareness Tips for US and
Language learning that has as the main central activity housework and European Follows & Host Community Foundations. Presented for Community
cooking since that is the main activity for them in the area. Foundation Transatlantic Fellowship (Orientation Session) on June 2 – 4, 2001,
Washington.
Integration of ILA into educational practice means a process of ARNOT, M., DILLABOUGH, J. - A. (2000): Challenging Democracy: Internati-
mutual adaptation onal Perspectives on Gender, Education and Citizenship. New York: Routledge &
Intercultural learning programmes and activities should be seen in terms of Falmer.
rights and duties for all concerned. Here, we include both the macro stra-
tegies and action plans and in the learning group, where social acceptance BYRAM, M., NEUNER, G., PERMENTER, L., STARKEY, H., ZARATE, G.,
takes rights and duties towards “integration” and adaptation for both mig- (2003): Intercultural Competence, Council of Europe
rant and host communities. In this respect we want to mention a practice
that we use in some immigrant support centres in Spain. When learners get CORDER, N. (2002): Learning to Teach Adults: An Introduction. London: Rout-
involved in any service or language classes, each one signs a “contract agree- ledge & Falmer.
ment” where he or she promise to accept the centre’s rules, as a condition of
starting a class. This does not mean that he/she can not propose or influence FINKBEINER, C., KOPLIN, C. (2000). Handlungsorientiert Fremdverstehen leh-
the classes, but must always do this within the framework of the agreed rules ren und lernen. Fremdsprachenunterricht, 4, 254-261.
such as: attendance, respect for others’ opinions, etc.
FINKBEINER, C., KOPLIN, C., (2002) “A Cooperative Approach for Facilitating
Intercultural Education”
GOBBO, F. (2000): Religious Multiculturalism and Intercultural Education: Re-

flections on the Educational Experiences at the Waldensian Collegio della Santa
66 67
List of References List of References
Trinità in Torre Pellice. In: Intercultural Education, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 289 – 303. 137-167). Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press. The iceberg concept of culture.
HOFSTEDE, G. (1997). Cultures and organizations: Soft ware of the mind. Inter- WHITE L. (1949): Science of Culture
cultural cooperation and its importance for survival. New York: McGraw-Hill. WOLF, H. G., POLZENHAGEN, F. (2006): “Intercultural communication in
English: Arguments for a cognitive approach to intercultural pragmatics‘. Inter-
KROEBER A., KLUCKHOHN C. (1952): Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts cultural Pragmatics, Volume 3, Number 3. Walter de Gruyter: Berlin, New York.
and Definitions.
LARCHER, DIETMAR, Centre for Intercultural Studies, Viena, www.cis.or.at
MARTIN, R. (2001): Listening Up: Reinventing Ourselves as Educators and Stu-
dents. Portsmouth: Heinemann. SMILE Training Facilitators Seminar, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, 2005 “Participa-
tory Methods for Shaping Our Realities” – SMILE – Seeding for Multiethnic and
NESBITT, E. (2004): Intercultural Education. Ethnographic and Religious Ap- Intercultural Learning Experiences – Project
proaches. London: Sussex Academic Press.
T-Kit No. 4 – Intercultural Learning, 2004
PAIGE, M., JORSTAD, H., SIAYA, L., KLEIN, F., COLBY, J., (1999) Culture Lear-
ning in Language Education: A Review of the Literature; it was originally pub- The religious dimension of intercultural education, Council of Europe, 2005
lished as a chapter in the CARLA working paper entitled Culture as the Core:
Integrating Culture into the Language Curriculum Training Kit on Intercultural Learning, Council of Europe and European Com-
PEROTTI, A. (1994): The case for intercultural education, Council of Europe mission, 2000
ROGERS, A. (2002): Teaching Adults. Buckingham: Open University Press. WBT Interkulturelle Kompetenz. ESTA – Bildungswerk (Hrsg.), Bad Oeynhau-
sen. 2006
SEELYE, H. N., (1993): Teaching culture – Strategies for intercultural communication‘
Arbeiterwohlfahrt Bezirk Westliches Westfalen e.V. (eds.): Pflege ist Pflege – oder
SQUIRES, G. (2002): Managing Your Learning. New York: Routledge. vielleicht nicht? Dortmund. 2000
VERMEYLE, R., Salto Humano Deutsches Institut für Erwachsenenbildung. Grünhage-Monetti (eds.): Interkul-
turelle Kompetenz in der Zuwanderungsgesellschaft. 2006
WEAVER, G.R. (1993). Understanding and coping with cross-cultural adjustment
stress. In M. Paige (Ed.), Education for the intercultural experience (2nd ed., pp.
68 69
Websites Questionnaire
Websites
Questionnaire
www.varianty.cz/english/online.php.
www.intercultural-dialogue.eu
www.integration-eu.org. The working group of NILE on the issue of exploring teaching and learning
methods, which relate to intercultural learning, when working with diverse
www.dialogue-education.org minority/migrant groups has developed a questionnaire with the aim of
collecting experiences from teachers and trainers.
www.smile.dvv-international.org
The aim is to develop a Guideline of training principles for trainers, invol-
www.training-youth.net ved in the process of IL
www.readingonline.org/newliteracies/finkbeiner/#finkbeinerpressa%23finkbeinerpressa:
Questionnaire
www.readingonline.org/newliteracies/finkbeiner/#hofstede97#hofstede97 (Fill in the form by clicking the grey areas and enter the information)
www.carla.umn.edu/culture/resources/index.html Section A: General Information

