Session I: July 14-16, 2010

1b. Foundations of Intercultural Communication Margaret Pusch and Jaime Wurzel This workshop is a sophisticated introduction to concepts of intercultural communication and their application to a wide range of professional contexts.

Designed for Objectives Learning Activities Margaret Pusch Jaime Wurzel Teachers, trainers, internal and external consultants, and others concerned with intercultural relations who have had little or no formal contact with the intercultural field. Participants will have the opportunity to: Examine the basic assumptions and issues of intercultural communication and cross-cultural human relations in both domestic and global contexts Review basic intercultural topics, including perception, cultural patterns of thinking and behavior, styles of communication, assumptions and values, and cultural adaptation Explore the ways in which an intercultural approach can be applied to their personal and professional lives, including corporate, educational, and other organizational contexts Review resources available for further study of the subject These will include: Simulations and other experiential activities to demonstrate how cultural differences impact cross-cultural contacts Video to illustrate concepts and provide case study applications Short lecture and discussion to clarify concepts and applications Reflection on the place of an interculturalist in professional endeavors   Margaret D. (Peggy) Pusch, a member of the board of directors of the Intercultural Communication Institute and an active trainer in the U.S. and Europe, has also been the president of SIETAR USA. She co-founded and was president of Intercultural Press, Inc. Her recent publications include “Intercultural Training in Historical Perspective,” for the 3rd edition of the Handbook of Intercultural Training, and Culture Matters: An International Educational Perspective, with Jeanine Hermanns, and “The Interculturally Competent Global Leader” in The Sage Handbook of Intercultural Competence, edited by Darla K. Deardorff. She has been president of NAFSA: Association of International Educators and is currently chair of the board of trustees of the International Partnership for Service-Learning and Leadership, and a member of the board of directors of the Association for International Practical Training. In 2005 she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from SIETAR Europa and the Optime Merens de Collegis award from SIETAR USA. She also received the Bo Gregerson Award for Good Practice from EAIE (European Association of International Education) in 2008 and Life Membership in NAFSA in 2009.   Dr. Jaime Wurzel is an associate professor of education at Salem State College, Massachusetts. He was born in Bolivia and has lived, studied, and lectured in many other countries in Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East. Jaime edited Toward Multiculturalism: Readings in Multicultural Education. He trains and consults on issues of cultural variation and diversity, including serving as the content consultant and writer for The Multicultural Workplace, a PBS television program and video. Jaime has also produced two instructional videos, A Different Place: The Intercultural Classroom and The Cross-Cultural Conference Room, and an interactive CD-ROM, Dimensions in Intercultural Relations.