Teaching in the International and Multicultural Classroom Classroom    [04.09.16]

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Course Date and Place

The course will be offered on October 27th and 28th, 2016, at Wageningen University. Information about time and location on campus will be provided after registration of participants.

A Course Developed and delivered by:

Michael Vande Berg, Ph.D.; Principal, MVB Associates, LLC; Cape Elizabeth, Maine; USA
Drs. Marijke van Oppen; Intercultural Trainer, Educational Consultant; Wageningen University; NL

Course Overview

This course is designed to help teaching staff at ELLS universities learn to teach their domestic and international students core intercultural concepts and competencies. Students need to learn these in order to interact more effectively and appropriately with the culturally diverse students and lecturers they encounter in today’s international and multicultural classrooms. Course participants will learn how to help their students develop four core intercultural competencies

1. Increasing cultural self-awareness
2. Increasing awareness of others within their own cultural contexts
3. Cultivating emotional intelligence—that is, developing capacities to identify, understand, manage, communicate and apply emotions effectively and appropriately
4. Practicing techniques for ‘’bridging cultural gaps’’ in order to interact effectively and appropriately with culturally different others

Grounded in current developmental and experiential theories, “Teaching in the International and Multicultural Classroom” will explore issues and challenges that lecturers and students frequently encounter in multicultural classrooms, including learning, communication and cognitive style differences; different expectations with respect to a variety of cultural value dimensions; and different expectations and approaches to integrating the development of intercultural competence into today’s increasingly international and multicultural classrooms.

Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, participants will:

1. Be able to respond more effectively and appropriately to challenges encountered while teaching in international and multicultural classrooms
2.  Understand and be able to apply experiential and developmental theory to managing cultural difference in the classroom
3. Understand more about their students’ and their own culturally-based responses to differing value orientations
4. Understand more about learning, cognitive and communication style differences
5. Have experienced themselves what students typically experience in international and multicultural contexts
6. Be able to apply several concrete steps at their own institutions in order to increase the intercultural competency of lecturers and students.

Course Level

Participants should have experience lecturing or providing tutorials in higher educational settings, and they should have some familiarity with issues and challenges encountered in teaching students in international and multicultural classrooms. The course will, however, be appropriate for teaching staff who have had little or no direct experience in such settings, or who have had some experience but no formal training in how to respond to the issues and challenges encountered there.

Course Format

TThe course will be highly interactive, featuring a diverse and varied set of exercises including video clips, simulations, teacher practice sessions, and case studies. Participants will be encouraged to share and exchange their experiences in international classrooms, to explore the challenges they have encountered, and to work together to come up with solutions and best practices. Participants should come prepared to share their experiences and the lessons they have learned in international and multicultural classrooms.

Application and costs

Costs are €475,- per person (+ travel and accommodation costs).
Most ELLS universities wil bear course and travel costs for two participants of the course. For application and financial details please contact your local member of the ELLS IRO group .

Deadline for application has been extended until 13 September 2016

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