Intercultural Competence

About the Intercultural Competence Module

Students can self-enroll in this tutorial here.

Intercultural Competence Icon Classrooms, workplaces, communities are made up of people with diverse cultural backgrounds. As individuals with unique and complex cultural backgrounds and perspectives, we usually favour some values over others and see every situation and interaction through our personal cultural lens. This lens affects how we view others and the ideas we have about them. We have all been guilty of making assumptions about someone or a group of people only to realize that our assumptions were inaccurate, or worse – disrespectful and hurtful.

To navigate cross-cultural environments, Intercultural Competence is very important. Intercultural Competence is the ability to interact effectively and appropriately with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. It is the ability to recognize, acknowledge, respect and incorporate an understanding of world views and the impact on relationships.

Module	Learning Outcomes	Course Content
Intercultural Competence	Describe how our cultural identity, assumptions and biases impact our understanding of the world and our personal and professional relationships. Identify the different stages, challenges and opportunities in the intercultural development journey. Identify various cultural orientations and describe how they can impact personal and professional relationships. Analyze cross-cultural situations through self-awareness and reflective action.	Understanding Cultural Lens and Unconscious Bias Mapping Out the Intercultural Development Journey Identifying Cultural Differences Managing Cross-Cultural Situations
Resources: The Intercultural Competence module features curated LinkedIn Learning videos and reflection activities to introduce the different layers that construct our very complex cultural identities. The module also focuses on the influence of our cultural lens and values in our interactions, and how we can guard against cultural assumptions and bias. The module unpacks the impact of microaggressions and minimization, and maps out steps in the intercultural sensitivity journey. The module also offers a capstone H5P activity with strategies to analyze cross-cultural situations.