This Intercultural Training Model was developed by the partnership of CIVET – Counselling Immigrants in Vocational Education and Training. The partners are: Etelä-Kymenlaakson ammattiopisto (Finland), Newham College of Further Education (UK), Utbildning och arbete, Arbete och välfärdsförvaltningen i Kristianstads kommun (Sweden), Berlin-Brandenburgische Auslandsgesellschaft (BBAG) e.V. (Germany), Greta du Velay (France) and Achaia Adult Education Institute (Greece).
Across Europe, non-native speakers face problems in vocational education and training. This project offers training and support to vocational teachers/trainers and workplace instructors to develop intercultural skills for working with migrant students and trainees.
The Intercultural Training Model is presented in three parts: the training framework, the guidebook and additional national support material. We strongly recommend that the materials will be used within the training framework to maximise learning through discussion and group interaction.
↓ The guidebook is freely available for those who train vocational teachers/trainers and workplace instructors. Many of the exercises can be used as they are but they can also be adapted to meet local needs and situations. Additional materials specific to countries or languages are also available here.
The Intercultural Training Model is presented in two parts: the Guidebook and Support material that consists of the training framework, Role plays and additional support material in national languages. We strongly recommend that the materials will be used within the training framework to maximise learning through discussion and group interaction.
EN - FR - FI - DE - HE - SE↓ The blue frame at the bottom of each page is the table of contents of the chapter you read. Use it to browse the guidebook!
The CIVET Guidebook is accessible in English for online browsing using the links below.
You can also download a full pdf version of the Guidebook in your language:
We know that across Europe, immigrants who do not speak the language of their adopted country as a first language do not do as well in vocational education and training as native speakers. There are many reasons for this and, as educators, trainers and employers, we cannot solve all the problems. This partnership has brought together research and practical experience to tackle issues in vocational education and training that can hold migrants back from reaching their full potential.
The European Commission has published a number of documents detailing the role of intercultural awareness and the recent UNESCO publication ‘Intercultural Competencies, Conceptual and Operational Framework (2013) emphasises the importance of developing intercultural skills in all educational settings. This model contributes towards the intercultural understanding and respect that is necessary to achieve this objective.
The project is aimed at vocational trainers and teachers who work with migrants. The Intercultural Training Model is presented in three parts: the training framework, the guidebook and additional national support material.
The materials have been produced for use within the training framework and we strongly recommend that they be delivered in this way to maximise learning through discussion and group interaction. The framework consists of a half day workshop, a period of self directed study (supported by a mentor if appropriate) and then a further half day workshop.
The guidebook has been produced and made freely available for those who train vocational teachers and workplace trainers to allow them to use the background information and the practical exercises it contains. Many of the exercises can be used as they are but they can also be adapted to meet local needs and situations.
People in Europe are increasingly in touch with other cultures not only due to new methods of communication (emails, Internet, social media) or easy transport systems but also due to migration. It is usual for most of us to work with or teach people who are new to the UK. Adjusting to a new culture doesn’t happen overnight. A migrant comes to a new home country with established beliefs values and cultural conventions. They are in-built - a person’s normal way of seeing things. A migrant may need support (from teachers, colleagues, neighbours) to adjust to the new culture.
Anyone who has lived in a foreign country will understand that adjustments concern little things and big things. The further you go, the more adjustments you need to make. Imagine migrating to a very different culture from your own and think how many cultural mistakes you would make every day. Are there things you would not know how to do? How long would you survive without help?
Culture can be pictured as an iceberg: Only the top of the iceberg can be seen above the water line. What is underneath is invisible. It is a much larger part and the powerful foundation. Visible elements of a culture are things like dress, music, food, gestures, greetings and architecture. Invisible elements of a culture are values and beliefs, world views, rules of a relationship, approach to the family, gender differences, attitudes to rules - just to name a few.
The Iceberg model implies that the visible parts of culture are just expressions of its invisible parts. It also points out that it can be hard at times to understand people with different cultural backgrounds. We may spot the visible parts of their “iceberg”, but we cannot immediately see what the foundations that these parts rest upon are.
you have to be aware of your own culture and its specific phenomena
you have to be aware that your culture is not known all over the world
you have to understand that there is always a possibility of cultural misunderstandings when you are dealing with other cultures
you have to be open-minded
you have to be willing to adapt and adjust
Take time to think about your qualities. Is it easy for you to interact with people from different cultures or do you need to develop your intercultural skills?
