Martyn Barrett - Assessing Intercultural Competence at School - Handout

Assessing Intercultural Competence at School
Trainer: Martyn Barrett
Workshop held at the

European Federation for Intercultural Learning (EFIL)
Volunteer Summer Summit 2016
San Servolo, Venice
July 30th-August 4th 2016
Handout for workshop participants

Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS)
Bennett (1986, 1993)
The ethnocentric stages
Stage 1: Denial
At this stage, the individual is either unaware of or denies the existence of cultural differences
in the world:
 The person’s own culture is experienced as the only one which exists
 Individuals at this stage are completely uninterested in cultural difference
 Older individuals at this stage avoid other cultures by isolating themselves in
homogeneous groups away from people of other cultures
 However, they may act aggressively to try and eliminate a cultural difference if they
do become aware of it
Stage 2: Defence
At this stage, cultural differences are recognised and acknowledged but one’s own culture is
regarded as being the only good or right one:
 The world is organized into “us vs. them”, with strong ingroup favouritism occurring
 Individuals at this stage feel threatened by cultural difference
 Individuals at this stage are highly critical of other cultures as a psychological defence
 High levels of negative stereotyping occur as a psychological defence
Stage 3: Minimisation
At this stage, cultural differences are recognised and acknowledged but only at a superficial
level while maintaining that all human beings are essentially the same:
 There is an attempt to avoid stereotypes and even appreciate differences in culture
 However, there is a tendency to universalise elements of one’s own culture to all
human beings
 Individuals at this stage look for, and expect there to be, similarities between all
cultures
 Cultural differences are minimised
The ethnorelative stages
Stage 4: Acceptance
At this stage, one’s own culture is experienced as just one among many equally complex
worldviews and cultures:
 Individuals at this stage are curious about and respectful toward cultural differences
 A respect for cultural differences in behaviour usually emerges first, followed by a
deeper respect for cultural differences in values.
 Individuals at this stage begin to interpret phenomena from the standpoint of other
cultures
 They may also start to make cultural comparisons and contrasts
 Some other cultures may still be judged negatively, but these judgments are no longer
based on ethnocentric reasoning
Stage 5: Adaptation
At this stage, individuals are able to experience other cultures from their own perspective:
 The individual perceives and behaves in a way which is appropriate to the other
culture (i.e., the individual becomes bicultural/pluricultural)
 Intercultural empathy and perspective-taking emerge
 The individual’s own worldview is expanded to include aspects of other cultural
worldviews
 Individuals at this stage are able to adapt their behaviour to communicate more
effectively in the other culture
 Cognitive adaptation tends to occur first (the values and norms of the other culture are
appreciated) followed by behavioural adaptation (the behaviours which are
appropriate to the values and norms of the other culture are produced)
Stage 6: Integration
At this stage, experience of the self is expanded to include movement in and out of different
cultural worldviews:
 Individuals in this stage value a variety of cultures
 They are adept at evaluating situations from multiple frames of reference
 They are also constantly defining their own identity and evaluating their own values
and behaviour in relationship to a multitude of cultures
 Individuals at this stage have to deal with issues concerning their own “cultural
marginality”
 They may see themselves as a process rather than as a fixed entity, or they may
construct a novel identity which is not based on any one culture
 This stage tends to be displayed among non-dominant minority groups, long-term
expatriates, and cosmopolitan nomads
1
The components of intercultural competence identified by

Byram (2008, Byram et al., 2009)
1. Attitudes: Respect for otherness

• Intercultural competence (IC) requires a willingness to suspend your own values, beliefs
and behaviours, not to assume that they are the only possible and naturally correct ones.
• IC also requires a willingness to accept that people from other cultures have different sets
of values, beliefs and behaviours from one’s own.
• IC therefore requires an attitude of respect for otherness.
• This respect is exhibited in a readiness to suspend belief about the ‘naturalness’ of your
own culture and a readiness to accept that the members of other cultures may view their
own culture as ‘natural’.
• Respect for otherness is also exhibited in being interested in and curious about people
from other cultures.
2. Attitudes: Empathy
• IC also involves understanding other people’s perspectives, and being able to project
yourself imaginatively into the beliefs, values, thoughts and feelings of people from other
cultures – in other words, IC involves empathy.
• Success in understanding people from other cultures depends on:
– being able to ‘decentre’ from our own cultural presuppositions, that is, becoming aware
of what is usually unconscious
– being able to adopt other people’s perspective, and accepting that their ways also seem
‘natural’ to them
3. Attitudes: Acknowledgement of identities

• A further important aspect of IC, linked to empathy, is the ability to acknowledge the
identities which people from other cultures ascribe to themselves, and to acknowledge the
meanings which they themselves associate with those identities.
4. Attitudes: Multiperspectivity and tolerance of ambiguity

• Because people who belong to different cultures have different beliefs, different values
and different behaviours, IC also involves recognising that there can be multiple
perspectives on, and interpretations of, any given situation.
• Hence, IC requires multiperspectivity, that is, the ability and willingness to take others’
perspectives on events, practices, products and documents into account, in addition to our
own.
• This means that IC also involves the willingness to tolerate ambiguity.
5. Knowledge: Specific and general knowledge about cultures and culture

• In order to understand the perspective of a person from another culture, we need to have
some knowledge about the specific culture of that person and of its practices and products.
• In addition, if we wish to engage in dialogue with a person from another culture, we also
need to have more general knowledge of communication and interaction processes and of
how these processes are shaped by cultural factors.
6. Skills of discovery and interaction

