L314 A buen puerto The Open University

Intercultural Competence: putting theory into practice. The experience of the Open Universitys advanced Spanish course.
Inma lvarez and Tita Beaven, for the Department of Languages, The Open University

The challenge...
- include Intercultural Competence in the course objectives, so that both teachers and learners are aware of its role in language learning; - include linguistic and cultural activities and learning materials that develop Intercultural Competence; - include Intercultural Competence in the assessment strategy.

Department of Languages, Open University 2009

What is Intercultural Competence? The intercultural communicator

Ability to: interact competently with people from other countries and cultures in the foreign language; negotiate a mode of communication and interaction; act as mediator between people of different cultural origins.

Department of Languages, Open University 2009

Intercultural competences
(from Byram 1997)
Attitudes (savoir tre): approach to the other culture. Knowledge (savoirs): understanding what makes other culture and ones own what they are. Skills: interpretation of evidence (savoir comprendre), allowing for different perceptions (savoir sengager), learn and discover (savoir apprendre), engage successfully (savoir faire).

Department of Languages, Open University 2009

Attitudes (savoir tre)

curiosity openness readiness to suspend disbelief willingness to analyse own culture

Department of Languages, Open University 2009

Knowledge (savoirs)
Knowledge about social groups and their cultures Knowledge about concepts and processes in interaction

Department of Languages, Open University 2009

Skills
Interpret and relate (savoir comprendre) ability to interpret documents, images and events and relate them to ones own culture. Political education/critical awareness (savoir sengager) ability to evaluate critically explicit perspectives. Discover (savoir aprendre) ability to acquire new knowledge, to identify cultural practices. Engage and interact (savoir faire) ability to engage and interact with people of unfamiliar cultures.

Department of Languages, Open University 2009

Course themes
The course deals with 7 themes: Culturas Arte Sociedad Lenguas Ciencia y tecnologa Comercio y trabajo Medio ambiente

Department of Languages, Open University 2009

Study materials
Example: Theme 1
Course materials: 7 course books (with CDs and transcript books) Course Reader Vocabulary book Video book (and set of videos) Course guide Assessment materials
Theme 1 Cultures

Vocabulary book El don de la palabra (theme 1)

Reader Travesa (theme 1)

Video book and video A la vista! (documentary 1)

Course book 1 Races (Roots)

Transcript booklet and CD1

Department of Languages, Open University 2009

L314 Course objectives (1)

The Course Guide states that: The aim of A buen puerto is to help you develop further the four language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. You will also: improve your language skills by working on grammar, vocabulary acquisition, language register and practical discourse analysis; gain a thorough understanding of the Spanish-speaking cultures by studying aspects of their identity and roots, art and music, literary works, scientific and technological developments, and national and international affairs;

Department of Languages, Open University 2009

L314 Course objectives (2)

develop investigative and analytical skills to enable you to access efficiently a variety of sources in Spanish; develop learning and communication strategies to enable you to be an effective language user and an autonomous learner. By the end of the course, you should have developed a level of language competence broadly comparable to the Council of Europe Vantage level and be able to operate effectively in Spanish in most situations, whether business or social, without major difficulties.

Department of Languages, Open University 2009

Course objectives (3)

Intercultural competence Another important aim of the course is to enable you to become a competent intercultural communicator, that is, an individual who understands other cultures, is aware of cultural diversity, and is able to interact effectively with and mediate between people of different cultural origins and identities. In order to achieve this, the course presents you with a body of cultural knowledge and helps you to develop a set of skills so that you can on the one hand interpret evidence and facts from other cultures, and on the other, compare what you learn about other cultures with what you know about your own.

Department of Languages, Open University 2009

Course objectives (4)

The course, therefore, aims to develop: your knowledge of Hispanic cultures, including different social groups and their products and practices, and the ability to compare them with those of your own culture; a positive attitude towards other cultures, which includes curiosity and openness towards otherness, as well as the ability to approach another culture unprejudiced by your own; skills which will enable you to interpret a document or event from another culture, to explain it and relate it to documents or events from your own; skills which will enable you to acquire new knowledge of different cultures and cultural practices, and to make use of your knowledge, attitudes and skills when you interact with others.

Department of Languages, Open University 2009

Learning objectives in the course books

Each unit in the course books includes: a short summary, the linguistic objectives, the cultural objectives, and the academic skills covered. EXAMPLE FROM BOOK 1 UNIT 1 Introduction: This unit addresses the concept of multiculturalism. Specifically, the study sessions deal with: the multicultural origins of the Canary islands and how that relates to their present; the problems related to defining a Latin-American identity; the multicultural origins of the Spanish language; identity in Cuban and Mapuche communities; the identity crisis in post-colonial Spain.
Department of Languages, Open University 2009

Learning objectives: linguistic objectives

FROM BOOK 1 UNIT 1 Linguistic objectives: Talk about origin, identity and influence; Talk in general and personal terms; Refer to evidence; Give cohesion and formality to the discourse.

Department of Languages, Open University 2009

Learning objectives: cultural objectives

BOOK 1 UNIT 1 Cultural objectives: Learn about the origins and multicultural identity of Hispanic peoples, and reflect about ones own; Become aware of the different elements that contribute to the formation of national and personal identity in order to evaluate both how they can be enriching and how they can provoke conflicts; Develop a positive attitude towards and an interest in finding out about and understanding the ways of living and modes of thinking of other ethnic groups.