How differences and similarities between your own and other people’s cultural behavior may change or affect attitudes, expectations, communication and working practices?
A migrant employee comes late for work. You are a supervisor. What is your reaction when he is late for:
a) two minutes
b) five minutes
c) fifteen minutes
d) an hour
And how would the employee respond? What might be his excuse? What kind of excuses would be acceptable?
You are a supervisor. An employee new to the UK agrees with everything you say and it looks like he has understood your instructions but after a while he is doing everything in his own way. What do you do? What may cause this kind of behavior? How will you proceed?
You work closely with a new migrant but you are not friends with her. You don’t tell her anything about your private life because you want to separate work and socializing. Your migrant colleague asks frequently about the well-being of your parents and your children. You don’t like her questions because they seem too private to you. What do you do? Why do you think she is asking?
You are a cleaner and you are working with a migrant as a pair. You have finished your work for today when the supervisor comes to see you. Your migrant colleague starts working again even though everything has been done already. What do you think is the reason for her reaction? What should you do?
You are a teacher in vocational education. You know that there has been a misunderstanding between a migrant student and some other students. The migrant student has often been absent after the incident. When you talk to the migrant student, he just smiles and says that everything is okay. You don’t think this is true. What do you do? What do you think might cause his behavior?
by growing up in a country that is not their parents' native country
by having a childhood friend whose cultural background is different from theirs
by working abroad
by working with people from different cultures
by travelling abroad
Imagine a situation where you have to move to another European country. What should you take in account when you are working and living there? What would be the biggest differences between the countries? What do you think would be most difficult for you?
You are a teacher and you have a student with a migrant background in your class. Your student doesn’t have any problems with the language but there are problems based on cultural differences from time to time. You think that the problems are caused by his parents. What kind of problems can have their origin in the different cultural background of the parents?
You work closely with a migrant. What can you learn from your colleague?
Situations where cultural stereotypes may be a source of misunderstandings
Stereotype is a thought that may be adopted about specific types of individuals or certain ways of doing things, but that belief may or may not accurately reflect reality.
Talk about stereotypes. What are different nationalities like?
German 7. Russian
French 8. Iraqi
Finnish 9. Chinese
Swedish 10. Thai
Greek 11. Jamaican
English 12. Indian
What are the pros and cons of having stereotypes? What are the situations when stereotypes come in useful? What are the situations when stereotypes cause difficulties and misunderstandings?
You start working abroad. Your colleagues have never met a person from your country. What is the stereotype of your nation they may have? How are you different? What would be the most irritating presumptions your colleagues might have? How would you react to presumptions of you?
Look at the picture and discuss.
Where does she come from?
Where does she live?
How old is she?
What is her occupation?
Is she married?
Does she have children?
What is her religion?
What is she interested in?
Did your group have one or more answers to the questions? Which question was the most difficult one? Where did you agree? What do your answers tell you about presumptions and stereotypes in general?
use of language
speed of speech
use of dialect or slang
body language
gestures
tone of voice
intonation
pauses
touching and distance
Describe your way of interaction. Compare it with the others’ in the group. Talk about things you find uncomfortable during interaction.
You have a migrant as a colleague. You get along with her and like working with her. From time to time you get bothered because you feel that she is coming too close to you and she is interrupting you all the time. You have mentioned this to her a couple of times but she hasn’t changed. What do you do? What might cause this kind of behaviour?
You are a supervisor. One of the employees comes to you and tells you about problems in communication with a migrant employee. You don’t see there any problems. You understand him perfectly and he understands you. What is your advice to the employee? How can you help him?
greeting rules
use of person's name during interaction
please and thank you
gestures
You are a supervisor. A migrant employee complains about the rudeness of the other employees. You think that they don’t treat him any differently. How do you solve the situation?
You are a teacher. You have two migrant students with the same ethnic origin in your class. They often use gestures which are not understandable to you. You have noticed that the other students are bothered too. What do you do?