• IC also involves being able to find out new knowledge about another culture, either by
asking other people who are more knowledgeable than ourselves about the other culture,
or by consulting authoritative documentary sources.
2
• In addition, we also need to know how to ask people from other cultures about their
beliefs, values and behaviours, so that we can learn about their culture directly from them.
7. Behavioural flexibility
• Because new cultural knowledge may be acquired during the course of interacting with a
person from another culture, IC requires behavioural flexibility, that is, the ability to adjust
and adapt one’s behaviour as new knowledge about another culture is acquired.
• Alternatively, if new cultural knowledge is acquired from documentary sources, this new
knowledge may also require us to adjust our behaviour on the next occasion we encounter
somebody from that other culture.
8. Communicative awareness
• Problems in intercultural communication often occur because the communication partners
follow different linguistic conventions – for this reason, successful intercultural
communication entails communicative awareness.
• Communicative awareness is the ability to recognise:
– different linguistic conventions
– different non-verbal communicative conventions
– the effects of these different conventions on discourse processes
– the ability to negotiate rules appropriate for intercultural communication under these
conditions
9. Skills of interpreting and relating (seeing similarities and differences)

• Interpretation and explanation of the perspectives, practices and products of another
culture require specific knowledge of the other culture
• However, interpretation and explanation also involve relating and comparing the
perspectives, practices and products of the other culture to corresponding things in one’s
own culture, and the ability to see the similarities and the differences between them.
10. Critical cultural awareness

• Critical cultural awareness is the ability to evaluate perspectives, practices and products
both in one’s own culture and in other cultures, using explicit criteria in order to do so.
• It involves:
– becoming aware of your own preconceptions, stereotypes and prejudices
– identifying the assumptions and values underlying the perspectives, practices and
products of your own culture
– identifying the assumptions and values underlying the perspectives, practices and
products of other cultures
– making an evaluative analysis of the perspectives, practices and products of all of these
cultures (including your own culture), using an explicit set of criteria in order to do so
• Critical cultural awareness therefore involves critical awareness of yourself and of your
own cultural situation and values (not only those of the cultural other), and using the
awareness of cultural otherness to re-evaluate your own everyday patterns of perception,
thought, feeling and behaviour, leading to greater self-knowledge and self-understanding.
11. Action orientation

• Action orientation is a willingness to undertake action, either alone or with other people,
with the aim of making a contribution to the common good.
• Action orientation therefore links IC and intercultural citizenship.
The CQ model of Ang et al. (2007)
CQ (cultural intelligence) is defined as “an individual’s capability to function and manage

effectively in culturally diverse settings”. CQ is conceptualised as comprising of four dimensions, the
metacognitive, cognitive, motivational and behavioural dimensions which have specific relevance to
functioning in culturally diverse settings.
Metacognitive CQ reflects mental processes that individuals use to acquire and understand cultural
knowledge, including knowledge of and control over individual thought processes relating to culture.
Relevant capabilities include planning, monitoring and revising mental models of cultural norms for
countries or groups of people. Those with high metacognitive CQ are consciously aware of others’
cultural preferences before and during interactions. They also question cultural assumptions and
adjust their mental models during and after interactions.
Cognitive CQ is knowledge of the norms, practices and conventions in different cultures acquired
from education and personal experiences. This includes knowledge of the economic, legal and social
systems of different cultures and subcultures and knowledge of basic frameworks of cultural values.
Those with high cognitive CQ understand similarities and differences across cultures
Motivational CQ reflects the capability to direct attention and energy toward learning about and
functioning in situations characterized by cultural differences. Those with high motivational CQ direct
attention and energy toward cross-cultural situations based on intrinsic interest and confidence in their
own cross-cultural effectiveness.
Behavioural CQ reflects the capability to exhibit appropriate verbal and nonverbal actions when
interacting with people from different cultures. This requires having a wide and flexible repertoire of
behaviours. Those with high behavioural CQ exhibit situationally appropriate behaviours based on
their broad range of verbal and nonverbal capabilities, such as exhibiting culturally appropriate words,
tone, gestures and facial expressions.
These four dimensions of CQ are conceptualised as qualitatively different facets of an overall

capability to function and manage effectively in culturally diverse settings. Or, to put it another way,
metacognitive CQ, cognitive CQ, motivational CQ and behavioural CQ are different capabilities that
together form overall CQ. CQ is hypothesised to be culture-free, not specific to a particular culture,
and relevant to all situations characterized by cultural diversity.
Chen and Starosta’s (1996, 2000) Intercultural Communication Model
Intercultural communication competence is comprised of three dimensions: intercultural

awareness, intercultural sensitivity, and intercultural adroitness. Each of these dimensions
contains a set of components.
Intercultural awareness is the cognitive dimension of intercultural communication

competence. It refers to a person’s ability to understand similarities and differences of others’
cultures, and entails understanding the cultural conventions that affect how we think and behave.
Intercultural sensitivity is the affective dimension of intercultural communication

competence. It refers to the emotional desire of a person to acknowledge, appreciate, and
accept cultural differences, and entails a person’s active desire to motivate themselves and to
understand, appreciate, and accept differences among cultures.
Intercultural adroitness is the behavioural dimension of intercultural communication

competence. It refers to an individual’s ability to reach communication goals while
interacting with people from other cultures, and entails the ability to attain communication
goals in intercultural interactions.
Awareness consists of two components (self-awareness and cultural awareness), while

adroitness consists of four components (message skills, appropriate self-disclosure,
behavioural flexibility, and interaction management).
Intercultural sensitivity consists of five components, which are measured by the

Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (ISS):
 Interaction engagement: an individual’s attitude towards participating in intercultural
communications
 Respect for cultural differences: how an individual orientates towards or tolerates the
cultures and opinions of other people
 Interaction confidence: how confident an individual is in intercultural settings
 Interaction enjoyment: how much an individual enjoys communicating with people
from other cultures
 Interaction attentiveness: the effort that an individual makes to understand what is
going on in intercultural interactions
INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE MODEL
From “The Identification and Assessment of Intercultural Competence as a Student Outcome of
Internationalization at Institutions of Higher Education in the United States”
by Dr. Darla K. Deardorff in Journal of Studies in International Education, Fall 2006, 10, p.
241-266 and in The SAGE Handbook of Intercultural Competence, 2009 (Thousand Oaks: Sage).
Pyramid Model of Intercultural Competence (Deardorff, 2006. 2009):
DESIRED EXTERNAL OUTCOME:

Behaving and communicating effectively and
appropriately (based on one’s intercultural
knowledge, skills, and attitudes) to achieve
one’s goals to some degree
DESIRED INTERNAL OUTCOME:

Informed frame of reference/filter shift:
Adaptability (to different communication styles & behaviors;
adjustment to new cultural environments);
Flexibility (selecting and using appropriate communication
styles and behaviors; cognitive flexibility);
Ethnorelative view;
Empathy
Knowledge & Comprehension:

Cultural self-awareness; Skills:
Deep understanding and knowledge of To listen, observe, and interpret
culture (including contexts, role and To analyze, evaluate, and relate
impact of culture & others’ world
views);
Culture-specific information;
Sociolinguistic awareness
Requisite Attitudes:
Respect (valuing other cultures, cultural diversity)
Openness (to intercultural learning and to people from other cultures, withholding judgment)
Curiosity and discovery (tolerating ambiguity and uncertainty)
NOTES:
• Move from personal level (attitude) to interpersonal/interactive level (outcomes)
• Degree of intercultural competence depends on acquired degree of underlying elements
Copyright 2006 by D.K. Deardorff

INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE MODEL
From “The Identification and Assessment of Intercultural Competence as a Student Outcome of
Internationalization at Institutions of Higher Education in the United States”
by Dr. Darla K. Deardorff Deardorff in Journal of Studies in International Education, Fall 2006,
10, p. 241-266 and in The SAGE Handbook of Intercultural Competence, 2009 (Thousand Oaks:
Sage)
Process Model of Intercultural Competence (Deardorff, 2006, 2009):
Attitudes: Knowledge &

Respect (valuing other Comprehension:
cultures); Cultural self-awareness,
deep cultural knowledge,
Openness (withholding sociolinguistic awareness
judgment);
Curiosity & discovery
SKILLS: To listen,
(tolerating ambiguity) observe & evaluate; To
analyze, interpret & relate
Desired External Desired Internal

Outcome: Outcome:
Effective and Informed Frame of

appropriate Reference Shift
communication & (adaptability, flexibility,
behavior in an ethnorelative view,
intercultural situation empathy)
Notes:
• Begin with attitudes; Move from individual level (attitudes) to interaction level (outcomes)
• Degree of intercultural competence depends on acquired degree of attitudes,
knowledge/comprehension, and skills Copyright 2006 by D.K. Deardorff
The 20-item four factor CQS (the CQ Scale)
Strongly Strongly
CQ-Strategy:
DISAGREE AGREE
MC1 I am conscious of the cultural knowledge I use when interacting with
people with different cultural backgrounds. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
MC2 I adjust my cultural knowledge as I interact with people from a culture
that is unfamiliar to me. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
MC3 I am conscious of the cultural knowledge I apply to cross-cultural
interactions. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
MC4 I check the accuracy of my cultural knowledge as I interact with people
from different cultures. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
CQ-Knowledge:
COG1 I know the legal and economic systems of other cultures. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
COG2 I know the rules (e.g., vocabulary, grammar) of other languages. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
COG3 I know the cultural values and religious beliefs of other cultures. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
COG4 I know the marriage systems of other cultures. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
COG5 I know the arts and crafts of other cultures. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
COG6 I know the rules for expressing non-verbal behaviors in other cultures. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
CQ-Motivation:
MOT1 I enjoy interacting with people from different cultures. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
MOT2 I am confident that I can socialize with locals in a culture that is unfamiliar
to me 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
MOT3 I am sure I can deal with the stresses of adjusting to a culture that is
new to me. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
MOT4 I enjoy living in cultures that are unfamiliar to me. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
MOT5 I am confident that I can get used to the shopping conditions in a
different culture. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
CQ-Behavior:
BEH1 I change my verbal behavior (e.g., accent, tone) when a cross-cultural
interaction requires it. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
BEH2 I use pause and silence differently to suit different cross-cultural
situations. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
BEH3 I vary the rate of my speaking when a cross-cultural situation requires it. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
BEH4 I change my non-verbal behavior when a cross-cultural situation
requires it. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
BEH5 I alter my facial expressions when a cross-cultural interaction requires it. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Copyright © Cultural Intelligence Center 2005. Used by permission of the Cultural Intelligence Center. All rights reserved.
Note: Use of this scale is granted to academic researchers for research purposes only. For information on using the scale
for purposes other than academic research (e.g., consultants and non-academic organizations), please send an email to
cquery@culturalq.com.
For additional information see Ang, S., Van Dyne, L., Koh, C.K.S., Ng, K.Y., Templer, K.J., Tay, C., & Chandrasekar, N.A. (in press).
Cultural intelligence: Its measurement and effects on cultural judgment and decision making, cultural adaptation, and
task performance. Management and Organization Review.
Intercultural Communication Studies XI: 2 2002 Fritz, Möllenberg & Chen-Sensitivity
Appendix A. Intercultural Sensitivity Scale
Below is a series of statements concerning intercultural communication. There are no

right or wrong answers. Please work quickly and record your first impression by
indicating the degree to which you agree or disagree with the statement. Thank you for
your cooperation.
5 = strongly agree, 4 = agree, 3 = uncertain, 2 = disagree, 1 = strongly disagree

(Please put the number corresponding to your answer in the blank before the statement)
____ 1. I enjoy interacting with people from different cultures.

