“Nothing important comes with instructions.” –James Richardsonk

Materials prepared by Kelsey Grab, Ed.M. ‘18

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TABLE OF CONTENTSLesson Elements Key 3Notes to Instructor 4Lesson Understanding Goals 5Facilitation Notes and Set Up 6Lesson 1, Identity, Culture and Community, Notes 7-8

Lesson 1 Part 1: Icebreaker 9-12

Lesson 1 Part 2: Establishing Safe Spaces and Expectations 13

Lesson 1, Part 3: What is Culture? 14-19

Lesson 1, Part 4: How do I perceive American culture? How does American culture perceive me?

20-24

Lesson 1, Part 5: What do I bring with me from home? What are my expectations of American culture?

25-29

Lesson 2, Small Talk and Communication, Notes

30-31

Lesson 2, Part 1: Differences in Communication Styles

32-41

Lesson 2, Part 2: What is small talk? Why do Americans use small talk?

42-45

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Lesson 2, Part 3: Models and suggestions for small talk

46-55

Supplemental Materials 56-60

Suggestions for Further Reading 61

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LESSON ELEMENTS KEYText in this box is to guide the facilitator with tips

or context for the programming

Text in orange boxes is what should be said by the facilitator.

Pair and share

Students pair up and discuss together

Group Share

Facilitator asks for students to give feedback as a group

Journal

Students quietly write in their personal reflection jour-nals

Classroom set up

Students change groups

1YouTube clip

Handout

Facilitator should write responses from group share on a sheet to be posted on the wall

1 The “television” and “notebook” clip art were created by Joshua Grab, JGrabDSN@gmail.com

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Students should write responses together to share and post on the wall

NOTES TO INSTRUCTOR

Leading these discussions requires tact, patience and humility. To be suc-cessful in facilitating these conversations the leader must be respectful of the needs of the group, while also being willing to challenge them and discuss poten-tially offensive topics. To best navigate these conversations, the facilitator must have a deep understanding and respect of cultural differences. This requires a de-cent amount of study. The resources below are referenced within this prototype and should at least be partially read before beginning this work.

RESOURCES FOR REVIEW BEFORE BEGINNINGWhat’s Up with CultureU Washington, Cultural Competency Tool KitCulture Matters, Peace Corps Guide Book

In addition, many resources for this project were provided by or adapted from training sessions at the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning at Harvard University.

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LESSON UNDERSTANDING GOALSLESSON 1o Students will understand they are part of a community of

international students at HGSE.o Students will understand there are challenges in acclimat-

ing to HGSE.o Students will identify some of the ways culture impacts

communication.o Students will understand some basic definitions of culture

and cultural identity.o Students will understand some defining characteristics of

their own cultural identity.o Students will understand they hold stereotypes of

American culture.o Students will understand they hold stereotypes of their own

culture.o Students will understand they hold stereotypes of other

cultures.o Students will understand they may face challenges with

cultural difference while at HGSE.

LESSON 2o Students will understand there is no “correct” way to

communicate in America.o Students will understand a variety of different cultural

communication styles.o Students will identify some of the communication

characteristics of their culture.o Students will identify some of the communication

characteristics of American culture.o Students will identify some of the communication

challenges they will face within an American culture.

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o Students will understand what small talk is.o Students will understand some aspects of their cultural

orientation.o Students will understand some aspects of American

cultural orientation.o Students will identify some ways their cultural orientation

may clash with American cultural orientation.o Students will understand a model of small talk.o Students will understand some of the ways to use

small talk while at HGSE.

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FACILITATION NOTES AND SET UP1. These seminars are designed for approximately 50 students to be

done during their orientation at the beginning of fall semester.

2. Since for many students English may be a second language, it is impera-tive information the presenter shares and questions they ask are visible on a slide show presentation during the programming. This will allow the facilitator to maximize understanding and engage the students more fully, without drawing unwanted attention to potential communication confusions.

The presenter should however, be sure to clarify information for students if there is confusion.

3. Time expectations are offered as a guide for the instructor to keep conversations moving and the programming on schedule, but should be viewed as a guide solely for the instructor unless otherwise stated.

4. When students are in paired groups to share, or even more importantly, when they are sharing personal responses for the entire group, they should not be warned of time limits. This may impede their ability to share informa-tion fully and not make the space feel safe and centered on their needs.

