Multicultural Skills (manual coursebook) - Asier Barandiaran, Dmitrii Enygin, Venera Midova (graded readers .txt) 📗

with Voulez-vous bien...' although Richard calls her 'Claude' and addresses her with Veux-tu

Richard is puzzled and decides to talk to Claude about this matter in order to clarify the situation.. To his amazement Claude replies that she prefers to call him by his surname and refer to him with the formal vous.

 

Karl

Karl, a Dutch lawyer, felt that his first business trip to Japan was going fairly well. He was determined to get to know his colleagues better and was particularly pleased to be invited out for drinks after work with most of the team, including the senior managers.

At the bar, everyone was expected to entertain; even the senior staff got to sing karaoke songs or tell jokes. Everything seemed fairly informal and cooperative, with Karl's karaoke version of 'Imagine' winning rapturous applause from the group. One of the senior managers even asked Karl for a repeat rendition later in the evening.

Keeping this informality in mind, Karl used a team meeting early the next morning to present a proposal for resolving a minor logistics problem he had noticed. He was surprised to be met with a wall of embarrassed silence and was noticeably excluded from informal exchanges as people left the meeting.

 

Rebecca

Rebecca, a recently recruited British executive in an international law firm, was asked to chair a meeting with her French and British colleagues.

From Rebecca's point of view, the meeting went well. She did her utmost to make sure that everyone was heard and the relevant issues discussed and summarized in a diplomatic way. She even changed the agenda and extended the meeting to accommodate new issues that some British delegates had brought up.

At the end of the meeting Rebecca was shocked to hear one French colleague whisper to another `... typical British, just typical. No proper preparation...'. She was even more surprised to hear the reply: 'Yes, and they never say what they mean, do they?'

 

Task 3. Communication strategies for the multicultural World

Explain how you would apply these strategies in your communication with foreigners. Study the examples first:

Examples:

 

Clarify frequently: Paraphrase what you think you have heard to make sure that you understand the communication accurately.

Emphasize the feelings expressed, as well as the substance.

Confirm that you accurately understand and acknowledge the message, even if you do not agree with it.

Use active listening: Demonstrate interest.

Acknowledge comments with your head or voice.

Avoid mistaking vagueness for ambiguity or disinterest.

Summarise frequently

 

 

Aim for dialogue, not debate.

 

 

Be structured and clear.

 

 

Be open and friendly.

 

Invite feedback, do not just expect it.

 

Use questions effectively and often.

 

Keep positive.

 

Grade your language to suit your counterpart.

 

Make sure that your verbal and non-verbal communication agrees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PART 4. TEST YOUR LEVEL OF TOLERANCE

 

 

 

Express questionnaire "Index of Tolerance»

(G. Soldatova, O. Kravtsova, O. Khukhlaev, L. Shaigerova)

 

Instructions: Please rate how much you agree or disagree with the statements:

 

1. Any opinion can be presented in the mass media

2. In mixed marriages, there are usually more problems than in marriages between people of one nationality

3. If a friend betrays, one must take revenge on him

4. The Caucasians will be treated better if they change their behavior

5. Only one point of view may be correct in a dispute

6. Beggars and vagabonds themselves are to blame for their problems

7. It's normal to think that your people are better than everyone else

8. It is unpleasant to communicate with untidy people

9. Even if I have my own opinion, I am ready to listen to other points of view

10. All mentally ill people should be isolated from society

11. I am ready to accept as a member of my family a person of any nationality

12. Refugees need to be helped no more than all the others, since local problems have at least

13. If someone does something rude to me, I answer the same

14. I want among my friends to be people of different nationalities

15. To establish order in the country, a "strong hand"

16. Visitors should have the same rights as locals

17. A person who does not think like I do, irritates me

18. It is difficult for some nations and peoples to treat well

19. The disorder makes me very annoyed

20. Any religious trend has a right to exist

21. I can imagine a black person as my close friend

22. I would like to become a more tolerant person to others

 

Processing Results

For quantitative analysis, the total result is calculated, without division into subscales.

Each answer to a direct statement is assigned a score of 1 to 6 ("absolutely disagree" - 1 point, "completely agree" - 6 points). Responses to reverse statements are assigned reverse points ("absolutely disagree" - 6 points, "fully agree" - 1 point). Then the points are summed up.

The numbers of the direct statements are 1, 9, 11, 14, 16, 20, 21, 22.

The numbers of the converse statements are 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 18, 19.

Individual or group assessment of the revealed level of tolerance is carried out according to the following steps:

22-60 - low level of tolerance. Such results testify to the high intolerance of man and the presence of his expressed intolerant attitudes towards the world around him and people.

61-99 - Intermediate level. Such results are shown by respondents, for whom a combination of both tolerant and intolerant features is characteristic. In some social situations, they behave tolerantly, in others they can exhibit intolerance.

100-132 - high level of tolerance. Representatives of this group have pronounced features of a tolerant personality. At the same time, it is necessary to understand that the results approaching the upper limit (more than 115 points) may indicate the erosion of the "boundaries of tolerance" in a person, connected, for example, with psychological infantilism, tendencies towards connivance, condescension or indifference. It is also important to take into account that respondents in this range can demonstrate a high degree of social desirability (especially if they have an idea of ​​the views of the researcher and the purposes of the study).