____ 2. I think people from other cultures are narrow-minded.
____ 3. I am pretty sure of myself in interacting with people from different cultures.
____ 4. I find it very hard to talk in front of people from different cultures.
____ 5. I always know what to say when interacting with people from different cultures.
____ 6. I can be as sociable as I want to be when interacting with people from different
cultures.
____ 7. I don't like to be with people from different cultures.
____ 8. I respect the values of people from different cultures.
____ 9. I get upset easily when interacting with people from different cultures.
____10. I feel confident when interacting with people from different cultures.
____11. I tend to wait before forming an impression of culturally-distinct counterparts.
____12. I often get discouraged when I am with people from different cultures.
____13. I am open-minded to people from different cultures.
____14. I am very observant when interacting with people from different cultures.
____15. I often feel useless when interacting with people from different cultures.
____16. I respect the ways people from different cultures behave.
____17. I try to obtain as much information as I can when interacting with people from
different cultures.
____18. I would not accept the opinions of people from different cultures.
____19. I am sensitive to my culturally-distinct counterpart's subtle meanings during our
interaction.
____20. I think my culture is better than other cultures.
____21. I often give positive responses to my culturally-different counterpart during our
interaction.
____22. I avoid those situations where I will have to deal with culturally-distinct persons.
____23. I often show my culturally-distinct counterpart my understanding through verbal
or nonverbal cues.
____24. I have a feeling of enjoyment towards differences between my culturally-distinct
counterpart and me.
(Items 2, 4, 7, 9, 12, 15, 18, 20, and 22 are reverse-coded before summing the 24 items.
Interaction Engagement items are 1, 11, 13, 21, 22, 23, and 24, Respect for Cultural
Differences items are 2, 7, 8, 16, 18, and 20, Interaction Confidence items are 3, 4, 5, 6,
and 10, Interaction Enjoyment items are 9, 12, and 15, and Interaction Attentiveness items
are 14, 17, and 19.)
176
INTERCULTURAL KNOWLEDGE AND COMPETENCE VALUE RUBRIC
for more information, please contact value@aacu.org
The VALUE rubrics were developed by teams of faculty experts representing colleges and universities across the United States through a process that examined many existing campus rubrics and related
documents for each learning outcome and incorporated additional feedback from faculty. The rubrics articulate fundamental criteria for each learning outcome, with performance descriptors demonstrating
progressively more sophisticated levels of attainment. The rubrics are intended for institutional-level use in evaluating and discussing student learning, not for grading. The core expectations articulated in all 15
of the VALUE rubrics can and should be translated into the language of individual campuses, disciplines, and even courses. The utility of the VALUE rubrics is to position learning at all undergraduate levels
within a basic framework of expectations such that evidence of learning can by shared nationally through a common dialog and understanding of student success.
Definition
Intercultural Knowledge and Competence is "a set of cognitive, affective, and behavioral skills and characteristics that support effective and appropriate interaction in a variety of cultural contexts.”
(Bennett, J. M. 2008. Transformative training: Designing programs for culture learning. In Contemporary leadership and intercultural competence: Understanding and utilizing cultural diversity to build successful organizations, ed.
M. A. Moodian, 95-110. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.)
Framing Language
The call to integrate intercultural knowledge and competence into the heart of education is an imperative born of seeing ourselves as members of a world community, knowing that we share the future
with others. Beyond mere exposure to culturally different others, the campus community requires the capacity to: meaningfully engage those others, place social justice in historical and political context, and put
culture at the core of transformative learning. The intercultural knowledge and competence rubric suggests a systematic way to measure our capacity to identify our own cultural patterns, compare and contrast
them with others, and adapt empathically and flexibly to unfamiliar ways of being.
The levels of this rubric are informed in part by M. Bennett's Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (Bennett, M.J. 1993. Towards ethnorelativism: A developmental model of intercultural
sensitity. In Education for the intercultural experience, ed. R. M. Paige, 22-71. Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press). In addition, the criteria in this rubric are informed in part by D.K. Deardorff's intercultural
framework which is the first research-based consensus model of intercultural competence (Deardorff, D.K. 2006. The identification and assessment of intercultural competence as a student outcome of
internationalization. Journal of Studies in International Education 10(3): 241-266). It is also important to understand that intercultural knowledge and competence is more complex than what is reflected in this
rubric. This rubric identifies six of the key components of intercultural knowledge and competence, but there are other components as identified in the Deardorff model and in other research.
Glossary
The definitions that follow were developed to clarify terms and concepts used in this rubric only.
• Culture: All knowledge and values shared by a group.
• Cultural rules and biases: Boundaries within which an individual operates in order to feel a sense of belonging to a society or group, based on the values shared by that society or group.
• Empathy: "Empathy is the imaginary participation in another person’s experience, including emotional and intellectual dimensions, by imagining his or her perspective (not by assuming the person’s
position)". Bennett, J. 1998. Transition shock: Putting culture shock in perspective. In Basic concepts of intercultural communication, ed. M. Bennett, 215-224. Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press.
• Intercultural experience: The experience of an interaction with an individual or groups of people whose culture is different from your own.
• Intercultural/ cultural differences: The differences in rules, behaviors, communication and biases, based on cultural values that are different from one's own culture.
• Suspends judgment in valuing their interactions with culturally different others: Postpones assessment or evaluation (positive or negative) of interactions with people culturally different from one self.
Disconnecting from the process of automatic judgment and taking time to reflect on possibly multiple meanings.
• Worldview: Worldview is the cognitive and affective lens through which people construe their experiences and make sense of the world around them.
INTERCULTURAL KNOWLEDGE AND COMPETENCE VALUE RUBRIC
for more information, please contact value@aacu.org
Definition
Intercultural Knowledge and Competence is "a set of cognitive, affective, and behavioral skills and characteristics that support effective and appropriate interaction in a variety of cultural contexts.” (Bennett, J. M. 2008. Transformative training: Designing
programs for culture learning. In Contemporary leadership and intercultural competence: Understanding and utilizing cultural diversity to build successful organizations, ed. M. A. Moodian, 95-110. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.)
Evaluators are encouraged to assign a zero to any work sample or collection of work that does not meet benchmark (cell one) level performance.
Capstone Milestones Benchmark