5. In addition, because of the nature of this work and the importance of hav-ing students’ feedback written and shared with the group, it may make sense to have this workshop run by two skilled facilitators.

This prototype is designed with one facilitator in mind, but can easily be accommodated for two facilitators.

One facilitator can stay at the front of the room for notetaking and preparing slides, while the other can be more engaged with leading the discussion. This model also makes it possible for two facilitators to answer potential questions or help with any concerns students may have with the material, especially if it becomes sensitive.

6. Instruction should be given verbally and visually as much as possible to as-sist in understanding.

FOR ALL PROGRAMMINGCLASSROOM NEEDS STUDENTS NEED

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White board Projector Sticky paper board and mark-

ers Screen Post it notes Copies of supplemental mate-

rials Pens and Markers

Pen/Pencil Notebook/Journal Copy of completed “Reflecting

on your year pre-campus” sheet Name tag with their full name,

program and flag of their home country visible

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LESSON 1: IDENTITY, CULTURE AND COMMUNITY: ESTABLISHING DEFINITIONS AND ASKING QUESTIONS

Generative Questions

What do I think is American cultural identity?

What is my cultural identity? How will my cultural identity be

perceived here at HGSE? Who am I as an international HGSE

student?

Understanding Goals

o Students will understand they are part of a community of international stu-dents at HGSE.

o Students will understand there are challenges in acclimating to HGSE.

o Students will identify some of the ways culture impacts communication.

o Students will understand some basic definitions of culture and cultural identity.

o Students will understand some defining characteristics of their own cultural identity.

o Students will understand they hold stereotypes of American culture.

o Students will understand they hold stereotypes of their own culture.

o Students will understand they hold stereotypes of other cultures.

o Students will understand they may face challenges with cultural difference while at HGSE.

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This first lesson is expected to follow other pieces of orientation and assumes students have had some interaction with one another. However, this may be

one of the first times students will be asked to share personal reflections and questions with one another and therefore will require a bit of ice breaking and

establishment of expectations to create safe space.

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PREPARATION

Ideally, the classroom should be set up with round tables for students to speak with one another at, preferably with six students to a table so

students are seated facing a projector for viewing clips throughout the session, but also in a semi circle so students will be able to look at one another as they speak.

The facilitator should pull up the YouTube clips in order so easily accessible for viewing.

The order is:

Mean Girls, 1:20-2:24 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRZ172XMLCQHBSC “Wrong Flowers” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jrbu0lCWjk&list=PLAA214B8BE9016835&index=3HSBC “Eels”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_WAmt3cMdk

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PART 1.ICE BREAKER20 minutes

Understanding Goals

o Students will understand they are part of a community of international stu-dents at HGSE.

o Students will understand there are challenges in acclimating to HGSE.

Students will enter the room and be asked to sit with someone they have not met yet. They should be seated at tables with an even number

of chairs, preferably 6. On their table will be post it notes and markers.

This ice breaker can make students uncomfortable but is a good way to begin a conversation about cultural difference. Students will be forced to spend time looking at one another, which in some cultures can be considered rude or unacceptable. Be thoughtful about the discomfort students will face in this action and remind them this is just an ice breaker. This is important as it will allow students to build community and fully engage with the challenge of experiencing something new in this safe setting. In addition, eye contact is an important part of communicating in American culture.

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Students may feel pressure to “get it right,” but in reality, there will probably be few artists in the room. Remind them that they should be creative and their partner won’t be offended if they struggle with depicting them “well.”

The instructor should tell students to begin the workshop we will do an ice breaker together. The students will be asked to pair up and draw one another on a post it note. Ideally they will pair up with someone they DO NOT KNOW. This ice breaker may challenge them but they should do their best to have fun with it.

Students will only have three minutes for this exercise and the first will be silent. This is not a test of artistic ability, this is about being creative and getting to know one another.

To begin, the students will need to silently look at one another for one minute. The instructor will keep a clock to let students know when the first minute is up. Students should look at their partner; observe what makes them unique and what features they will need to draw.

Following these minute of silence, the students will have two minutes to draw and ask questions or request their subject to move in any certain direction.

Students should give their portrait to their partner and formally introduce themselves. The facilitator should ask students to ask one another where they are from, what brought them to HGSE, if they have been to the US before and what program they are in.

