Intercultural Training - Living, Working and Studying in Germany
In the 21st century globalization is a fact in all parts of our world, in all areas of science, education and economy. Coming to Germany, living, studying and working in the new country is a big challenge. Communicating with colleagues, students and professors from various countries is a daily must. English dominates the international market as a lingua franca, as well as communication routines in many companies in Germany. However, this seemingly perfect and simple arrangement has its pitfalls: communication is often obstructed by misinterpretation of other cultural habits and predispositions. Speaking English does not necessarily mean automatic understanding of another person’s culture. Besides pure linguistic features which may obstruct communication, cultural habits which disrupt successful interaction often lead to unnecessary conflict and in the long term may put severe strains on business as well as private relationships.
Intercultural Competence is therefore a necessary basic skill which allows a person to deal with cultural diversity in different settings. It is predicated on a person’s own thinking, values, attitudes and the willingness to change perspectives in order to understand others. This seminar will introduce the participants to German culture and provide practical information on how to successfully deal with cross-cultural encounters in Germany encountered in daily life, studying, working and doing business.
The seminar consists of four major blocks (Pdf-Datei, 90,0 KB), each introducing the theory behind various cultural and linguistic issues with the goal to be able to manage these situations in an appropriate intercultural manner. Among other skills, the seminar aims to sharpen communicative and interpersonal skills, negotiations strategies, problem and conflict solving strategies, time management, as well as dealing with work migration and globalization in an intercultural setting.