4 3 2 1
Knowledge Articulates insights into own cultural rules and Recognizes new perspectives about own cultural Identifies own cultural rules and biases (e.g. with a Shows minimal awareness of own cultural rules and
Cultural self- awareness biases (e.g. seeking complexity; aware of how rules and biases (e.g. not looking for sameness; strong preference for those rules shared with own biases (even those shared with own cultural
her/ his experiences have shaped these rules, and comfortable with the complexities that new cultural group and seeks the same in others.) group(s)) (e.g. uncomfortable with identifying
how to recognize and respond to cultural biases, perspectives offer.) possible cultural differences with others.)
resulting in a shift in self-description.)
Knowledge Demonstrates sophisticated understanding of the Demonstrates adequate understanding of the Demonstrates partial understanding of the Demonstrates surface understanding of the
Knowledge of cultural worldview frameworks complexity of elements important to members of complexity of elements important to members of complexity of elements important to members of complexity of elements important to members of
another culture in relation to its history, values, another culture in relation to its history, values, another culture in relation to its history, values, another culture in relation to its history, values,
politics, communication styles, economy, or beliefs politics, communication styles, economy, or beliefs politics, communication styles, economy, or beliefs politics, communication styles, economy, or beliefs
and practices. and practices. and practices. and practices.
Skills Interprets intercultural experience from the Recognizes intellectual and emotional dimensions Identifies components of other cultural Views the experience of others but does so through
Empathy perspectives of own and more than one worldview of more than one worldview and sometimes uses perspectives but responds in all situations with own own cultural worldview.
and demonstrates ability to act in a supportive more than one worldview in interactions. worldview.
manner that recognizes the feelings of another
cultural group.
Skills Articulates a complex understanding of cultural Recognizes and participates in cultural differences Identifies some cultural differences in verbal and Has a minimal level of understanding of cultural
Verbal and nonverbal communication differences in verbal and nonverbal communication in verbal and nonverbal communication and begins nonverbal communication and is aware that differences in verbal and nonverbal communication;
(e.g., demonstrates understanding of the degree to to negotiate a shared understanding based on those misunderstandings can occur based on those is unable to negotiate a shared understanding.
which people use physical contact while differences. differences but is still unable to negotiate a shared
communicating in different cultures or use understanding.
direct/ indirect and explicit/ implicit meanings) and
is able to skillfully negotiate a shared understanding
based on those differences.
Attitudes Asks complex questions about other cultures, seeks Asks deeper questions about other cultures and Asks simple or surface questions about other States minimal interest in learning more about other
Curiosity out and articulates answers to these questions that seeks out answers to these questions. cultures. cultures.
reflect multiple cultural perspectives.
Attitudes Initiates and develops interactions with culturally Begins to initiate and develop interactions with Expresses openness to most, if not all, interactions Receptive to interacting with culturally different
Openness different others. Suspends judgment in valuing culturally different others. Begins to suspend with culturally different others. Has difficulty others. Has difficulty suspending any judgment in
her/ his interactions with culturally different others. judgment in valuing her/ his interactions with suspending any judgment in her/ his interactions her/ his interactions with culturally different others,
culturally different others. with culturally different others, and is aware of own but is unaware of own judgment.
judgment and expresses a willingness to change.
Autobiography
of Intercultural
Encounters
Language Policy Division

The Autobiography of Intercultural Encounters is a concrete response to the
recommendations of the Council of Europe’s White Paper on Intercultural
Dialogue “Living together as equals in dignity” (http://www.coe.int/dialogue),
Section 5.3 “Learning and teaching intercultural competences”, paragraph 152:
“Complementary tools should be developed to encourage students to

exercise independent critical faculties including to reflect critically on
their own responses and attitudes to experiences of other cultures.”
The Council of Europe is a political intergovernmental organisation founded

in 1949 with its permanent headquarters in Strasbourg, France. Its mission is
to guarantee democracy, human rights and justice in Europe. Today it serves
800 million people in 47 states. The Council of Europe aims to build a greater
Europe based on shared values, including tolerance and respect for cultural and
linguistic diversity.
The Autobiography of Intercultural Encounters and supporting documents were

developed for the Language Policy Division of the Council of Europe by:
Michael Byram, Martyn Barrett, Julia Ipgrave,
Robert Jackson, María del Carmen Méndez García
with contributions from:

Eithne Buchanan-Barrow, Leah Davcheva,
Peter Krapf, Jean-Michel Leclercq
For further acknowledgements, please see the Introduction.
The views expressed in the Autobiography and supporting documents are the
responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the
Council of Europe.
Copyright of this publication is held by the Council of Europe, March 2009.
Reproduction of material from this publication is authorised for non-commercial

education purposes only and on condition that the source is properly quoted.
No parts of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted for commercial

purposes in any form or by any means, electronic (CD-Rom, Internet, etc.) or
mechanical including photocopying, recording or any information storage or
retrieval system, without the permission in writing from the Publishing Division
(publishing@coe.int), Directorate of Communication, of the Council of Europe.
graphic design : Anne Habermacher
www.coe.int/lang
© Council of Europe • Language Policy Division Autobiography of Intercultural Encounters 2/20

What is
Autobiography of Intercultural Encounters
the Autobiography
of Intercultural
Encounters?
This Autobiography has been designed to help you analyse a specific intercultural
encounter which you have experienced. You do this by answering a sequence of
questions about various aspects of that encounter.
An intercultural encounter can be an experience you had with someone from a

different country, but it can also be an experience with someone from another
cultural background in your country. It might be, for example, someone you met
from another region, someone who speaks a different language, someone from a
different religion or from a different ethnic group.
This focus is on ONE event or experience which you have had with someone
different from yourself. For example, avoid talking in general terms about a holiday
which you have had, and instead choose just one specific encounter or meeting
which you have had with a particular person from another country or culture. It may
be somebody you already know and have known for some time.
The event could be a visit to that person’s house. It could be a meeting with someone
from a foreign country or another region of your own country. It could be something
that happened whilst on a trip abroad, and so on.

