Intercultural Preparation – Short course
Are you a student planning your exchange semester? Are you an academic getting ready to teach in another country? Are you a staff member heading to a partner university for work? Or perhaps you’re not planning an exchange, but you’re still interested in developing intercultural awareness.
Whatever your motivation, you have come to the right place.
CHARM-EU is pleased to offer you a series of Intercultural Preparation Modules – a collection of videos and presentations developed in collaboration by a multinational team from all around the CHARM-EU partner universities as part of the E+ CHARM-Eight project. These resources are designed for students, staff, and academics alike, as well as anyone interested in exploring and enhancing their intercultural competence.
Scroll down for an overview of all modules, or click to jump to a specific module.
Introductory Module
In this short introductory module, we invite you to begin your intercultural journey. This one-hour video module offers an insightful overview of key intercultural themes, including: concepts of time and space, styles of communication and categorisation and stereotyping. The module is built around four core objectives:
- to develop awareness of both cultural differences and commonalities.
- to share and reflect on real-life intercultural encounters and challenges.
- to foster self-awareness around your own cultural values, norms, and beliefs.
- to enhance your ability to navigate cultural differences effectively.
If this resonates with you, don’t hesitate—start by watching the video below.
Extended Module
Ready to go deeper? The Extended Module allows you to explore interculturality in more detail through two complementary submodules.
Submodule 1: Hands-on Culture – Facing Different Perspectives and Engaging in Intercultural Exchanges
This submodule moves beyond surface-level cultural elements such as language, food, and traditions to examine the deeper layers of culture—our values, habits, and worldviews.
Topics include:
- Cultural Identity
- Understanding Culture: Perspectives and Expressions
- Navigating Intercultural Exchange
Submodule 2: Navigating Exchange Experiences through Intercultural Communication
In this module, we explore how cultural context influences our experiences and communication during exchanges. You’ll learn how core personal values shape reactions to intercultural situations, how communication styles vary across cultures, why “culture shock” occurs during intercultural experiences, and most importantly, how to manage it.
Learning objectives include:
- Understanding typical patterns and coping mechanisms in exchange experiences.
- Recognising “rich points” (a.k.a. “culture shock”) in intercultural encounters and how personal values influence them.
- Exploring alternative strategies for managing cultural challenges, including their pros and cons.
- Communicating effectively—both verbally and non-verbally—across cultural boundaries.
