Hauptseminar Intercultural Learning learner biographies and culture Modul 14a 14b

Our class has, as its core, creative activities on intercultural communication competence. These activities will be empirically evaluated to document the processes toward cultural awareness. An approach and a possible solution to the intercultural issue is seen in the CULTURA project by the MIT which we have adapted to the ICE as well as in Patricia Ruggiano Schmidt's ABC model of Cultural Understanding and Communication. Schmidt's model is based on literacy activities including writing autobiographies, interviewing and discovering the life stories of people from other cultures. We will invite students to reflect on their feelings and thoughts during the literacy activities, especially during cross-cultural analyses. We will combine our insights with information from other texts on intercultural education. An overall aim of this seminar will be to benefit from cultural comparisons for communication strategies with members of other cultures. On the basis of this experience, we want to develop our own concepts and strategies of multicultural education as an important part of the school curriculum. Students in industry and commerce will be sensitized to cultural differences and potential conflicts when negotiating and communicating with business partners. Since this seminar and the research is highly creative, all participants will be expected to join the literacy activities. You can be sure, however, that all your writings will be coded so that the author or interviewee remains anonymous. A reader will be available at Copy Blitz in April. Nieto, S. (1999). Affirming diversity: The sociopolitical context of multicultural education. ( 3rd edition). New York: Longman. (~22 $) Banks, James A. (1999). An introduction to multicultural education. (2nd edition). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. (~27$) Finkbeiner, Claudia & Koplin, Christine. (2002, October). A cooperative approach for facilitating intercultural education. Reading Online, 6(3). Available: http://www.readingonline.org/newliteracies/lit_index.asp?HREF=finkbeiner/index.html Patricia Ruggiano Schmidt and Peter B. Mosenthal (2001). Reconceptualizing Literacy in the New Age of Mulitculturalism and Pluralism, Information Age Publishing Inc. LeistungsnachweisRegular attendance in class, active participation; short input presentation and intercultural task; autobiography, biography, cross-cultural comparison. FB 02 Geistes- und Kulturwissenschaften Uni Kassel SS2006 Prof. Dr. Finkbeiner Claudia