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The facilitator should walk around the room during this time. They should have no more than two minutes for quick introductions, followed by questions for the group.

How was that? Were you uncomfortable during this exercise? What made you uncomfortable?

The facilitator will ask students to ponder these questions in their small 15

groups for a minute and then ask for responses to be shared.

The facilitator should take a few (3-5) comments and have them written on a sticky page presentation paper for students

to see. This will allow information to be documented and students will be able to go back to the responses they gave at the beginning to see how they have changed their minds or have a different understanding of their problems as time goes on.

It may be worth mentioning to the students that in conversations with Americans eye contact is essential. Students may have quesitons about this. If so, the facilitator should pause and discuss the issue futher.

After discussion about the discomfort students felt in this, the facilitator should ask:

Why might you be asked to do such an activity on your first day in a new country?

Students should pair and share within their groups for two minutes about this. The facilitator should walk around and

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Following these responses the facilitator can lead students recognize the discomfort they may feel in new relationships here. In addition, today we will

be discussing challenging material, and it’s important for us to be comfortable with one another to start!

talk with students about their ideas.

Students should then come back together and share 3-5 responses.

These responses should be written for all to see and refer back to later during the workshop.

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PART 2. ESTABLISHING SAFE SPACES AND EXPECTATIONS10-15 minutes

Understanding Goals

o Students will understand they are part of a community of international stu-dents at HGSE.

Students should all be sitting at their tables in the same seats as when they did their ice breaker.

It is imperative students establish protocols and expectations for themselves and the group while discussing potentially challenging topics such as culture. As a facilitator it is your job to help guide students to create expectations for each other to adhere to during potentially personal conversations. You should refer back to these as a guide throughout the sessions.

To lead this conversation, the facilitator should remind the students of the sensitivity of the material shared during this session and ask that the group establish some expectations for themselves. Students should be prompted:

What kind of space do you need to be most comfortable discussing topics that challenge you?

This is not a pair and share exercise and instead an opportunity for students to share their ideas with the entire group. If the group is quiet, the facilitator may choose to have students pair and share their

ideas and then come together to share.

While the group responds, the facilitator should write a list of these expectations on a sheet of sticky paper for all to see. This should be done for 5-10 minutes. These expectations should be available for use at all future conversations. Students should be told their expectations will be available for all to see throughout the day and they can refer

back to them with the facilitator and one another.

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Some ideas for norms are: respect one another’s ideas, be fully present, pay attention when someone is speaking

Before continuing on, the facilitator should be sure students are comfortable with the expectations they have set out for themselves.

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PART 3. WHAT IS CULTURE? 25mins

Understanding Goals

o Students will identify some of the ways culture impacts communication.

o Students will understand some basic definitions of culture and cultural

identity.o Students will understand some defining characteristics of their own

cultural identity.

The goal of this mini lesson is to give students the opportunity to discuss things that confuse or challenge them in American culture, as well as bring some stereotypes or misconceptions to the forefront.

The conversation should be free flowing, and may offer some insight into the future topics of discussion for the “save for later” board, but should also end in a conclusion that American culture is complex, varied and hard to define. This is important, as the students should recognize the same of themselves and one another.

Students should move into new tables with people from a variety of different cultures. There will be opportunities later to work with students

from their home culture. They should try to partner with someone they do not know well.

The facilitator should tell students to begin these conversations about cultural difference, students will engage in a short game where they will ask yes or no questions of a partner to learn about what they did yesterday. They can only ask yes or no questions. Students will have three minutes to figure out what the other student did yesterday.

To respond to the questions the other student should reply with a yes by shaking their head left and right (as if saying “no” in American culture)

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and reply no by nodding their head up and down (as if they are saying “yes” in American culture).

Students will be asked to choose one student to begin asking questions of the other. The facilitator should remind students the responder cannot speak and can only answer yes or no questions by shaking their head “yes” or nodding “no”.

These directions should be visibly displayed on a projector in case students are confused.

The students should do this for three minutes or so. The facilitator should walk around the room during this time but leave students alone to struggle with their responses.

Students will probably feel challenged with having to nod and shake their heads in a possibly counter-intuitive way. In addition, students who are asking questions should have trouble understanding what the other student is saying because the responses students give may be counter to how they expect.

