Core competencies

According to Professor Jeffrey Sachs, former Director of the UN Millennium Project,

'Our generation's greatest challenge... is learning to live in a crowded and interconnected world that is creating unprecedented pressures on human society'.

Learning to live with difference requires the ability to deal constructively with cultural diversity and different value systems on an interpersonal level.

In order to deal constructively with such diversity, an individual needs to be able to interact with others, drawing upon the abilities to reflect, communicate and act effectively and reasonably in intercultural situations.

This requires a set of intercultural competencies and skills which:

increase cultural awareness;
encourage critical thinking about difference;
build confidence around cultural references (assumed knowledge of people, places, events, jokes);
establish cultural proficiency;
enable intercultural action (living, working and creating together).

Intercultural Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes are the three key ingredients for becoming successful, competent and skilled in engaging in intercultural dialogue.

1. Knowledge

Knowledge is needed to promote effective intercultural relations. It is also important in order to deal with the inevitable stress that comes with intercultural encounters, with cultural misunderstandings and conflict.

The British Council has identified key ICD competencies in its knowledge section of ICD Indicators.

2. Skills

According to Michael Carrier (Head of English Language Innovation at the BC) culture is a skill 'of understanding, differentiating and bridging cultural differences between communities, whether overtly expressed through language or more tacit.'

Intercultural skills are rarely inherent and must be understood as a part of lifelong learning which needs to be learned and practised.

Michael Carrier (in his paper on doc Teaching Culture Awareness and Sensitivity (527KB)) puts forward the following list as important cultural skills:

Linguistic ability
Motivation to live abroad (cultural curiosity)
Good interpersonal (relationship) skills
Tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity
Flexibility
Strong sense of self (ego strength)
Sense of humour.

For the purposes of engaging in ICD the British Council would further like to add:

Ability to conduct cross-cultural negotiations
Awareness of cultural hotspots
Conflict resolution skills
Awareness of the power of language - in terms of its use as a code, as a means of cultural expression, in terms of linguistic differences (gender and class) and of body language.

3. Attitude

Intercultural theorists and researchers have identified specific attitudes and values related to intercultural competence. Some of the most important qualities include the following:

Ability for Self-Critical Analysis: awareness of own attitudes, values, beliefs, style of communication, and patterns of behaviour and how they impact on others
Commitment to equality, diversity and human rights: acknowledging and addressing potential power imbalances in intercultural dialogue and interactions
Being comfortable and willingness to engage with difference
Willingness to learn
Patience
Enthusiasm and Commitment to dialogue
Lifelong Learner
Cultural Empathy.

Intercultural competencies are mainly developed through regular experiences and interactions with 'difference'.

Core competencies

1. Knowledge

2. Skills

3. Attitude

Further reading