CIT4VET project – training modules (Part II)

Cit4VET logoAn integral part of the Open Online Catalogue of Intercultural Tools are the training materials about culture - e-learning materials, with exercises and tests allowing for self-assessment of intercultural competences.

The online training modules aim to help VET trainers to enhance their own cultural understanding as well as that of their students. The modules will help VET trainers to better understand their own and their student’s cultural background(s) by providing basic intercultural information, up-to-date intercultural models, tried-and-tested exercises and valid and reliable questionnaires allowing for self-assessment of own value orientations and intercultural competences.

The training material is divided into five modules which give an introduction to relevant intercultural topics.

Module III – The impact of culture on VET

workplace 1245776 1280Particularly in Europe society has changed over the last two decades. Societies within the EU have become culturally more heterogenous due to people moving from one EU country to another, and from a non-EU country to a country within the EU. This means that many (young) adults start living and working in a country whose language they may not yet speak, and whose institutions they are not yet familiar with. Integrating into the new societies requires being able to respond to new circumstances, and this holds for both the newcomers and the receiving societies. EU societies have to be adaptive at all levels, including political, institutional, economical, individual; the society, its organizations and individuals need to be able to constructively respond to these changes and modify their structures to new challenges.

By the end of this module you will know:

- about the interdependency of cultural background and learning habits,

- about certain elements that are characteristic for certain learning cultures,

- how to identify stumbling blocks in cross-cultural communication and learning settings

 

Module IV – What can you do now?

african 3988949 1280Cross-cultural misunderstandings may lead to an interruption of communication. In this module you will find some helpful content in order to overcome challenging cross-cultural encounters.

By the end of the module you will know:

- how to overcome the stumbling blocks in cross-cultural communication,

- about different factors involved in an intercultural encounter,

- how to judge the relevance of different factors involved in the intercultural encounter

 

Module V – Trends in the field

african 3387298 1280Here you will learn about trends in the intercultural field, which will help you:

  • anticipate people’s responses to the topic of ‘culture’ and ‘intercultural competences’
  • have a clearer frame of reference when discussing the topic
  • have a more informed conversation with your clients, and anticipate their interest and needs
  • satisfy your curiosity about this important theme.

We have identified the following four trends:

  1. From cross-border business interactions to interactions within culturally diverse societies
  2. From stand-alone intercultural trainings to ‘culture’ / intercultural competence being part of a more complex package
  3. From cultural differences as obstacle to cultural diversity as opportunity
  4. Culture meets psychology, and psychology meets culture