After three minutes or so, students should then be asked to switch partners.

Students should then be given three minutes to change roles in the conversation. After three minutes are up the group should come back to discuss. The facilitator should prompt them:

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What did your partner do yesterday?

Here the facilitator is looking to point out the challenges of communicating within the confines of the directions. This is supposed to mirror how culture can impact communication.

The facilitator should take a few responses to this question and then move into asking students

Here, the facilitator is looking for students to identify how different cultures may feel this kind of struggle when they attempt to work with one another.

The students should be prompted with the following questions:

How did it feel to ask only yes or no questions? Were you frustrated when your partner could not fully respond?

What might this be similar to?

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The faciliator should take a few responses to these questions, cognizant that it is important to solicit responses from all students, including those who may not

immediately respond.After a couple minutes of responding, the facilitator should then ask about responding with the following questions:

When responding, did you find it difficult to communicate with your partner?

Was it hard to think about nodding and shaking your head? Did you find yourself wanting to speak up or help guide your partner?

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Students should be given a couple minutes to respond to these questions.

The facilitator should explain this exercise is to help us dive deeper into thinking about how cultural differences can make simple conversations or situations challenging and uncomfortable. Cultural difference may make it hard to communicate and accidentally create tensions that are not intentional.

Before moving on, this is a good time for students to pause and reflect in their personal journals about their thoughts on communication and culture. The facilitator should give students five minutes to write privately about their thoughts. Students can be asked if their thoughts on communication and culture have changed after this exercise. They should be prompted to consider ways they

might experience this here at HGSE and how they might deal with these challenges.

Following their personal reflections students can be prompted to share any thoughts they would like to. The facilitator should be prepared for students to wish to keep their thoughts to themselves and prepared to

move into the next section.

Students should be told to consider this experience as they think about culture. Before we begin discussing cultural difference, together we should identify some definitions for what culture is.

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Students should be prompted to think about what defines culture and where this is present in their lives. This will help them to consider pieces of culture that may not be immediately visible, such as religious practice, conceptions of time, hierarchy in conversations ect.

Students should write a definition of culture and some examples of its application in their own homes in their personal notebooks. They will be given 5 minutes.

Thinking about applications helps students to consider the complexity of culture. Definitions are broad ideas of what culture is, while an example of an application of culture is food, clothing, music ect. These should be distinguished as culture can be defined to label any society’s way of being, but the differences are felt in the way culture is acted out.

After discussing this in their groups, they should share their definitions.

The facilitator should be writing the definitions and applications of culture on sheets for students to see.

Some possible definitions to share with students on a slide are:

Culture consists in patterned ways of thinking, feeling and reacting. The essential core of culture consists of traditional ideas and especially their attached values. —

Clyde Kluckhohn (Peace Corps Manual)

Culture is the systems of knowledge shared by a relatively large group of people.

The patterns of behaviors and interactions, cognitive constructs, and affective understanding that are learned through a process of socialization. These shared patterns identify the members of a culture group while also distinguishing those

of another group. (Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition at University of Minnesota)

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This will set up the next portion of the workshop where students will discuss their perceptions of American culture.

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PART 4. HOW DO I PERCEIVE AMERICAN CULTURE? HOW DOES AMERICAN CULTURE PERCEIVE ME? 75mins

Understanding Goals

o Students will understand they hold stereotypes of American culture.

o Students will understand they hold stereotypes of their own culture.

o Students will understand they hold stereotypes of other cultures.

o Students will understand they may face challenges with cultural difference while at HGSE.

Materials Needed

Students will need a piece of large sticky paper in their groups

This discussion will focus on acknowledging misconceptions and beginning to identify aspects of American culture that are potentially confusing or challenging for students.

Students should change tables to meet other people. Before showing the clip, the facilitator should ask students to change tables and

sit with other students. If students are hesitant the facilitator should remind them an important goal of these activities is to build community and create space to meet new people.

This change of tables should take no more than three minutes.

To begin this piece, students should see this clip from Mean Girls, 1:20-2:24 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRZ172XMLCQ“If you’re African why are you white?”

The facilitator should tell students this clip is from the 2004 American

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movie, Mean Girls, a movie about American high school.

Following this clip is an opportunity to discuss some aspects of American culture and American misconceptions of other cultures. The facilitator should ask the group to partner up and discuss their immediate reactions and interpretations of this clip.

