Cultural expectations
Intercultural communication tips for staff
Give students the choice of talking to you or not: try to be genuine
and kind to establish rapport.
- Be an “active listener”
: be patient and friendly (be aware, that students may have to translate language
and foreign concepts into terms they can understand)
- Check the student’s understanding, e.g. by getting
them to repeat back to you what you communicated. Expansive smiles by the
students might indicate
that he/she does not know what you’re talking about, but does not want
to embarrass you.
- Assertiveness: speak clearly and concisely. “Break
down information into manageable chunks”. It could be useful to employ
supplementary nonverbal information (e.g. maps, drawings).
- Speak calmly, do
not raise your voice, even if you have the impression that the student
has difficulties understanding.
- Avoid slang, jargon and verbal jokes. Language and humour are
highly specific to each culture.
- Create an environment that is quiet, relaxed,
the least distracting as possible.
- Respect the concept of “pride”, so that it is left intact
(based on
Sadiq, 2003).
