CROSS-CULTURAL TERMINOLOGY: International mindedness (IM), International literacy (IL), and Global competence (GC)
CROSS-CULTURAL TERMINOLOGY
International mindedness (IM), International literacy (IL), and Global competence (GC)
Let’s define these cross-cultural terminology:
International mindedness (IM): is a term that is strongly associated with the IB curriculum, its perceived as a skill which can be acquired through education, study and experience. Some of the its key attributes include, inclusiveness, open-mindedness, tolerance, world views, and a global consciousness. It is a view of the world in which people see themselves connected to the global community and assume a sense of responsibility to its members.
Intercultural literacy (IL): Intercultural literacy outlines the way in which we ingratiate ourselves with new cultures and ideas. Thus enabling the formation of successful cross-cultural engagements.
It works on the understanding that we, as people, have the potential to 'read' and learn new cultures.
Global competence(GC) : Global competence references the acquisition of knowledge and understanding of international issues, and it is also about appreciation for working and learning from people of a diverse linguistics and cultural backgrounds.
Pros and Cons of these 3 ideas:
Given the rate of globalization and the need for successful cross-cultural interactions, many different international education programs have risen. One of the most prevalent being the international baccalaureate (IB) the aims of such curriculum's is simple, to increase international mindedness, to create critical thinkers who are capable of functioning in a society made of members from varying backgrounds and cultures. Which is a beautiful idea, in theory, but can be realized only if educational institutions are able to work out the magic formula which can be rolled out on a global scale. In actuality it is significantly more complex than it would seem to implement these ideas into a an educational curriculum. Here is a venn diagram that compares and contrast IM, IL and GC.
We live in a world of different cultures and societies which work alongside one another in at rapidly increasing rate of occurrence. And all of the 3 (International Mindedness, Intercultural Literacy and Global Competency) aim at addressing the reality of a more globalized world and it apparently focuses on cultural learning, language acquisition, development of empathy and others.
International education is still in its infancy and has many a hurdle to jump and river to bridge before it gets anywhere close to achieving its goal.
The most challenging effect of international programs is that of their origins and identity. The majority of the programs are western based systems that are designed for western style and also targeted at a western style education. In Côte’D’Ivoire, families send their kids to international schools because they want western education for their children. It is a french speaking country, so any school that students will learn English is the desire of parents, this make other schools in the country not seen or even perceived as international since the methodology is so far removed from local understandings and belief, this makes most families send their children to an IB school in order to get a 'western' education and go to a university in abroad. This is a form of social elitism that almost stands opposing the idea of international mindedness which ironically goes against the foundations which IB was built upon.
As we look through the future, International mindedness, International literacy and Global competency are very significant in our world of today because they are tools for both individuals and a group of people.
Because of the variety of aspects embedded in IM, IL, & GC teachers and students would want to adopt and use them
What are the benefits, pitfalls, and arguments against education with an international focus?
Some benefits include
- Increased international mindedness
- Networking
- Increased intercultural literacy
- Language learning
- include Increased global competence
- Diversity
Some pitfalls include:
- Cultural confusion;
- Isolation and
- Cost
Because of the variety of aspects embedded in IM, IL, & GC teachers and students would want to adopt and use them
● What are reasons why you as an educator may support ideas against international-mindedness (IM), intercultural literacy (IL), and/or global competence (GC)?
.One of the reasons why I would be against any of the IM, IL or GC is that they are culturally segregated, many of the definitions tend to make people want to group people in terms of their culture and this may lead to cultural isolation and segregation
References
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzLwFwwvm0oNU0EweTJ2eDhLakU/view
Veronica Boix Mansilla. "Educating for Global Competence: Preparing Our Youth to Engage the World."
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzLwFwwvm0oNUndIWkxKb2NMV3c/view
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