Hi, my name is Johnny Zeaiter, I am an 18-year-old university student with a cultural background from Lebanon.
Respond with about 2 paragraphs for each question.
1. Think back to one of your first “intercultural interactions.” Describe and analyze the encounter you had with someone of a different age, ethnicity, race, religion, etc. What made it “intercultural?” How did you react to the encounter? Was it a positive or negative experience? What did you learn from the experience? Based on this experience, identify some characteristics that may be important for successful intercultural communication.
2. Think about a story you learned about the history of your primary culture. Maybe you learned it in elementary school. Maybe a parent or grandparent told it. Provide a brief overview of the story (or provide a link to it if you can find one or copy/paste it). Why is this story significant? Who are the characters? Is there a moral/lesson in the story? What common stereotypes are in the story? Are there heroes in the story? What kind of leaders are in the story? How does this story influence your perception of your culture?
3. Every year, dictionaries add new words to their publication. Do a google search for “new words added in 2020 or 2021. Any dictionary is fine. Feel free to use dictionaries from other cultures.) Look at the list. Copy and paste the top five words and definitions. Analyze them. How do they reflect the cultural values/activities? Are the words adopted from another culture? Do you use the word? Who might use the word?
4. Pick a cultural space (office, classroom, T stop, store, restaurant, religious institution, gym, etc). Take some time to observe the space. How do people interact in the space? Do they have eye contact with others? Do they talk to each other? Do they sit/stand/exercise next to each other? What kind of “unspoken” nonverbal rules seem to govern the space? What happens when someone violates one of these rules? How does an understanding of nonverbal behavior help you function in the space?
