My Experience of the Exchange^{[http://inet.dpb.dpu.dk/infodok/sprogforum/Espr18/byram.html A record of my Intercultural Experience" _fcksavedurl=">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]}

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). The simple fact of having the opportunity to talk with an American peer made me really excited. I was curious to compare my own way of living as an Italian joung girl with Kelsey's way (my American peer). I wanted to know her opinions about politics, music, movies, current events and I felt the necessity to answer her doubts about Italian culture. During this course I really felt like a sponge.

• Moments in which I felt uncomfortable: (what made me feel like this, with particular examples if possible) When for some reason or another I had to change American peer for the skype session ( During the exchange I spoke with three Americans but with two of them only once). I feel more comfortable when I can develop a relationship instead of talking each time with a new person. I also felt uncomfortable when I had to answer to that question: 'If Italians don't like Berlusconi, why do they continue to vote him?'

• Moments when I felt comfortable:(what made me feel like this, with particular examples if possible)  Talking with Kelsey was really relaxing, funny and interesting because she was really interested in talking with us and in practicing her Italian. So, the exchange was not merely an exchange of information. Every time our conversation started with the topic we were supposed to talk about and finished with interesting questions about any strange and funny topics that came into our minds. 

 

B. Knowledge

• The most important things I learnt about family life and/or life at school. American students are much more indipendent than Italian students are. I feel very envious of this cultural aspect. The majority of them do not live any longer with their parents. They attend University and they live in a campus. They can develop their personality in a social context where they breath culture every second. Wonderful!

• The most important things I have learnt about the country, the nation, the state of the target language. I learnt something about American electoral system: proportional system and 'winner-takes-all' system. When we talked about immigration I read a lot of  articles concerning American immigration laws and policies.

• 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 had the impression that Americans feel more at their ease when they are asked to talk about politics compared to Italians. Italians tend to avoid talking about their political ideas.

 

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. I explained to one of my friend, who is going to spend a week in England, that if he orders a toast there he won't receive what he expects to receive but simply a piece of bread without jam and cheese inside it(this was not part of the knowledge achieved during this exchange). 

• 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) Comparing our 'laurea' with their graduation it was a bit difficult to understand that once they finished their exams they have not to write a degree thesis like us. It was not a difficult thing to explain but it is so different from our way of thinking that we continued for a long time to ask our American peer if it was true or if we misinterpreted her words.

 

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A self-assessment of my Intercultural Experience^{[http://inet.dpb.dpu.dk/infodok/sprogforum/Espr18/byram.html A record of my Intercultural Experience" _fcksavedurl=">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 am interested in university students' life within campuses and how they spend their free time with their families.

• I am also interested in the daily experience of a variety of social groups within a society and not only the dominant culture. Example: I am interested in knowing how Americans deals with immigrations and which are their integration policies.

 

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 started to think about Italian politics from an American perspective. I think they are more objective than we are. They know very well who Beppe Grillo is and my peer also watched 'Il Caimano' by Nanni Moretti.

 

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 think now I am able to understand when people react in a strange way  when I express myself because I know when what I say is influenced by my own culture. So, when I realize that what I say is influenced by my social and cultural environment I am able to explain the reasons of my point of view.

 

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: American electoral system, immigration policies, coming presidential elections, university system, graduation in the U.S..

• I know how to engage in conversation with people of the other culture and maintain a conversation. Example: I think I'm quite well in doing this. If I don't know much about the topic we're talking about I try to give all the information I know about my culture and so we can compare our two cultures.

 

E. Knowledge about intercultural communication

• I know how to resolve misunderstandings which arise from people's lack of awareness of the view point of another culture. Example of misunderstanding and solution: My American peer was convinced that in Italy we elect directly our Prime Minister. She thought that in Italy we have the same system as in the U.S. She continued to ask me why in Italy we continue to vote Berlusconi if we don't like him. I explained her that we elect the members of our Parliament and then the President of the Republic chooses, within the winner party, who is going to be our Prime Minister.

• I know how to discover new information and new aspects of the other culture for myself. Example: First of all I use Web 2.0 tools like del.icio.us and then I try to compare my information with my foreigner peer to have a more informal exchange of opinions.

 

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Self-Assessment of my Language Learning

 

Please provide specific examples of the following:

 

• words, expressions I learned in English: This party is a must!

• improvements in my pronunciation of certain words or intonation:  At the beginning of our exchange I wasn't able to pronounce correctly the word sororities. I also had difficulties in understanding it when my American peer or my teacher pronounced it. 

• improvements in my listening: I learnt to understand my American peer when she talks fast.
• changes in the way I speak Italian to non-native speakers: Now I try to do simpler sentences and to use an easier vocabulary.
• words, expressions I learned doing the wiki project: Commencement ceremony/ Baccalaureate/ Dean/ sororities/Valedictorian
• improvements in my reading doing the wiki project: Now I feel at my ease if I have to read whatever concerns American University system and organzation.
• improvements in my writing doing the wiki project: I learned how to be more concized and how to give information using simple sentences instesd of long run-on sentences.

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