John,
One that you may be looking for is below.
BaFa'BaFa' or Tourist
This is a widely used intercultural game or simulation in which
participants become members of either an "Alpha" or "Beta" culture, each
with its own set of fictitious cultural values, expectations, customs, and
communication styles. The Alpha culture is characterized as a warm,
friendly, patriarchal society, so students assigned to it are expected to
behave in this fashion. Other students are assigned to the Beta culture-a
foreign-speaking, task-oriented culture. Students in each of these cultures
are instructed to visit, observe, and interact with members of the other
culture-with the objective of developing a style of interaction that is most
effective for coping and functioning in the other (foreign) culture. After
all students have visited and interacted with the other culture, they are
debriefed about the characteristics of their own culture and the foreign
culture, and then reflect on the experience of trying to adapt to a culture
with differing social norms and communication styles.
Reference: Shirts, G. (1977). BaFa'BaFa': A Cross-Cultural Simulation. Del
Mar CA: Simulation Training Assistance.
Ordering information: Simulation Training Systems, P. O. Box 910, Del Mar,
CA 92014.
Reggie Jean
Boston University Upward Bound
617-353-3551
[log in to unmask]
www.bu.edu/ub
-----Original Message-----
From: Open Forum for Learning Assistance Professionals
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of John Cleveland
Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2008 2:05 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Ideas for a workshop for international students
Hello Listers,
I am looking for ideas for a 50-minute workshop that I would like to put
together regarding the cultural differences of the classroom for those
coming from outside the US (particularly east and southern Asia). The
issues that foreign students face are language barriers, negotiating the
classroom environment (participation, when and how to speak up, how to
address the professor, how to address peers, etc.), and doing collaborative
work with peers (as this last issue is particularly relevant in our school
of business where there is a lot of group work).
What I want to do is a brief, simple, but meaningful workshop that addresses
these issues. I envision an activity or two that immerses the participants
in something related to the issues. From the activity, I can prepare a list
of key principles that participants should know about US college and
university classroom culture. From that list, I would like to prepare (or
have participants think about) ways in which they can use/put into practice
these principles that will help them find their best fit in the classroom
environment give their cultural background.
That's as far as I have gone. I have the skeleton, but where I am stuck is
the meat. Do you all know of curriculum or a grab bag of activities that
addresses these issues? While I am a learning resource person, this one has
me stumped. Our International Student Office does hold an orientation
before the school year begins that is specifically geared for this
population. But the folks in that office are buried up to here with
government regulation and Homeland Security stuff. I have approached them,
trying to get a handle on the issues, and hopefully I will be able to offer
a relevant service.
Thank you all so much,
John Cleveland
John P. Cleveland, M.T.S., M.A.
Director, Tutoring Center
Center for Academic Excellence
& Adjunct Instructor of Philosophy
Department of Philosophy & Religious Studies
Pace University
41 Park Row, Room 204
New York, NY 10038
212-346-1407
212-346-1520 (fax)
[log in to unmask]
www.pace.edu/tutoring
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