…
Here are some examples from other people:
• An English teenager met a foreigner for the first time in Turkey. She and her
mother talked to him because they got lost in the town.
• A ten-year old girl went for a holiday to Egypt. There she got acquainted with
a local girl of 11. They met on the beach and first communicated with the help
of gestures. She learned that her parents worked at the hotel where her family
was staying.
• A German boy went to stay at his friend’s house. His parents came to this
country from Japan but he was born here.
• A young Bulgarian woman got to know a Hungarian and a Turkish guy at an

international airport in the US. She was intrigued by the different ways they
responded to critically delayed flights.
• A university student arriving in France, frightened and tired, and being amazed
at how friendly and caring the bus driver could be.
• A Bulgarian boy congratulating his Armenian friend on Christmas day and

realising and feeling embarrassed that Armenian Christmas was on a different
day.
Notice that the encounters can be in your own country, in your own
neighbourhood, in your own home, in a foreign country or on a journey –
in other words anywhere you happen to be.
Choose an experience which was important for you - it made you think, it surprised
you, you enjoyed it, you found it difficult, etc., and give the experience a name or
title, Turkish experience”, “My first conversation in a foreign language”,
“Staying with a Japanese friend”, “Delays at the airport”, “Arrival in France”, “The
wrong day for Christmas”…
This Autobiography helps you to think about the experience by asking you questions
about it. Try to answer the questions as honestly as possible. It does not matter if
the experience is positive or negative.
All experiences are important.

Who I am
(Optional)
How would you define yourself?

Think about things that are especially important to you in how you think about
yourself and how you like others to see you.*
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Today’s date
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Encounter title and / or number
*Here are some elements you may wish to include if you find them to be an important
part of your identity: your name, age, gender, nationality, ethnic group, country,
region or community where you live or come from, religion, languages, etc. Or you
could include being a son/daughter, brother / sister, school student, member of a
sports team, member of any other type of club, etc.
Name

1
The encounter
Title
Give the encounter a name which says something about it…
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Description
What happened when you met this person / these people?
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Time
When did it happen?
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Location
Where did it happen? What were you doing there?
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Today’s date
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Was it… (please tick one or more)

❑❑ study –
❑❑ leisure –
❑❑ on holiday –
❑❑ at work –
❑❑ at school –
❑❑ other –
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Name
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The encounter
1
Importance
Why have you chosen this experience?
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Was it because… (please tick one or more)

❑❑ It made me think about something I had not thought about before
❑❑ It was the first time I had had this kind of experience….
❑❑ It was the most recent experience of that kind
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❑❑ It surprised me
❑❑ It disappointed me
❑❑ It pleased me
❑❑ It angered me
❑❑ It changed me
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Add any other reactions in your own words and say what you think caused your
reaction…
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What else?
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Today’s date
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Name

2
The other person or people

Who else was involved?
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Give the name of the person or people if you know…
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Write something about them…

What was the first thing you noticed about them? What did they look
like? What clothes were they wearing?
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Were they were male/female, or older / younger than you, or did they

belong to a different nationality or religion or region, or any other thing
you think is important about them?
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Today’s date
What else?
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Name

3
Your feelings
Describe how you felt at the time by completing these sentences?
My feelings or emotions at the time were…
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My thoughts at the time were…
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What I did at the time was…

(for example did you pretend you had not noticed something that was
strange? Did you change the subject of the conversation which had become
embarrassing? Did you ask questions about what you found strange?)…
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Today’s date
What else?
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Name

4
The other person’s feelings

Imagine yourself in their position…
How do you think the other people felt in the situation at the time? This
can be difficult but try and imagine what they felt at the time. Happy or
upset/stressed, or what? How did you know?
What do you think they were thinking when all this happened? Do you
think they found it strange, or interesting, or what?
Choose one or more of these or add your own and say why you have
chosen it.
For them it was an everyday experience / an unusual experience / a surprising

experience / a shocking experience / because…
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Choose one or more of the options below and complete the sentence
or add your own ideas.
The other people involved in the experience appeared to have the following
feelings - surprise / shock / delight / no special feelings /…
Today’s date
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Name

The other person’s feelings
4
I noticed this because of what they did / said and / or how they looked,
for example they… (say what you noticed)
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I am not sure because they seemed to hide their feelings…
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What else?
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Today’s date
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Name

5
Same and different

Thinking about the similarities and differences between the ways in which
you thought and felt about the situation and the ways in which they thought
and felt about it…
were you aware at the time of any similarities and, if so, what were
they?
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were you aware at the time of any differences and, if so, what were
they?
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Today’s date
Looking back at the situation…
are you aware now of any other similarities, and if so what are
they?
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Name

Same and different
5
are you aware now of any other differences, and if so what are they?
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...................................................................................
How do you see your own thoughts, feelings and actions now?
First thoughts
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Choose one or more of the following and complete the sentence

OR invent your own.
The way I acted in the experience was appropriate because what I did was…
I think I could have acted differently by doing the following…
I think the best reaction from me would have been…
My reaction was good because…
I hid my emotions by…
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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What else?
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Today’s date
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Name

6
Talking to each other

When you think about how you spoke to or communicated with the other
people, do you remember that you made adjustments in how you talked
or wrote to them?
First thoughts
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Further ideas – for example:

I was talking to them in my own language and I noticed I needed to make
adjustments to help them understand me, for example…
I was not speaking in my own language and I had to make adjustments to

make myself understood - to simplify / to explain using gestures, by explaining
a word, by…
I noticed things about how they spoke – that they simplified, that they used
gestures, that they spoke more slowly…
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Today’s date
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Name
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Talking to each other
6
Did you already have any knowledge or previous experience which helped you
to communicate better?
First thoughts
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Further ideas – for example:

I already knew things about how people communicate and behave in other groups
which helped me to understand the experience and communicate better – I knew
for example that…
I knew that other people involved in the experience thought and acted differently
because of what they had learnt as children, for example…
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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What else?
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Today’s date
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Name

7
Finding out more

There may have been things in the experience which puzzled you and you
tried to find out more at the time.
If you did so, how did you do it?
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If you have found out an answer since, how did you do it?
For example:
There were things I did not understand, so I tried to find out by asking questions
at the time / reading about it / looking on the internet / asking questions…
I used the following sources for information…
When finding new information I noticed the following similarities and

differences with things I know from my own society…
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The following things still puzzle me…
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Today’s date
What else?
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Name

8
Using comparisons to understand

People often compare things in other groups or cultures with similar things
in their own.
Did you do this? Did it help you to understand what was happening?
For example:
The experience involved some things which were similar to what I know in my
own group and these are the things I noticed…
There were some things which were different from my own group…
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Today’s date
What else?
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Name

9
Thinking back
and looking forward
If, when you look back, you draw conclusions about the experience,
what are they?
Complete as many of these as you can…
I liked the experience for the following reasons…
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I disliked the experience for the following reasons…
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There were some things which I approve of and these are my reasons…
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Today’s date
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There were some things which I disapprove of and these are my reasons…
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Name

Thinking back
and looking forward
9
Try to imagine that you are telling someone you know well about all this.
It could be your brother or sister for example.
Do you think they would have the same opinions as you? Would they approve
and disapprove of the same things for the same reasons?
Try to think about why people you know well and who belong to the same group(s)
as you (same family, same religion, same country, same region etc) might have the
same reactions and write your explanation here:
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Did the experience change you? How?
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Did you decide to do something as a result of this experience?

What did you do?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Will you decide to do something as a result of doing this Autobiography?

If so what?
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23
Assessment of Intercultural
intercultura
Learning – Principles, Practices
and Challenges:
A Summary of the Outcomes
of Four Workshops
Matthew Cantele, Daniela Groeschke, Oana Nestian Sandu
and Martyn Barrett
T
he Fifth Annual Forum on Intercultural
Learning and Exchange, which took place on
October 9th-11th 2014 in Vienna, was devoted
to the theme “Intercultural learning for adolescents:
indicators and measurement of competence acquired
through non-formal education and informal
learning on educational exchanges”. This is a
summary of the four workshops that took place on the
topics of: quantitative assessment methods (led by
Matthew Cantele), qualitative assessment methods
(led by Martyn Barrett), individual assessment vs.
group assessment (led by Daniela Groeschke) and
self-assessment vs. being assessed by others (led by
Oana Nestian Sandu). The World Café methodology
was used in order to give participants the opportunity
to rotate across all four workshops.
A number of common points were made across do an assessment or a self-assessment. A team
the workshops despite their different focal concerns. of assessors with different cultural backgrounds
The assessment method is only one element of the could improve the validity of measurement.
assessment process, which needs to be carefully  If the assessment is for educational purposes, then
chosen after the following aspects have been there should always be conceptual consistency
considered: across educational objectives, learning outcomes,
 There should be a clear identification of who is training methods and assessment – the form of
being assessed, and what their initial starting assessment needs to be chosen so that it ties in with
point is, and the assessor needs to ensure that the the objectives, outcomes and training methods.
assessment method is appropriate for this group  When choosing a method, one also needs to take
and their starting point. into account how the outcomes are going to be
 There should always be a clear conceptualisation used (whether for self-development, for identifying
of the purpose of the assessment (i.e., whether proficiency level, for identifying training needs, for
it is for self-reflective, formative or summative programme evaluation, for fund-raising, etc.) and
evaluation). who is the intended audience of the results of the
 Assessment also requires a clear definition of assessment (whether this is only the student, both
what is being assessed – a conceptualisation of the student and the trainer/teacher, or external
the particular component, competence or learning stakeholders).
outcome which is being assessed.  The choice of assessment method is also inevitably
 Another important consideration in the process affected by the resources which are available to
concerns who is doing the assessment – whether it the assessor, and the use of the ideal method may
is an external assessor, someone who was involved not always be possible – in such circumstances, the
in the educational process or the student himself assessor should focus just on the key components
or herself, and what competences are needed to or learning outcome which need to be assessed.
Intercultura (2015), 76, 23-24