The following questions should be available on a slide and verbally asked of the students by the facilitator:

“If this is your first time in the U.S. you may have only seen American through movies and television. Does this clip align with some of your

expectations of American culture? How does it differ? If you have been in the U.S. before, can you describe how that adjustment has felt for you?

How has America been different since you’ve been here?”

Students will have 10 minutes to discuss these questions.

Following this discussion, students should be asked to share some of their observations.

These should again be written for all students to see on pages of sticky paper, with careful attention paid to some of the issues students are identifying as struggles they are experiencing. Students should be reminded that future discussions can be held to better discuss these topics, as there will not be enough time to cover everything

today. In addition, resources are available on campus which will be compiled for a separate resource sheet to be distributed at the end of the workshop.

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This should take no more than 10 minutes.

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Following this, students should then watch the following clips:HBSC “Wrong Flowers” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jrbu0lCWjk&list=PLAA214B8BE9016835&index=3HSBC “Eels”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_WAmt3cMdk

Following these clips, students will again be asked to regroup and discuss what they see in these clips. The facilitator should prompt students by stating,

“These clips are made by an international bank for advertising in the U.S. How do you think they enforce stereotypes? What kind of stereotypes do they enforce?”

Students will discuss these questions for five minutes in pairs

Following these conversations, students will share their responses. Here the facilitator should be thoughtful about encouraging students to share their experiences with cultural difference. These should again be written down for all to see.

The report back of this should take 5-10 minutes.

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Care should be taken BEFORE the workshop to identify possible student groups to best support students who do not fit into clear categories/don’t have a large group from their home. Possible groups that form may be Indian students, Chinese Students, Asian students, SE Asian students, Eastern/Western European,

The facilitator should then ask students to discuss among their groups, "How do you think Americans perceive people from your home country? If you have lived in the U.S. before can you share experiences of how you felt their culture was perceived within U.S. culture?

After this, students should be asked to reflect privately about how they believe their culture is perceived in the U.S. These should be written in a reflection notebook where they also have their pre-campus surveys. The facilitator can prompt students to think in a metacognitive way by prompting students to consider how their thinking about this

question may have changed since arriving in the U.S.

Students will be given 5 minutes to privately reflect.

Following this private reflection, the facilitator should ask if any students to move into groups based on their home region.

This change of tables should take no more than three minutes.

If students are struggling with this question, the facilitator can also prompt groups with questions such as, “What do you think Americans know about your culture? How has your culture been perceived historically? In films, television or music?”

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Students will be given ten minutes to discuss this as a group.

Students should be given a piece of large sticky paper in their individual groups. On this paper they will record their responses as a group to share later.

The facilitator should walk around and be sure any student who isn’t sure where to go has a group to join, and if someone is alone, possibly engage with them in why they feel disconnected.

If students seem tired or if they are struggling to focus, this may be a good point to have them take a break before coming back for presentations.

The students will then share their responses with the group. It is important each group be given the time to present their concerns and misconceptions. This piece of the program should take 15-20 minutes depending on the number of student groups.

After each group presents, students should be able to hang their misconception sheets on the walls for all to see.

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PART 5. WHAT DO I BRING WITH ME FROM HOME? WHAT ARE MY EXPECTATIONS OF AMERICAN CULTURE?50mins

Understanding Goals

o Students will understand they may face challenges with cultural difference while at HGSE.

Materials Needed

Students will need a piece of large sticky paper in their groups

This piece of the workshop relies heavily on students’ personal reflection. This may be uncomfortable or difficult for some students.

Students should stay in their cultural groups from the last activity.

To ease this potential discomfort, students should be told before the lesson begins that they will be asked to think with their eyes closed for about 10 minutes. Following this they will be given time to reflect and share their ideas with their peers, but for the sake of themselves and identifying their needs, it is important they take some time to reflect on their personal experiences.

Students will be asked to transport themselves BACK to before they got to campus. While closing their eyes they should reflect on the feelings they had when they were accepted to HGSE.

After a few moments, they should be asked to think about what it was like to tell others about their acceptances. How did people react? What did they say? How did you feel?

Students should be seated with their eyes closed to consider these

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questions for a couple minutes. They should be told they will be able to refer to the questions on a slide after this brief reflection time.

