Intercultural skills and competences
In today’s interconnected and globalized world, intercultural competencies have become increasingly essential for individuals and organizations. As societies become more diverse and businesses expand across borders, the ability to effectively communicate, collaborate, and adapt to different cultural contexts has become a key skillset. This module explores the concept of intercultural competencies, their significance, and ways to develop and enhance them.
Firstly, by culture we refer to the entire set of values, customs and attitudes that define us and shape our identity. On the other hand, intercultural competence is the ability to understand and respect each other across all types of cultural barriers. More specifically, intercultural competences “refer to the set of knowledge and skills necessary for people and organisations to act in an intercultural way in diverse societies” (Council of Europe, 2018).
Module Objectives
Thus, the aim of this module consists of encouraging a deep understanding of a cultural context through detailed cultural knowledge, fostering tolerance, respect and empathy in a globalized and multicultural world.
In this module we will talk about the importance of having intercultural competence and the skills required for it. Before proceeding, it is essential to define the concepts of this module in order to understand what intercultural competence as a whole means.
The learning outcomes of this module are the following:
- The mentors will have a broader knowledge of identity
- The ability to adapt, respect and be open to and understand different viewpoints without judgement.
- Comprehend the diverse cultural global setting we are currently living in and how this can benefit us as a whole.
Beneficiaries
The creation of this module is meant to bring benefits to mentors in schools, professionals working in the education sector whether that be teachers, social workers or educationalists, as well as families and the mentees themselves.