List five things you consider rude and then compare your answers with other members of your group.
Have you experienced a situation where someone was over-polite? What was the situation? What was confusing?
Simplified language is…
easy to understand
clear and simplified spoken or written language
structurally uncomplicated
adapted to the recipient’s language skills
easier than common language
not ambiguous
How to write a text in simplified language
use familiar and common words and expressions
avoid slang, dialect, work jargon, symbolic and abstract expressions
explain any difficult word you have to use
use short sentences
avoid difficult grammatical structures
avoid metaphors
proceed logically in your writing
avoid changes when indicating place and time
speak about one subject at a time
speak as short and systematically as possible
take the language level of the person you are talking to into account
do not speak as to a child, if you are talking to an adult
don’t use slang or dialect
when speaking about place and time or cause and consequence make
sure that you are understood
ask checkup questions
use familiar, everyday words
if you need to use difficult, abstract words, expressions or metaphors,
explain them
explain acronyms
enhance the core words
use correct technical terms
pause before a new subject
speak slowly, but not unnaturally or exaggeratedly
give time to listen, understand and ask questions
use facial expressions, gestures, appropriate accent and tone of voice
(do not exaggerate)
draw or show pictures and point at objects, if possible
do not panic if you are not immediately understood
(give the person time to get used to your way of speaking and vice versa)
show that you really want to understand and it is important to you that you
are understood, as well
don’t hesitate to look up difficult words in a dictionary
Teacher: You still need to add some sugar.
Student: Sorry?
Teacher: Add some sugar.
Student: Add?
Teacher: Yes, add - put more sugar.
Student: Extra sugar?
Teacher: Yes, that’s right.
The grass is always greener on the other side
Student: I’d love to live in Helsinki, because it has everything and it is so much nicer to live there.
Teacher: Well, the grass is always greener on the other side.
Student: What grass? Where?
Teacher: Well, it is an expression. It means that things always seem better somewhere else, like a place you cannot go.
Teacher: Ok, tomorrow you are going to have a shorter day, since yesterday we were here until 6 pm. And make sure you do this exercise by the day after tomorrow since we are going to go through it then. Is this clear?
Students: Yes……… So may we go now?
Teacher: No, of course not. We will finish at four.
Student: Not at two o’clock?
Teacher: Today we will finish at four o’clock. So today is a normal day. Tomorrow we will finish at two o’clock because we had a longer day yesterday. Ok?
Students: And the exercise?
Teacher: The exercise has to be ready the day after tomorrow, which is Thursday.
Instead of:
"In case you happen to see my misplaced, blue-covered and oh, so hackneyed book, I’d be ever so grateful if you could return it back into my possession."
It is better to say:
"I have lost my book. It is old and blue. Please bring it to me if you see it."
Chocolate Chip Cookies: Preheat oven to 190 degrees C with rack in centre of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the white, vanilla and brown sugars and beat until fluffy (about 2 minutes). Beat in eggs, one at a time, making sure to beat well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and beat until incorporated, adding the chocolate chips and nuts (if using) about half way through mixing. If you find the dough very soft, cover and refrigerate until firm (from 30 minutes to two hours).
For large cookies, use about a 2 tablespoon ice cream scoop or with two spoons, drop about 2 tablespoons of dough (35 grams) onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake about 10 - 14 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. Cool completely on wire rack.
Makes about 4 dozen - 3 inch round cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookies (about 50 cookies)
1. Preheat the oven (190 degrees C)
2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Beat the butter in a bowl until it is smooth and creamy.
4. Add white sugar, vanilla sugar and brown sugar and beat until it is fluffy (2 minutes).
5. Add eggs one at a time. Beat well.
6. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.
7. Add the mixture of flour, baking soda and salt into the egg mixture.
Stir well.
8. Add the chocolate chips (and nuts). If the dough is very soft,
put it in the fridge (30 minutes - 2 hours).