www.education.gov.mt/edu/edu_division/life_long_learning/key_message_1.htm
1. Name and e-mail address and mailing address of your Organi-
http://assetproject.info/valuing_diversity/case_studies.htm sation or Institution
http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/enviroprojects/what.html Name:
Adresse:
E-mail:
70 71
Questionnaire Questionnaire
2. Name of the person, filling in the questionnaire: conditions for delivering IL courses( IL courses are situations, where per-
sons from at least two different cultural backgrounds are learning toge-
Name: ther), based on your experience?
Adresse:
3. What kind of learning and facilitation materials do you use? Please list
E-mail: some of them.
3. Please list a brief overview of your experience in the field of IL, specifying: 4. Please list 3- 4 examples of barriers/problems that you encounter when
delivering IL courses:
the type of course: short term,1-3 days
workshop Barrier:
long term
others Brief notes for
the example:
the field of topics: social work
adult education Possibility to overcome
administration the barrier(s)
European projects work
others
5. Please list 3-4 examples of elements of success that you encounter when
delivering IL courses:
Section B: Specific Information
Elements:
1.How do you identify the needs of the group in terms of intercultural awa-
reness of the trainer/teacher/facilitator? Brief notes for
the example:
2.How does the learners’ cultural/ethnic profile/background influence the
process of IL? Please specify the most appropriate learning environment/ Positive effect
72 73
Questionnaire Questionnaire
6. What do you do to overcome the language challenge? 9. What kind of criteria and instruments for evaluation of the course do you
use? Please, specify them.
7. Please list and describe 2-3 methods from your experience used in IL
courses. 10. If you are aware of networks focussing on intercultural education issues
on national regional or international level please provide us with the
Method: Web or e-mail addresses.
Institution: /
Brief description
of the method: E-mail: /
Skills, needed by the trainer Web: /

to deliver the IL method
Positive effect 11. Are you interested to be included in a mailing list and receive informa-
tion about the future network?
8. Please indicate 5 most important rules that should be established in an YES ☐

intercultural group in order to accomplish successfully the course:
NO ☐
1.
2.
3.
Thank you !
4.
5.
74 75
The Network on Intercultural Learning in Europe is
the first Europe wide network that has started to look
in a more systematic way at the potential of adult
education in facing the challenges of cultural, ethnic
and religious diversity in Europe. The activities of
NILE since 2002 give evidence that such a network
has an important structural function for an exchange
of experiences on the wider issues of migration, inte-
gration and anti-discrimination and especially on
the role that adult education plays in this.
dvv international | Obere Wilhelmstr. 32 | 53225 Bon

www.dvv-international.de | www.intercultural-learning.

Methodological Guide

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Implementing Intercultural

Good Practice Examples

Languages: English, German, Polish, Slovak, Romanian, Hungarian

Implementing Intercultural Learning Activities

II Successful Intercultural Learning Activities

A special thank you for extra editing goes to:

Chapter I Oliver Hinkelbein from the Projektwerkstatt Umwelt und Entwick-

2. A Conceptual Model of Intercultural Learning

of the art” on Intercultural Learning in the different countries we became

“Inter- means it happens between at least two things (objects, individuals,

Circumstances for acquiring intercultural competencies

Ability to negotiate misunderstandings

Ground Rules Barriers that may occur in any group

Sexual orientation Learning difficulties and disabilities

- be a good observer however not only of the group but of himself/herself so

The learner-centered Approach

3. Managing group work for Intercultural Learning

An environment that creates conditions for self-confidence and mutual trust

The group work process

Techniques for managing Group Dynamics

Authority in the group Different learning styles

- a workshop, where we discuss, debate, reflect on and learn about an issue;

ting the space of each individuals participant. 3. Deciding on the topic

About the organizational setting for the ILA

Example of a goal that educators, providing

The learning objectives should be concrete, realistic/accessible and measu- Objectives:

Aims of the training:

- What topics are of interest to my learners?

3.4 Choosing the Methods and Supplementary Tools

heuristic conversa- keeping a “learning

role play panel discussion Balint Groups

Example of a Case Study Method used in ILA18 realize that it is unacceptable?

The Case 3.5 Activities Plan

- standards of the course

Example of a workshop evaluation form Example of learner self-evaluation

Thank you for your participation!

2. Enhancing Good Practice in ILA

Each module of the training offers a personal-oriented course. This in-

volves improving the social skills of the participants. As a result, they:

- are sure of their ground

Example - thinking and acting autonomously,

Example Annexe and References

GOBBO, F. (2000): Religious Multiculturalism and Intercultural Education: Re-

www.carla.umn.edu/culture/resources/index.html Section A: General Information

Skills, needed by the trainer Web: /

8. Please indicate 5 most important rules that should be established in an YES ☐

dvv international | Obere Wilhelmstr. 32 | 53225 Bon

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