Building Bridges Though Intercultural Communication

When connecting and collaborating with other parts of the world we sometimes focus on the new language and how we can learn it to communicate better. But in fact intercultural competence can be just as important as language ability. How can we become more aware of cultural differences and how can we bridge cultural gaps and misunderstandings? In this session we will examine some key concepts of intercultural communication and look at some practical ways to communicate more effectively when interacting with those from different cultural backgrounds in order to solve real world problems. Participants in this online presentation will be actively engaged and will be encouraged to share their own experiences of teaching intercultural communication in the classroom and beyond to help bring people together and to build professional relationships. At the conclusion of the session, participants will have gained new knowledge and practical skills to return to the classroom and make immediate use of techniques to engage their students in culture learning.