9. Drop about 2 tablespoons of dough onto the baking sheet.
10. Bake 10 - 14 minutes.
11. The cookies are golden brown when they are ready.
13. Cool the cookies before eating .
Counsellor and counsellee
have different cultural background
don’t have the same first language; one of them communicates in a foreign language
may have different values, believes and cultural conventions
Counsellor should
respect counselee’s expertise and skills gained in the native country
discuss cultural differences as a part of the counselling process
consider that different roles of a man and a woman, a teacher and a student or an
employer and employee may affect the counselling process
take into account that the counsellee’s stage of integration affects his/her ability to adopt
use simplified language to achieve better understanding
have enough time for the counselling process
Feedback in intercultural counselling should be
encouraging and guiding
clear and precise
fair and personal
given by using the hamburger method (good – to improve – good)
directed at the goals and provide information
frequent and include self-assessment
The hamburger method
When offering a critique, you begin with a constructive compliment on something the person does well (the fluffy bun part). You then get to the meat of the matter, which is the constructive criticism part. Finally, you end with another constructive compliment (the other half of the fluffy bun). This is an effective technique for giving constructive criticism between compliments. It helps people to receive criticism without being defensive.
The support material is intended to facilitate the practical use of the Guidebook in each country.
There are many definitions of mentoring. In many cases it takes place over the duration of an academic or vocational course and a relationship is formed between the mentor and the mentee. In the case of the CIVET model, mentoring can be offered in the gap between workshops where self directed learning will take place, but it is optional. This is likely to be quite a short time period so mentoring will be quite superficial but can, nonetheless, be very valuable. Below is a list of what we feel mentoring might include in this context. It does not have to include all of these things.
A mentor should be a colleague of the participant with knowledge of their needs and professional context who is prepared to share concerns, experience and skills.
Mentoring might include:
Observing practice
Analysis and feedback
Encouraging self reflection
Active listening
Shared learning
Making suggestions
Offering guidance
Evaluation with the mentee
Providing information
Brokering access to language staff, VET staff, experienced colleagues for meetings, observations or shadowing
Questioning and allowing mentee to question
Giving advice
Being a ‘critical friend’
Mentoring should always take place in a confidential, supportive and non-judgemental context.
Most of these resources are only available in the country languages. They are presented by language.
The training framework consists of:
First half day workshop
Period of self directed study and optional mentoring
Second half day workshop
The purpose of the first workshop is to introduce and explain intercultural skills and the counselling model.
Introduction and ice-breaker exercises
Presentation of the model and the national context
What are intercultural skills? Presentation and participatory exercises
Cultural Stereotypes. Participatory exercises
Interaction. Exercises looking at communication
Case studies. Discussions of case studies based on real events
Simplified Language. Presentation and role play exercises and some written examples to discuss in groups
CIVET partners trialled some common materials and those that worked well are included in this section. During the trial period, we also produced some materials relevant to our own country which are also included here. There will not be time to use them all. You can choose the ones that work best for you.
Following the first workshop, participants have a period of time to reflect on the workshop content and try out some of the things they have learnt. This period can be anything from 6 weeks to 3 months. When we tested the model, we found no difference in outcomes using different time periods.
Participants are presented with a range of activities to try in this period. They may choose to do more reading or research or to observe experienced colleagues or be observed themselves. They may want to try out some of the techniques or materials presented in the first workshop. They may want to discuss their own practice or experience with colleagues or a mentor. Mentors are knowledgeable and experienced colleagues who can offer constructive feedback and help participants to look critically at their own practice and try new things to improve it. Participants should be encouraged to write down their experiences in this period and, if appropriate, share them in the second workshop.
The purpose of the second workshop is to bring participants together to share their experiences and to build on what was learnt in the first workshop. It is also a chance to do more work on areas the group are interested in or feel they need more work on.
Learning from experience. Students bring situations from their self directed study to discuss and role play. Materials from the Guide are also used to ensure coverage of a broad range of situations.
The Counselling Model. Discussion of use of the counselling model and how it can be developed in practice.
Simplified Language. More role play exercises and written examples for participants to work on, some from their own experience.
Best practice. What we have learned that we will use in future practice. Where we can find more help and information.
Information for teachers and trainers. What information we might need to know to help students and trainees coming from abroad. For example, information about work visas or routes into particular jobs.
Each country also included sessions that were relevant to their own situation in this workshop.
This is just an outline of how the model works. If you would like to know more about how the workshops were delivered, please contact us. Contact details are on the introductory page.