Following these questions they should be guided to think about what it was like getting here, how was the trip to the airport? How was saying goodbye? How was the plane ride here? What did it feel like to touch down in the US? To arrive on campus?

The facilitator should be careful to pause for students to think about their responses. These questions should take 5-10 minutes to ask.

Upon opening their eyes, students should refer to their reflection sheets they filled out before they left and when they arrived on campus and then be given five minutes to write privately about their thoughts.

After this, students should be asked again to close their eyes.

Think what it’s been like since they have been on campus. How many days has it been? Are you still jetlagged? How has American culture surprised you? What have you encountered has been difficult to understand?

After a pause for students to consider these questions, they should be asked, Have you encountered anything that has offended you or is blatantly against your cultural beliefs? Are you concerned you might? Why or why not?

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This conversation may be deeply personal, so the facilitator should make a point to remind students about their safe space norms established by the

The facilitator should be careful to pause for students to think about their responses. These questions should take 5-10 minutes to ask.

Following this, students should slowly be guided to open their eyes and asked to write a bit about their reflections for personal use later. Students should be reminded reflection is important as it will help them to identify lingering questions and offer opportunities to see change and growth over the course of the year. The students should be given 5 minutes to do

this.

The questions should be printed and placed on tables for students to look at while they write so they may refer back.

Following this, students will be given 5 minutes to share their responses with a partner.

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During this time the facilitator should walk around the room and engage with groups who may be quiet or struggling to discuss. The facilitator can prompt students to refer to the handout or ask one another additional questions about their adjustments.

After sharing with their partner they should be given time to share responses with the group. The time for this response is dependent on how much the group would like to share but should be at least 5 minutes.

It is important the facilitator give everyone who wishes to share the opportunity to do so, and if questions or concerns arise during this conversation, they are written down to be addressed.

Following these questions, the facilitator should move into the next portion of this conversation by telling students that now that they have reflected on themselves, their experience of getting to the U.S. and their expectations, they should think about how their personal needs/expectations and experiences may be impacted by American culture.

Using our previous definitions of culture (which should be then presented on a slide or pointed out in the room) students will be asked:

If you had to define American culture, how would you do so? What do you consider some of the paramount aspects of American culture?

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Here the facilitator should be mindful of stereotypes and expectations and do their best to help group ideas together to see patterns of expectations.

Students should move into groups of 3-5 students to discuss together.

Students will be asked to write these responses on a large sheet of paper to be viewed by the group later. They will be given 5-10 minutes to discuss as a group.We will not be able to discuss every one of these responses, but by putting them up for others, students can comment on one another’s concerns.

After the discussion, the facilitator should open up the conversation for students to contribute their responses. Students will be prompted to give their responses for five minutes.

Following this sharing, students should be prompted to reflect privately. They should be asked to consider the following:

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How will these play out in the classroom at HGSE? When you think about your home culture, are there things you are concerned about with regards to American culture? How might this impact your experience at HGSE?

Here the facilitator is prompting students to think about how they can transfer these experiences into their lives moving forward.

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LESSON 2: SMALL TALK AND COMMUNICATION: ESTABLISHING DEFINITIONS AND ASKING QUESTIONS

Generative Questions

How does culture impact communica-tion? What are some of the challenges I will face in communicating with Ameri-cans?

How can I be a more effective communicator?

What are some challenges I may face in the classroom as an international student at HGSE?

Understanding Goals o Students will understand there is no

“correct” way to communicate in America.

o Students will understand a variety of different cultural communication styles.

o Students will identify some of the communication characteristics of their culture.

o Students will identify some of the communication characteristics of American culture.

o Students will identify some of the communication challenges they will face within an American culture.

o Students will understand what small talk is.

o Students will understand some aspects of their cultural orientation.

o Students will understand some aspects of American cultural

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orientation.o Students will identify some ways their

cultural orientation may clash with American cultural orientation.

o Students will understand a model of small talk.

o Students will understand some of the ways to use small talk while at HGSE.

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This second lesson is expected to follow the previous lesson which discussed culture, cultural difference and expectations/concerns about studying in the U.S. It is expected that students will have a basic understanding of these issues and will also be somewhat familiar with one another. However, if this section is offered after the previous at another time, it will be important to remind students of the conversations they had previously and the safe space expectations they have created for their group. Luckily, since part of the previous lesson was consistently writing and sharing material on sticky sheets in the room, these are available to display yet again.