24
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the workshops revealed  Pre/post test assessments are valuable but
intercultura
that many different assessment methods are programs must go beyond this framework to assess
currently being used by Forum participants (see whether a permanent change has taken place.
box below).  Long-term studies are also needed to explore the
Further reflections were made in the workshops development process.
regarding the effectiveness of various assessment  Any measurement at an individual level should
methods and their use in various contexts: be careful when presenting results to avoid
 Invariably, there are no ideal assessment methods normative assessment.
which satisfy all of the above criteria, and assessors  Students themselves should be involved in
need to make the best choice that they can based on deciding the assessment methods to be used, and
a balance across all of the considerations listed above. the methods which are chosen should ideally be
 A distinction may be drawn between verbal and based upon means with which they are familiar.
non-verbal methods, and there is currently a  Quantitative analyses would be best suited to
bias towards the former which may disadvantage show population-level trends over time rather
some students being assessed – further attention than for individual level comparisons.
needs to be devoted to the development of new  Quantitative methods are needed for pragmatic
non-verbal methods and we need to think more considerations because they are often taken
creatively and imaginatively about these. more seriously by policy makers. However,
 Methods triggering reflection should not only quantitative methods should not be prioritised
rely on words, but integrate creative, activating over qualitative methods, nor should they be seen
methods like drawings, dancing, digital story as more ‘scientific’.
telling.  Self-assessment has an important formative role,
which is even more effective when assisted by
others.
 Assessors need to recognise that it is impossible to
Assessment methods used by assess every aspect of intercultural competence
Forum participants let alone citizenship competence or global
• Individual narrative self-reports competence.
• Group-based narrative self-reports  Any assessment should be country-specific and
• Semi-structured interviews aware of cultural biases.
• Peer interviews  A s s e s s m e n t s h o u l d a l w a y s i n v o l v e t h e
• Portfolios of creative self-expressions subsequent evaluation of the assessment itself,
interpreted through narratives
and the extent to which the method has proved
• e-Portfolios (collection of digital artefacts)
interpreted through narratives useful to both students and trainers/teachers
• Direct observation of simulations and real life in terms of enhancing either the learning or the
situations
training or both.
• Case studies
• The development of intercultural / cross-
• Coding of behavioural simulations
• Textual/linguistic analysis cultural / global competence is a process, which
• Reflection on critical incidents needs to be reflected also in the measurement
• Reflection on orientation procedure.
• Group reflection / debriefing • For this reason, it may be the case that multi-
• Letters to self method assessment procedures might be optimal
• Diaries / journals
(if resources permit). How to combine different
• Mentors’ one-to-one
measurement instruments needs to be further
• Indirect observation of social media exchanges
• Facilitated integrated interpretations of
recognized.
experiences over time
• Intercultural Development Inventory (used as a In summary, it was clear from the workshops
qualitative tool to aid self-reflection)
that there are many different considerations which
• Comparison of assessments across students,
parents and hosts need to be factored in when choosing a method
• Introducing a foreign peer to the class to elicit for assessing intercultural / cross-cultural / global
self-reflection
competence, and that the context in which the
• Youth pass – a European recognition tool for
non-formal and informal learning in youth work assessment is taking place is crucial. No single
• Impact of Living Abroad Study (AFS) method is suitable for all purposes and contexts,
• Kaleidoscope Study (AFS) and the choice of method needs to be informed by a
• Workshops to reflect on intercultural balance of the pros and cons of different methods for
experiences
the specific purpose and context that is involved. 
Intercultura (2015), 76, 23-24

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Assessing Intercultural Competence at School

Trainer: Martyn Barrett

Workshop held at the

Handout for workshop participants

The ethnocentric stages

The components of intercultural competence identified by

1. Attitudes: Respect for otherness

3. Attitudes: Acknowledgement of identities

4. Attitudes: Multiperspectivity and tolerance of ambiguity

5. Knowledge: Specific and general knowledge about cultures and culture

6. Skills of discovery and interaction

9. Skills of interpreting and relating (seeing similarities and differences)

10. Critical cultural awareness

11. Action orientation

CQ (cultural intelligence) is defined as “an individual’s capability to function and manage

These four dimensions of CQ are conceptualised as qualitatively different facets of an overall

Intercultural communication competence is comprised of three dimensions: intercultural

Intercultural awareness is the cognitive dimension of intercultural communication

Intercultural sensitivity is the affective dimension of intercultural communication

Intercultural adroitness is the behavioural dimension of intercultural communication

Awareness consists of two components (self-awareness and cultural awareness), while

Intercultural sensitivity consists of five components, which are measured by the

DESIRED EXTERNAL OUTCOME:

DESIRED INTERNAL OUTCOME:

Knowledge & Comprehension:

Copyright 2006 by D.K. Deardorff

Process Model of Intercultural Competence (Deardorff, 2006, 2009):

Attitudes: Knowledge &

Desired External Desired Internal

Effective and Informed Frame of

Appendix A. Intercultural Sensitivity Scale

Below is a series of statements concerning intercultural communication. There are no

5 = strongly agree, 4 = agree, 3 = uncertain, 2 = disagree, 1 = strongly disagree

____ 1. I enjoy interacting with people from different cultures.

Capstone Milestones Benchmark

Language Policy Division

“Complementary tools should be developed to encourage students to

The Council of Europe is a political intergovernmental organisation founded

The Autobiography of Intercultural Encounters and supporting documents were

with contributions from:

For further acknowledgements, please see the Introduction.

Copyright of this publication is held by the Council of Europe, March 2009.

Reproduction of material from this publication is authorised for non-commercial

No parts of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted for commercial

© Council of Europe • Language Policy Division Autobiography of Intercultural Encounters 2/20

An intercultural encounter can be an experience you had with someone from a

© Council of Europe • Language Policy Division Autobiography of Intercultural Encounters 3/20

Here are some examples from other people:

• A young Bulgarian woman got to know a Hungarian and a Turkish guy at an

• A Bulgarian boy congratulating his Armenian friend on Christmas day and

All experiences are important.

© Council of Europe • Language Policy Division Autobiography of Intercultural Encounters 4/20

How would you define yourself?

© Council of Europe • Language Policy Division Autobiography of Intercultural Encounters 5/20

Was it… (please tick one or more)

© Council of Europe • Language Policy Division Autobiography of Intercultural Encounters 6/20

Was it because… (please tick one or more)

© Council of Europe • Language Policy Division Autobiography of Intercultural Encounters 7/20

The other person or people

Who else was involved?

Give the name of the person or people if you know…

Write something about them…

Were they were male/female, or older / younger than you, or did they

© Council of Europe • Language Policy Division Autobiography of Intercultural Encounters 8/20