My Experience of the Exchange^{[http://inet.dpb.dpu.dk/infodok/sprogforum/Espr18/byram.html A record of my Intercultural Experience" href="http://tulanepadova.pbwiki.com/ICC_Assessment#footnote-2">2]}

 

I have to introduce the compilation of my ICC Assessment by saying that as I initially belonged to the Padova-Poznan group I haven't got the possibility to develop a real Skype Exchange with our American peers. Although for the last month we had the possibility to talk with a Dickinsons student I could't took the chance, because I had problems with the timetable. I don't want to blame anyone, but me. It would be surely a great experience! Anyway I have to admit I learned something, because every week during our Monday class the peer of my group who was doing the Skpe Exchange with the American girl, always told us something about their conversation and partly because we tried to have a written corrispondence, by writing mail to each others in order to complete our wiki page.

 

Description of my feelings, knowledge and actions during the Exchange.

 

A. Feelings

 

Ways in which my curiosity and interest were aroused: (examples that made me re-consider my own culture) 

 

I think that learning and of course talking with someone who lives in a different country is always an experience that gives you much that you would expect. It's obvious we, as Italians, have an opinion on how American people are and of course for them it's the same, but by confronting with American students we actually had the possibility to  clarify some commonplaces. We analysed diffent aspects of the two cultures throughout this year and I think talking about topics such as immigration, health care system and elections was an interesting way in order to criticize our own culture, but to appreciate it as well.

 

Moments in which I felt uncomfortable: (what made me feel like this, with particular examples if possible)

 

When I started taking part to the Padova-Dickinson exchange I felt a little bit disoriented. While all the other students partecipated already from several months, we had to start from the beginning by presenting ourselves or just contributing to the different forums. But I can't speak of a real sense of uneasiness, because in a few days I immediately began to understand how it worked.

 

 

Moments when I felt comfortable:(what made me feel like this, with particular examples if possible)

 

I felt confortable with my group when we started producing our wiki page. We worked together in order to give a clear comparison between the American and the Italian opinion on media, and the fact the American peer contributed as well with her indications, tips and news allows us to create our critical point of view of both the situations in the two cultures.

 

 

B. Knowledge

 

The most important things I learnt about family life and/or life at school.

 

Reading through some wiki pages I discovered a great amount of interesting things. From how American students live in their colleges to what they eat, from what they think about media to their election system. Hope we did a good job in order to clarify some important point of our culture to them, too! As big fun of "Grey's Anatomy" I couldn't not learning something more on the American health care system, that is actually so different from the Italian one, as Sarah told us many times. I must admit I'm envious of their college experience, I would like it was like this in Italy, too. Living far from the family with another big family composed by other students sounds great!

 

 

The most important things I have learnt about the country, the nation, the state of the target language.

 

I'm sure this exchange experience helped us revaluating the idea we all had on American people. It's true that all we know about them is what we see in Tv, thanks to the typical American drama series which presents a distorting representation of what they really are. Talking and comparing each other, I discovered we, as Italians, have too many commonplaces about Americans, and viceversa, obviously. But this experience helped me changing my mind!

 

What I have learnt about customs and conventions of talking with people (topics which interest them, topics to avoid, how to greet people and take leave from them).

 

I can't answer to this question, as actually I didn't any Skype conversations. 

 

C. Actions

 

Incidents or problems which I resolved by explaining different cultures to people, helping them see the points of view of different cultures and how misunderstandings can happen.

 

Fortunately, I never experienced these kinds of misunderstandings or problems.

 

Examples of times when I have had to ask questions and work out my own answers (from ask for clarification to understanding cultural customs and beliefs)

 

I can't answer to this question, as actually I didn't any Skype conversations. 

 

---

 

 

 

A self-assessment of my Intercultural Experience^{[http://inet.dpb.dpu.dk/infodok/sprogforum/Espr18/byram.html A record of my Intercultural Experience" href="http://tulanepadova.pbwiki.com/ICC_Assessment#footnote-3">3]}

 

A. Interest in other people's way of life 

 

 

I am interested in other people's experience of daily life, particularly those things not usually presented to outsiders through the media. Example:

 

I'm actually interested in all that concerns getting in touch with other cultures. Thinking that this year I had the possibility to learn something more about election in the U.S.A made me me proud, because I must admit I would never have a look at this in other contexts. Moreover I'm interested in how American students live in colleges.

 

I am also interested in the daily experience of a variety of social groups within a society and not only the dominant culture. Example:

 

When we talk of America it's obious to make a connection with immigration, because foundamentally all Amrican people come from immigrants.In class we sometimes focused on the immigration topic, especially when we were preparing our wiki on election.

 

B. Ability to change perspective

I have realised that I can understand other cultures by seeing things from a different point of view and by looking at my culture from their perspective. Example:

 

I have to say i didn't have this kind of problem just from the beginning of the course, because i spent the last year studying abroad so I'm used to look at my culture from another point of view. I'm sure you need to see things in other ways if you are speaking with someone from a different country. Trying to do this will surely help you to be more critical! Talking with our peer about media in America and looking through a sort of American point of you let us all studying the topic much in depth.

 

C. Ability to cope with communicating in a different language with a different culture

I am able to cope with a range of reactions people from different cultures may have to the way I express myself and what I say. Example:

 

I don't think it's so difficult coping with others' reactions. I knopw that if someone react in a strange manner is because I've said something wrong or in an incorrect way and I immediately try to explain what I said in order not to be misunderstood. The most of the times the reactions are caused by misunderstandings!

D. Knowledge about another country and culture

I know some important facts about the other culture and about the country, state and people that I did not know before. Example:

 

Working on the first wiki on the election I actually learned a lot about the American election system (and about the Italian one, too!) and listening to what our American peer told to my Italian peer who kept on the Skype conversations I learned something more about media, university system and food.

 

I know how to engage in conversation with people of the other culture and maintain a conversation. Example:

 

 

I actually can't aswer to this question, as actually I didn't  any Skype conversation.

 

 

---

 

Self-Assessment of my Language Learning

 

Please provide specific examples of the following:

 

• words, expressions I learned in English:

• improvements in my pronunciation of certain words or intonation:

• improvements in my listening:
• changes in the way I speak Italian to non-native speakers:
• words, expressions I learned doing the wiki project:
• improvements in my reading doing the wiki project:
• improvements in my writing doing the wiki project:

 

 Create your own educational wiki!HelpPublic, not yet premium Privacy Policy RSS