It is very important students above all understand and respect the safe space ex-pectations. This may require a facilitator to have students reflect on what was said previously and create new expectations if the group has changed from the previous.

If this programming is being offered in a single day, this may be an opportune time for students to take a break. The facilitator may choose to give students 10 minutes to step outside, go for coffee and regroup.

Before moving into the more “instructional” pieces of the workshops, the facilitator should again remind students about the value of their responses and the way they will inform future conversations. Concerns, questions and challenges that are brought up are recorded to be used for leading future conversations and improving future orientation materials.

PREPARATION

Preparation

Ideally, the classroom should again be set up with round tables for students to speak with one another at, preferably with six students to a

table. Students should be able to view the projector during the workshop.

The facilitator should pull up the YouTube clips in order so easily accessible for viewing.

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Family Guy, “Guy in the elevator small talk” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJhrFrae8lIPulp Fiction, “Comfortably share silence” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1E2cYCcn64Small talk at the hairdresser https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pg1xMP-Bg-k

PART 1. DIFFERENCES IN COMMUNICATION STYLES 50 minutes

Understanding Goals

o Students will understand there is no “correct” way to communicate in America.

o Students will understand a variety of different cultural communication styles.

o Students will identify some of the communication characteristics of their culture.

o Students will identify some of the communication characteristics of American culture.

o Students will identify some of the communication challenges they will face within an American culture.

Note to teacher: The activities in this piece are adapted from the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning’s Spring 2016 “Communications Style”

workshop.

Students should be seated at tables with groups they choose.

To begin the facilitator should tell students they will do an ice breaker to get conversations started and practice impromptu conversation; they will do a quick

improv game.

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The facilitator should tell the group stand up and point to items in the room around them and call them something they are not. For instance, if

a student were to look at a lamp, they could say dog.

The facilitator should explain this game is to get students to begin to be creative and think more freely about how we communicate.

IF TIME IS AN ISSUE the first activity can be skipped and students can go immediately into “gift giving.”

Here, the facilitator should jokingly ask students if they already have their first item in mind. Students will most likely have an idea of what they want to say. The facilitator should remind them this is a challenge about thinking creatively and on the spot and it is not judged. Everyone will be speaking at once, so this is truly a

warm up exercise for everyone to get comfortable with thinking on their feet.

Do you already know what you’re going to say? Of course you do! That’s only natural. I challenge you to let the idea come to you, we will be doing

this together and no one will judge. We are just warming up to get comfortable thinking on our feet, as we often do in conversations with

others!

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After introducing the activity, students will be told they will do it twice, one minute each, with a pause in the middle to discuss briefly what the

experience was like.

This will begin getting students to think in a more improvisational manner and set up our next activity.

Now will everyone please stand. I will time you for one minute as you name things in this room.

Following this the facilitator should ask students to discuss how that went.

Did anyone choose words all from the same category? Why might one do that?

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Students will respond to these questions and share their observations for two minutes.

Students will most likely have chosen words from the same category or had trouble identifying items as something they are not. The facilitator should let

students know this is a natural way the mind reacts to misunderstanding; to attach to something it understands and tries to preemptively solve

problems.

Students will then be asked to try once more to do this activity without thinking ahead of time what they want their items to be.

Let’s try that one more time for one minute.This time, try to have fun and just be in the moment!

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This activity is intended to get the students moving and laughing. It is a warm up for our next activity which will give us a model for communication. Any students

who are annoyed or frustrated should be approached with kindness and care, reminding them this is just an activity to get us thinking and moving.

After the minute is up, the facilitator should ask students to take a seat.

Now is an opportunity for pausing and reflecting on communication with the group.

The facilitator should be careful not to belittle students in this discussion, but rather simply offer a reminder about the intentions of this workshop: to help!

There is no “right” way to communicate here in the U.S. Today we are providing models and ideas for helping you to become more comfortable,

but are not the only “way” to communicate. You should feel free to ask questions as we go to clarify.

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To continue to get the creative juices flowing and move us into conversation skills, students should be asked to pair up with someone

they do not know. The student who is younger will be “A” and the older student will be “B”.

This next activity will build off the previous and require again using improve and having fun.. This activity will only be done twice.

