Linda’s WIIFM Activity
For this activity, I am going to refer to the Culture and Communication course that I have mentioned in previous activities. For me, helping students see how the course is relevant to their lives is one of the most important parts of my teaching practice.
To start, I find that students choose this course for various reasons:
- Students realize that they will be working with people from diverse cultures, so they already “see” the value that this course has
- Some students have travelled and therefore have had the chance to dig a little deeper into culture and it sparks an interest
- Some students feel uncomfortable interacting with people from other cultures, so they recognize that this course will allow them to increase their confidence in these skills
- Some students come into the course with a lot of confidence in these skills (maybe because they are international students and they can use their personal experiences) , so they feel like the course will be easier than a “new” focus area.
And truthfully, I am happy with all of those reasons for students to join the course, but when I think about “what” the students “get” from taking the course, I really believe that this courses allows students to…
- broaden their perspectives
- connect to and understand their own culture
- identify practical strategies for intercultural communication
- recognize that the course is a safe place for them to go outside their comfort zones
I also make sure that I express to the students what “I” get from this course and I do that in hopes of inspiring them to see how enriching it can be.
References
Rettig, T. (2017). 28 Quotes That Will Level Up Your Intercultural Communication Skills
https://medium.com/intercultural-mindset/28-quotes-that-will-level-up-your-intercultural-communication-skills-57790f649d97
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