Becoming Foreign

In class we discussed about what people wrote in their assignment one. Most people seemed to agree that to use the word ‘transformation’ when evaluating someone’s study abroad experience was not right. Not everyone is going to be transformed by their experience. They will be affected in some way but to suddenly say their 4 […]

I didn’t expect our first class to tackle such large but essential questions about cultural competence and literacy. I have always known that my views would be limited by my privilege and my lack of context for any other culture but my own. I have never left my country, or barely even my own state! […]

I think learning about the different ways in which we can develop skills such as critical thinking, attitudinal, and knowledge skills is crucial for gaining intercultural competence. My goal through this class is to hone in on which skills need improving and which ones I may be coming in with but could still use further […]

Last class we talked about Culture. We were put into groups and asked about what culture was. When asked about what culture people said it was arts like how they dressed or what they drew, beliefs and values of a specific people or place. One person in my group said that the geography, or weather […]

I decided to take this class after spending three months in Paris, France, during the gap year I took between my senior year of high school and my freshman year of college. I didn’t speak the language, and I didn’t have any understanding of the culture at all, which made my time there much more […]

The reason I decided to take this class is because after my brief J-Term trip to Saint Petersburg last year, I realized there were some global competencies that I hadn’t realized I had, but that there are many more that I have yet to acquire. One course objective, to “become more aware of your own […]

This week, I participated in a lively discussion with our Becoming Foreign class. We analyzed the importance of intercultural competence, and examined various introduction tactics abroad. How personal is too personal? This was a question I asked myself frequently during the class. How much information can one disclose, and in what setting? Additionally, we highlighted […]

Last Monday, we reviewed the syllabus and expectations for the course as well as the goals of the course and critical concepts and terms. One of these terms that is very important is global competency, or intercultural competence, and within intercultural competence there were many categories. There is attitude (being open, curious, tolerant and reflective), […]

Before studying in an international college my opinion regarding culture was most likely around the top of the iceberg. I thought the food, language, music, dance, art, and many other aspects defined a culture. However, I never realized the full deepness of a culture, how much there is to understand, the beliefs, values, and emotions. […]

In our first class, we discussed the importance of taking a course like Becoming Foreign in our contemporary world. With global travel becoming increasingly accessible and popular, and the onset of communication technologies like social media, we are living in a world that is more connected than ever. Consequently, we encounter difference in language and […]