Face to Face Pre-departure preparation
The pre-departure face-to-face training consists of approx. 8 hours of introductory intercultural learning sessions. Apart from showing students around on the online platform and experience map, we cover the following topics:
Block I: self-awareness and self-perception
Definition of ‘culture’; expectations of the stay abroad; developing personal learning objectives; reflection on identity and self-perception.
Block II: Intercultural Acting
Activating their knowledge of cultural differences; coping with situations of potential uncertainty; culture and Communication, Intercultural Communication; face negotiation theory and interactional strategies; simulation game: Barnga; meta-communicative strategies for intercultural acting.
Block III: Culture specific workshops
Defining knowledge needs; dealing with structures of knowledge, critical reflection on stereotypes and prejudices; sharing knowledge: ‘Jungle book’ (insider guide) for target region; market place: acquiring new knowledge (ideally with students from target regions or returned Erasmus students).
Block IV: Narrative and media competence
Fundamentals of narrative competence; translating culture; media concepts; critical analysis of media content.
Presentation of the Experience Map and e-learning platform; analysis of reports posted on the Experience Map and writing about their own university.
Face to Face Re-entry training
Our re-entry training (7 hours approx.) was designed to help students settling back in to their home environment and make sense of their experience abroad in both personal and professional ways. Here is a break-down of topics.
Block I: Reflection
Share experiences, reflect on stay abroad; reverse Cultural Shock, questionnaire and finding strategies for smoothly settling back in; reflecting on own and other people’s writing in Experience Map.
Block II: Intercultural competence here and now
Concepts of cosmopolitanism and internationalisation and what this means for students, country etc., interculturality at home; employability and megatrends; simulation of job interview in the future.
Block III: CV/Portfolio
Raising awareness of the global labour market; presentation: global mindedness survey; select and highlight newly acquired skills on CV and/or online profiles (LinkedIn etc.)
Block IV: Becoming a mentor
Presentation of and invitation to sign up for the Connect Mentoring programme
Block V: Exchange and closing
Meeting and exchange with future Erasmus students