Transcript Developing Intercultural Awareness and Communication

www.e3a.nato.int
Developing
Intercultural Awareness and
Communication Enhancement
Training within NATO:
-
the NAEW&CF E-3A
Component experience.
Russell C. Kent
MA, Applied Linguistics & ELT
Faculty of International Communication
University Zuyd Maastricht,
&
Maastricht University
The Netherlands
[email protected]
[email protected]
Disclaimer
I wish to state that I do not officially
represent the E-3A Component in
Geilenkirchen Germany.
However, the Component leadership do
not have any objection to my giving this
presentation to you.
Background
 NAEW&CF E-3A Component, Geilenkirchen
 Established 1982, only multinational NATO
operational flying unit.
 3100 multinational military/civilian personnel
 17 E-3A, 3 TCA
Background






FOB Aktion, Trapani, Konya
FOL Oerland
30 multinational aircrews
15 nations
Squadrons: 3 Operational, 1 Training
Principal role: Air Surveillance
www.e3a.nato.int
Why establish a CAW/CEP
 MA Dissertation research project
 Perception of use of English
 2 NATO HQs:
• E-3A Component – US/Canadian NS
• HQ ARRC – UK NS
 Approx 30% respondents felt mission
effectiveness compromised
 Overwhelming majority wanted training
Why establish a CAW/CEP






Component leadership wanted training
Cost to NATO, Component and individual
Asked to design, develop, deliver programme
Component personnel training
Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis
Culture and Language influence each other
Cultural Awareness Workshops - Aims
 Make Component members aware of impact of
culture on communication
 Knowledge to identify cultural differences
 Skills to apply knowledge
 Make NS aware of their use of English
Communication Enhancement - Aims
 Provide assistance to NNS who require or
request support
 Allow any NNS to voluntarily participate
Cultural Theory and Practitioners
 Cultural Theory
• Hall
• Hofstede
• Trompenaars
• Mole
 Practitioners
• Kohls, Storti, Peterson, Thomas, Inkson
 Trainers Course Bath – Pilbeam and Lynch
 Sivasailam Thiagarajam (Thiagi)
Workshop Content
 Agreement to most effective approach
 Generic – own culture, ethnocentricism, move
beyond confines
 Perception - the ‘other’, stereotyping
 Cultural concepts
 Experiential – cultural encounters
 Quiz – fun, participant generated
Workshop Content
 NS understand how their use of English
affects communication
 Discuss typical problems with NNS
 Explore international English
 NS experiential activity
• Handle sensitively
Workshop Content
 Important to Debrief each activity – allow time
 Typical debrief questions:
•
•
•
•
•
What happened?
How do you feel?
What did you learn?
How does this relate to the real world?
What next?
Workshop Content
 Keep lectures to a minimum
 Most feedback indicated low tolerance of
lectures.
 Consistent with knowledge of adult learning
preferences
 Promote discussions, experiential
 Avoid ‘Death by PowerPoint’
Typical Workshop Programme Day 1
Day One
Introduction
0900 30 mins
Introductory map activity
Working rules for the workshop
Review workshop objectives
Cultural Concepts
Exploring Culture
09:30 60 mins
What is culture?
10:30 15 mins
What is culture for you?
Break
10:45 75 mins
Cultural Icons
Perceptions of own/other cultures
Cultural Concepts
Review
12:00 60 mins
Stereotyping
Lunch
1300: 60 mins
Cultural Frameworks /Concepts
14:00 45 mins
Tips for working with another culture
14:45 15 mins
Review day, further reading
Typical Workshop Programme Day 2
Day Two
Cultural Encounter
09:00 30 mins
The Visitor Game
International English
09:30 45 mins
Using English Internationally
10:15 15 mins
Break
10:30 30 mins
Language of Meetings
11:00 60 mins
Practice Meeting
12:00 60 mins
Lunch
Quiz
13:00 60 mins
Culture Quiz
Working with other people
14:00 45 mins
What advice would you give?
14:45 15 mins
Review and Personal Action Plan
Meetings
Documentation
 Workshop Manual
• Background information on cultures present
• Intercultural guidelines /tips
• Theory – cultural frameworks/contexts
 Certificates
• Attendance
• Quiz
Participants
 All workshops bar one mixed nationalities
 One US personnel only – more difficult
 Numbers
• Lowest 8
• Maximum 32
• Approx 20 ideal
 Feedback
• Positive, particularly for discussions
Personnel Training
 5 day Intercultural trainers course LTS Bath
 3 Component personnel
 Led 4 activities in total
Equipment




Room big enough for 20 – 30 people
Tables chairs
Laptop/PC with speakers
Projector/screen
Follow up workshops




3 – 6 months after initial workshop
Ascertain usefulness of initial workshop
Input from participants
Fine tune further workshops
Communication Enhancement
 Support/assistance for NNS
 Also voluntary participation
 Syllabus development considerations
• Impossible to determine in advance personnel
requiring training
• Impossible to determine exact communication
problem in advance
Communication Enhancement





3 month rolling syllabus
Participants can join as required
Different levels of ability allowed
Shorter time frame possible
Problem areas
• Listening in the aircraft
• Pronunciation
• Fluency
• Vocabulary development
Communication Enhancement
 No grammar
 Considered extremely important to assist in
language areas where problems are difficult or
impossible to foresee in a classroom setting
before arriving at the Component
Communication Enhancement
 Only 2 students recommended for CEP
 Student 1
• Listening to US NS in aircraft
• Adapted activities from a different context
 2nd Student
• Component testing personnel felt no instruction
necessary
Future Developments
 CAWs relevant in multinational military
community
 Component experience as a framework
 Personnel can meet in a relaxed atmosphere
before training commences
Working with other people
 You have been selected as one of a two experts to be sent to
coordinate a location as a Deployed Operating Base. You are
likely to be away for at least a week.
 Your commander has told you that you can choose between
two subordinates who have both volunteered.
 Both people are well qualified, competent and have a good
track record on similar deployments.
 So you know, no matter who you choose, the mission will be
accomplished successfully.
 All things being equal, what will be the deciding factor when
making your choice?
Working with other people
When asked this question, most people answer:
The person they trust or the person they like
Someone they just ‘click’ with.
CAWs offer opportunities to get to know each
and form a basis of trust which can only
improve working relationships
Resources
Should you require it, please e-mail me for a
complete list of resources used during the
development of both programmes.
[email protected]
[email protected]
Thank you for your attention
Questions?