Cross-Cultural Terminology

Cross-Cultural Terminology

There are concepts that developed incorporate the abilities and the perspectives interns to succeed in the on-going globalized world.

Global Competence (GC)- Focus on individuals' willingness and awareness to understand the interconnection of the world and applying ideas from multiple perspectives to engage the pressing issues of our time. Individuals possess and use the qualities, characteristics, and abilities in learning about and engaging with globally significant issues.

International Mindedness (IM)- Focus on how individuals approach the multicultural world and the understanding of the dynamic between cultural, people and nations. Used and promote in the IB system by casting students' abilities in adopting a globalized world. Individuals have diverse cultural knowledge of many complex links between cultures, peoples & nations.

International Literacy (IL)- Focus on individuals' capability and the understanding of cross-cultural contexts. Individuals have the understandings, competencies, attitudes, language proficiencies, participation, and identities necessary for successful cross-cultural engagement.

The three concepts all profoundly address the cross-cultural understanding that an individual needs to be able to navigate in a globalized world. They are all focused on the abilities and the knowledge to interpret the interconnection between different culture, people, and nations. How to effectively communicate and to view things from multiple perspectives in a cross-cultural setting. Global Competence address on an individual's ability that required to engage in the globalized world while International Literacy focused on the understanding the dynamics of the cultures, people, and nations. International Mindedness is similar to International Literacy in carrying an awareness of cross-cultural perspectives, but International Mindedness is used in IB to encourage the engagement in changes the world. While the focuses are a little different, the goals of these concepts are ultimately the same- to cultivate a successful living in a globalized world with harmony.

-What are the benefits, pitfalls, and arguments against education with an international focus? 
Globalization is an on-going reality and an international focus approach to education could help the students equip the abilities that necessary to efficiently and successfully living and working in a globalized world. While the international focus seems to bring in the attempts to broaden students' worldviews and understanding, a system and the concept that developed in a Western setting may not fit in some area of the world without creating cultural stress and tension in between. How to avoid the concept and the approach become a cookie cutter when placing in different cultural, that might be the questions that we need to think about.

-What are reasons why you as an educator may support ideas against international-mindedness (IM), intercultural literacy (IL), and/or global competence (GC)?
If I have one reason to withdraw upon the international focus is that the concerns about losing the foundation of the original cultural and confusion it might cost for the younger students. At what points we could introduce and practice in a cross-cultural setting without shaking the authenticity of the own cultural?

-What are the reasons why you as an educator would support the integration of international mindedness (IM), intercultural literacy (IL), and global competence (GC) into curricula?
I do believe in this evolving world that an international focus is essential to incorporate into curricula. As an educator, we need to lead and prepare the students to positively engaging the world change for the better.  In order to do so, the abilities that the international focus curricula provide helps the students equip the necessary knowledge and qualities to reach the goal.


Resources

*Drake, Barry. (2004). International Education and IB Programmes: Worldwide Expansion and Potential Cultural Dissonance. Journal of Research in International Education Vol 3:2. Retrieved from https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzLwFwwvm0oNNlFhZmZva1Nxelk/view.

*Heyward, Mary. (2002). From International to Intercultural. Journal of Research of International Education Vol 9: 32. Retrieved from https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzLwFwwvm0oNU0EweTJ2eDhLakU/view.

*Mansilla, Veronica. (2011). Educating for Global Competence: Preparing Our Youth to Engage the World. CCSSO. Retrieved from https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzLwFwwvm0oNUndIWkxKb2NMV3c/view.

*Lodewijk van Oord (2007) To westernize the nations? An analysis of the International Baccalaureate’s philosophy of education, Cambridge Journal of Education, 37:3,375-390, DOI: 10.1080/03057640701546680. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03057640701546680.

*Sriprakash, Arathi. (2014, Jul). A Comparative Study of International Mindedness in the IB Diploma Programme in Australia, China, and India. Retrieved from https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzLwFwwvm0oNRE5kM2x6MWlndkk/view.