Cultural Studies to Sport Coaching

in Spain

Students co-present to share the

Development of their Intercultural

Employability Skills

Rachel Bower

Senior Lecturer in French and Business English

Academic Coordinator of the University Language Scheme

Languages & Cultures, Sheffield Business School

Peter Jones & Rhys Simmonite

BSc (Hons) Sport Development with Coaching Level 5 students

Academy of Sport and Physical Activity

Faculty of Health and Wellbeing.

Developing intercultural employability skills

• the need for intercultural skills - the employer and theoretical perspectives

• the student experience - developing language, intercultural & academic research skills on the Language & Specialist Cultural Studies module

• an analysis of the development of these students' Cultural Intelligence (CQ) capabilities

Over to our students

• What was your interest in other languages

and cultures before the start of the

module?

• To what extent do you feel it is important to

understand the culture of others:

• in your personal life?

• in your studies?

• in your professional life?

The need for intercultural skills

- the graduate employer perspective

• 'Staff who can communicate at least

conversationally - combined with an

understanding of the local culture - can make all

the difference in the conduct of business,

consolidating relationships with existing

suppliers and customers and opening the way

to new overseas contacts.' CBI Education & Skills survey, 2014

The need for intercultural skills

- the graduate employer perspective

• "‘Global graduates’ can be a key driver for achieving business success.... Through their attitudes, skills and knowledge, global graduates can tackle the myriad of challenges and opportunities (of) globalisation...., in a way that graduates with a narrower national focus simply cannot."

(CFE Research and Consulting, 2010)

the need for intercultural skills

- the graduate employer perspective

The four most important global competencies as defined by the

Association of Graduate Recruiters & the Council for Industry &

Higher Education (2010) are:

• an ability to work collaboratively with teams .. from a range

of backgrounds and countries

• excellent communication skills (both speaking and listening)

• a high degree of adaptability, drive and resilience

• an ability to embrace multiple perspectives and challenge

thinking.

The need for intercultural skills

- the graduate employer perspective

– 'the candidates who end up with job offers also demonstrate determination and resilience, and are able to work hard and thrive in difficult situations......able to cope if they are sent half way across the world to work on a client project.'

– graduates should 'build resilience and get out of their comfort zones.'

Stephen Isherwood, head of graduate recruitment at Ernst & Young, (international consultancy), Personnel Today, 2012

Language & Specialist Cultural Studies

– students combine their course specialism

– with the development of linguistic, intercultural and academic research skills using sources in the target language

– to transform in just 20 weeks from complete beginner in Spanish

– to employment as a sport coach in a Spanish school

– a cross-faculty collaboration working creatively and innovatively to meet students' needs

Over to our students

• What was your research theme?

• How have your academic research skills

developed as a result of this module?

• How have you applied or how will you

apply your learning on the language &

specialist cultural studies module to other

modules on your course?

The need for intercultural skills

- the theoretical perspective

• Earley and Ang’s (2003) Cultural Intelligence (CQ) scale:

• metacognitive CQ: 'consciousness and awareness during interactions'

• promotes 'active thinking about people and situations'

• 'triggers critical thinking about habits and assumptions'

• 'individuals evaluate and revise their mental maps' to increase their CQ (Van Dyne, Ang & Koh, 2008:17)

Over to our students

• Has your learning on Language &

Specialist Cultural Studies made you

• think about others’ culture?

• think critically about assumptions or habits

you had previously about others’ culture?

• actively change your thinking about others’

culture?

metacognitive CQ analysisStudents’ self-perceptions would

suggest...

Evidence of active thinking about others' cultures

• ‘I have become more aware of other cultures and I am interested’

• ‘I was that set on ours being the only culture I never really thought about others but now I will’

• ‘I would probably question them and want to learn more’

• ‘it has encouraged me to think deeper into this subject area’

Evidence of critical thinking about others' cultures

• 'made me think very critically’

• ‘I didn’t realise how interesting other cultures can be'

• ‘any pre-conceived ideas I had about sport in Spain were either confirmed or denied during my research through asking questions to the language assistant.‘

metacognitive CQ analysis

• evaluate and revise mental maps

Students’ self-perceptions that they are evaluating and revising their mental maps are less in evidence

‘changed my views’

‘I’m not sure I would say actively’

• This would perhaps require a longer-term interaction with the target language culture

The need for intercultural skills

- the theoretical perspective

• Earley and Ang’s (2003) Cultural Intelligence (CQ) scale:

• cognitive CQ: 'cultural knowledge of norms, practices, and conventions'

• 'knowledge about cultural similarities and differences is the foundation of decision making and performancein cross-cultural situations'

(Van Dyne, Ang & Koh, 2008:17)

Over to our students• To what extent do you now believe you would be

able to understand the culture of speakers of your target language?