Department of Languages, Open University 2009

Learning objectives: academic skills

BOOK 1 UNIT 1 Academic skills: Taking notes while listening; Producing tables, chronologies and diagrams in order to organise and relate information; Reading for specific information.

Department of Languages, Open University 2009

Intercultural competence features in the course

The following slides show examples form the course materials: the course books the reader the vocabulary book the video book

Department of Languages, Open University 2009

ICC: Reader (Travesa)

Tema 1: Qu problemas encuentran los autores al hablar de identidad? Qu consecuencias tienen estos problemas y qu tipo de soluciones se dan? Encuentre en los textos elementos que ponen de manifiesto el orgullo de los autores respecto a sus orgenes. Qu semejanzas y diferencias pueden encontrarse entre la sociedad musulmana de entonces y la sociedad multitnica de hoy en da?

Department of Languages, Open University 2009

ICC: Reader (Travesa)

Tema 2: Cmo afecta el mestizaje a la cultura o al arte? Cmo se representa la muerte en el arte y la cultura de su pas? Cules son los temas fundamentales en la cultura de su pas? Por qu cree usted que el muralismo se considera una forma artstica asequible a las masas? En su opinin, hasta qu punto puede la msica contribuir a provocar cambios sociales?

Department of Languages, Open University 2009

ICC: Vocabulary book (El don de la palabra)

Tema 1: Actividad 1.1 En esta actividad practicar cmo referirse a grupos sociales o culturales que muestran ciertas caractersticas comunes. 1 Aqu tiene los nombres de varios grupos culturales: los vegetarianos, los hispanohablantes, los cristianos, los andaluces, los que no prueban el alcohol Clasifquelos de acuerdo a los criterios a continuacin: Alimentacin Lengua Religin Origen 2 Ahora intente describirse a s mismo/a en relacin a los grupos sociales y culturales a los que pertenece. Qu otros criterios se le ocurren?
Department of Languages, Open University 2009

ICC: Vocabulary book (El don de la palabra)

Tema 1: Actividad 1.12 Aqu tiene una serie de refranes, lalos e intente comprender lo que significan. Luego mire las explicaciones e indique la que corresponde a cada refrn Donde fueres, haz lo que vieres Ms vale (lo) malo conocido que (lo) bueno por conocer Al buen varn, tierras ajenas su patria le son Esa es mi patria, donde todo me sobra y nada me falta Quien necio es en su villa, necio es en Castilla La tierra que el hombre sabe, esa es su madre

Department of Languages, Open University 2009

ICC: Video book (A la vista!)

Documental 4: Actividad 4.5 A continuacin tiene una serie de afirmaciones que se mencionan en el vdeo. Identifique las razones de esas afirmaciones: El quechua se extendi por todo el territorio inca. En la poca de la conquista muchos sacerdotes espaoles aprendieron quechua rpidamente. El poblador andino no tiene una imagen positiva del quechua. Muchas familias quechuahablantes que han aprendido espaol prohben a sus hijos hablar quechua. La situacin econmica es una amenaza a la supervivencia del quechua.

Department of Languages, Open University 2009

ICC: Video book (A la vista!)

Documental 6: Actividad 6.5 1 Lea la transcripcin de la secuencia. 2 Mire la secuencia sin sonido fijndose en los gestos de las manos. 3 Lea las siguientes descripciones de gestos:.. 4 Mire la secuencia con sonido y asocie los gestos descritos en el paso anterior con la informacin que escucha. 5 Finalmente asocie los siete gestos con los siguientes significados: acordarse de algo, grupo, con estrs, anotar, ordenar las diferentes actividades, pensar, revoloteando.

Department of Languages, Open University 2009

L314 A buen puerto

Intercultural Competence and assessment

Assessment strategy
Samples of not formally assessed competences:
Develop a positive attitude and an interest in knowing and understanding the modes of thinking and the ways of life of other cultural groups (Book 1, unit 1) Show curiosity for other cultural manifestations Show an interest in other perspectives

Department of Languages, Open University 2009

How the course book objectives for IC are translated into specific assessment points
Example of assignment for theme 1 (Cultures):
Comment in writing (475-525 words) on the following issue to a non specialist audience: The gypsies in Spain: integration or discrimination? A historical perspective.

Department of Languages, Open University 2009

How the course book objectives for Intercultural Competence are translated into specific assessment points
Cultural objectives, course book 1 Learn about the origins and multicultural identity of Hispanic peoples, and reflect about ones own; Become aware of the different elements that contribute to the formation of national and personal identity in order to evaluate both how they can be enriching and can provoke conflicts; Develop a positive attitude towards and an interest in finding out about and understanding the ways of living and modes of thinking of other ethnic groups. Relate a persons life to the historical, political, social and cultural context of their time Evaluate the role that different social classes have in the cultural manifestations of a specific people. Cultural points in the assignment: Understanding the origins and elements that contribute to the formation of identity in the gypsy community in Spain; Understanding the changes in the ways of life of gypsies throughout history; Awareness of the facts and factors that contribute to the integration or discrimination of a social group.

Department of Languages, Open University 2009

Assessment criteria
Knowledge of the subject Academic skills Accuracy of language Range of expression

Quality of language Pronunciation and fluency Plan

Department of Languages, Open University 2009

OU Spanish courses
Course L194: Portales L140: En rumbo L204: Viento en popa L314: A buen puerto Credits 30 Level Qualification 1 Certificate in Spanish 30 60 (1 week residential school) 60 1 2 Diploma in Spanish 3

Department of Languages, Open University 2009