For a qualitative analysis of aspects of tolerance, it is possible to use subdivision into subscales:

1. Ethnic tolerance: 2, 4, 7, 11, 14, 18, 21.

2. Social tolerance: 1, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 16, 20.

3. Tolerance as a personality trait: 3, 5, 9, 13, 17, 19, 22.

The subcatalogue "ethnic tolerance" reveals the attitude of a person to representatives of other ethnic groups and attitudes in the sphere of intercultural interaction. Subcataly "social tolerance" allows you to explore tolerant and intolerant manifestations in relation to various social groups (minorities, criminals, mentally ill people), as well as study the attitudes of the individual in relation to certain social processes. Subscale "tolerance as a personality trait" includes points that diagnose personality traits, attitudes and beliefs that largely determine a person's attitude to the world around him.

 

 

Questionnaire for Measuring Tolerance

(V.Magun, M. Zhamkochyan, M..Magura)

 

The questionnaire was originally designed to assess the impact of the training tolerance (Soldatov, Shaygerova, Sharov, 2000) on the minds of high school students (Magoon, Zhamkochyan, Magura, 2000). The content of the methodology is not rigidly tied to the specific features of the training, and it can be used in a broader context.

In selecting and constructing questions, the authors relied on general theoretical concepts of tolerance and on the experience of measuring social characteristics in Western social psychology. All questions of the methodology are aimed at identifying various settings, therefore this questionnaire, like the vast majority of other questionnaires, measures, first of all, the tolerance of people's verbal behavior.

The questionnaire included statements aimed at identifying different types of tolerance: tolerance to representatives of other nations, immigrants from other places, representatives of other cultures; tolerance to other views, including views and opinions of the minority; tolerance to deviations from generally accepted norms, rules and stereotypes; tolerance to the complexity and uncertainty of the surrounding world.

Although the questionnaire was originally applied to adolescents, there are almost no age specificities in the questions included in its composition, and therefore, with minor modification, this technique is applicable to the study of representatives of different age groups. In the study of the effectiveness of the training of tolerance, the technique is conducted twice - before and after the training.

 

Instruction: Please express your attitude to the following judgments according to these positions

Absolutely  (do not agree)

Perhaps (do not agree)

It's hard to say, agree or not

Perhaps (agree)

Completely agree

 

"When I see untidy, slovenly people I do not care;

 A good job is a job where it's always clear what and how to do;

There are nations and people that are difficult to treat well;

It is wonderful that young people today can freely protest against what they do not like, and act in their own way;

It is difficult for me to imagine that my friend will become a man of another religion;

Individual freedom in behavior is more important than good manners;

I'm annoyed by writers who use strange and unfamiliar words;

A person should be assessed only by his moral and business qualities, and not by his nationality;

I do not like girls who neglect the moral rules of society;

People who live in accordance with the established order, deprive themselves of the lives of many joys;

There can be only one true religion;

The person who committed the crime can not seriously change for the better;

When a teacher can not clearly determine what he wants to say, it's annoying;

The fact that Russia is a multinational country enriches its culture;

(This question is for men only) For my girlfriend I would prefer a pronounced femininity;

(To this question, please only the girls) For my boyfriend I would prefer pronounced masculinity;

The sooner we get rid of the traditional family structure, where the father or mother commands, and the children are obliged to obey unconditionally, the better;

"A person with a different point of view usually causes me: (choose one thing)

interest and desire to understand his judgments

desire to convince him -

irritation;

Judging by what is happening in the country, we need to use "strong means" to get rid of criminals and bribe-takers;

I like people who doubt everything;

"How do you think it is better to choose a husband (wife) from people of their nationality, or nationality should not attach importance?

It is always easier to trust credible people (professionals, respected citizens or religious leaders) than to listen to all sorts of talkers who cause confusion in people's minds;

Our country needs more tolerant people - those who are ready to make concessions for the sake of peace and harmony in society;

I have established (for myself) clear life rules and believe that others should do the same;

I would like to live in a foreign country;

A person of a different culture usually scares or worries others;

There is nothing wrong with sexual relations before marriage;

Respect for elders is one of the most important values ​​that should be taught to children;

A strong personality does not show his feelings;

It is very important to protect the rights of those who are in the minority and have different views and behaviors;

I'm very annoyed by the view of the uncleaned room;

I never judge people until I am sure of the facts;

People with a different color of skin (another race) can be normal people, but as friends I would prefer not to take them;

There is nothing immoral or pathological in the sexual relations between people of the same sex;

The fact that people in our country hold different and even sometimes opposing views is a boon for Russia;

When making decisions, I consider it compulsory for me to take into account the universally recognized norms of behavior;

Some people are too complicated to be understood;

There is no such interethnic conflict that could not be resolved through negotiations and mutual concessions;

It would be better for everyone if the authorities imposed censorship on television in order to protect public morality;

If I saw that the children are fighting (choose one thing):

I would let them figure out their relationship

I do not know what I would have done

I would try to understand their quarrel;

I like to communicate with people who have everything clearly and definitely;

Most crimes in our city are made by visitors;

I do not see anything reprehensible in girls visiting pubs;

Many problems will be solved if we get rid of mentally ill people;

Combating a