• Can you give specific examples of cultural understanding you have developed through:

• your interaction with the language assistant?

• your interaction and learning in your ULS language class?

• your research sources in your target language?

Cognitive CQ analysis'cultural knowledge of norms, practices, and conventions'

- motivated to gain cultural knowledge, but more to learn. Concerned about gaps in knowledge

• ‘how things are done in Spain and typical behaviours of Spanish people’

• ‘there would be some areas which I wouldn't feel comfortable talking about as I may get it wrong.’

• ‘given the chance to talk to someone who works there in Germany It would be a fantastic opportunity’

Evidence of 'knowledge about cultural similarities and differences’

• ‘I have developed cultural understanding through asking questions about topics such as politics in Spain and the argument about Catalonians wanting independence.’

• ‘I was able to make a specific cultural understanding of how sport in schools is conducted.’

The need for intercultural skills

- the theoretical perspective

• Earley and Ang’s (2003) Cultural Intelligence

(CQ) scale:

• behavioral CQ: 'capability to exhibit

appropriate verbal and nonverbal actions

when interacting'

• 'behavior is often the most visible

characteristic of social interactions'(Van Dyne, Ang & Koh, 2008:17)

Over to our students

• Do you feel that the cultural knowledge of

similarities and differences which you have

learnt on the Language & Specialist Cultural

Studies will help you make decisions and

perform in interactions with people of other

cultures?

Cognitive CQ analysis'knowledge about cultural similarities and differences is the foundation of decision-making and performance in cross-cultural situations'

- some suggestion of cognitive CQ enabling communication and learning in cross-cultural teams

• ‘learning about different cultures makes you more emotionally intelligent when talking about sensitive subjects and also allows you to interact with more informed opinions about different cultures.’

• ‘Seeing what different cultures is all about gives you the chance to interact with someone and ask for their opinionon their culture and how it works. You can learn from each other and it might even give you the chance to go out to that country to study it from a different perspective.’

The need for intercultural skills

- the theoretical perspective

• Earley and Ang’s (2003) Cultural Intelligence

(CQ) scale:

• motivational CQ: 'an individual's capability to

direct attention and energy towards cultural

differences'

• 'self-efficacy'

• 'intrinsic motivation'(Van Dyne, Ang & Koh, 2008:17)

Over to our students

• Has the module helped you self-evaluate your performance and learning to help you improve for the future?

• To what extent do you now believe you will be able to understand and speak your target language?

• Would you now approach speakers of your target language in order

• to practice?

• have contact with them?

• develop longer-term contacts?

• for your career development?

Over to our students

• Peter - What were the highlights and main

learning points of your sports coaching

placement in Spain?

• Peter & Rhys - Will you consider working

abroad in the future?

• Peter & Rhys - Will you consider working

in an international team in the UK in the

future?

Motivational CQ analysis'an individual's capability to direct attention and energy towards cultural differences' - evidence of motivation to invest in CQ development

• ‘I believe it is important to know more than one language'

• ‘I would love to get contacts as it might give the chance to go over to Germany and learn from there and maybe even work there.’

• ‘to meet new people and learn about their life experiences’

• ‘I had to adapt very quickly to the culture in Spain’

• ‘I would like to practice as I think you learn more from each other’

• ‘as I was on my own and had no other choice but to interact with people I didn’t know in order to make the most out of my time there.’

• ‘I would definitely work abroad in the future. This is something I am looking to do after university. I would also work in an international team within the U.K if the opportunity came up.’

Motivational CQ analysis'self-efficacy' - I believe I can do it!

• ‘I improved dramatically’

• ‘improved my confidence’

• ‘It helped me see that if I put the effort in, I can do well’

• ‘when I got the results back I was pleasantly surprised’

• ‘I am fairly confident as, again, this is something I have experienced during my time on placement.'

• ‘my level isn’t that great. I’m still at a basic level of the German language’

• ‘You understand each other better’

• ‘I can imagine my German level would improve if I was over there for a long period of time.’

• ‘I also improved my teaching style as with the younger children especially they could not speak English to a good standard so I had to use various teaching methods to make my lessons or coaching sessions effective.’

Motivational CQ analysis'intrinsic motivation'

• ‘It’s taught me if I put the effort in I can do well

and I will take this into third year when I do my

dissertation.'

• ‘I want to improve in Spanish’

• ‘the interactions are better in person’

• ‘you never know what opportunities may arise

and also the contacts they may have could help

you in the future’

• ‘increase my knowledge of the many different

cultures out there’

Any questions?

Presenting further developments at:

• SHU Languages and Cultures in 21st

Century Transnationality Conference

• 9 & 10 September 2016

• bookings and information:

• https://sites.google.com/a/my.shu.ac.uk/languages-and-cultures-at-sheffield-hallam-university/home

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