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Today we are practicing gift giving! But our gift will be imaginary and the receiver will decide when it is gifted to them.

The facilitator should walk students through the following steps:

Like the last challenge, students should do their best NOT to consider what they want to say beforehand and instead think improvisationally.

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STEP 4Person "B" continues the conversation.

STEP 3Person "A" follows up by telling person "B" WHY they gave them the gift.

STEP 2Person "B" THANKS person "A" for the gift of... (Person B decides what the gift is)

STEP 1Person "A" motions to give an imaginary gift to person "B"

As much as possible you should NOT think about what you’re going to get until your partner’s hands are in front of you! Channel what you did in our

last activity and think on your feet, feel free to be silly.

You should also be careful not to speak over your partner and wait for your turn to speak. No one should offer more than a sentence response.

Here, the facilitator should offer students the opportunity to ask any questions. If they are unsure why we’re doing this activity, remind them we are learning some

models for understanding communication in the U.S.

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Please take a couple minutes to look over this document and consider:

What are some of the large differences between these styles?Which style is most like your home culture?What style is most like American culture?

The dialogue will continue until the facilitator stops the conversation. This should go on for a couple minutes, but should not be dragged out. After the conversation

is completed, the facilitator should ask students to switch.

Now let’s switch!

Students should now switch and person “A” is the gift giver.

After they complete this exercise, students should share how they felt with one another. They will do this for three minutes.

Was it hard to keep conversation going? Did it feel like one person was leading and another was following?

Was it hard to wait for someone to speak before you spoke?Was it hard to come up with something to say next?

After this, students will share reflections with the group. The facilitator should take comments for three minutes.

From here, the facilitator should give students a copy of the hand out “Playing the Game of Communication.” (Bowling, Rugby, Basketball)

The students should be instructed they will now be given a couple minutes to look over these sheets and consider the three different styles.

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After a couple minutes have passed for students to reflect, the facilitator should ask for feedback. Students should be given a few minutes to share

responses to these questions.

Here the students should identify American culture as a basketball culture. Some key aspects of this include: the cues that the conversation is being “passed” to

you, knowing how long to hold it for and not “dribbling”.

After the group has discussed the different cultural styles, the students should be asked to group up and consider the following questions:

What are some of the challenges a bowler might face in a basketball culture?

What are some of the challenges a rugby player might face in a basketball culture?

Have you had trouble in these situations before?

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Students will be given 10 minutes to discuss this.

During this time, the facilitator should walk around the room and listen to conversations students are having. To prompt discussion if it slows, the facilitator

may ask students to reflect on these experiences within their own culture or in their home. Students could also be asked to consider when they have seen these

differences on television or in a film.

The facilitator should also pass out the additional hand out “More Information, Cultures and Sport Metaphor”

After this discussion group, students should be given the opportunity to share with the group times they might have experienced these

differences. The facilitator should give students 5-10 minutes to share responses.

Following this, students should be asked to reflect in their journals on their communication styles, the challenges they

expect to face adapting to a different style and ways they might be able to overcome these challenges.

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Students should be told they will have ten minutes to complete this.

This is a good opportunity for a short break for students; they should be given ten minutes to step away.

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PART 2. WHAT IS SMALL TALK? WHY DO AMERICANS USE SMALL TALK?35 minutes

Understanding Goals

o Students will understand what small talk is.

o Students will understand some aspects of their cultural orientation.

o Students will understand some aspects of American cultural orientation.

o Students will identify some ways their cultural orientation may clash with American cultural orientation.

Students should be seated at tables with groups they choose.

To begin this lesson, students will view the following clips. To introduce them the facilitator should tell students these clips will contrast what small talk is and its

place in American culture.

The following are two different instances where characters discuss small talk. One is from “Family Guy,” an American comedy show. The second is

from the 1994 film “Pulp Fiction.”

Family Guy, “Guy in the elevator small talk” (0:26) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJhrFrae8lI

Pulp Fiction, “Comfortably share silence” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1E2cYCcn64

Following watching these clips, the facilitator should ask students to talk to their peers about what they observe in these videos.

What is happening between the characters?

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What are some of the challenges they identify? Have you ever experienced a similar situation?

Students will be given five minutes to discuss this in their groups.

After they discuss at their tables, students will be asked to share with the group some of their responses. The facilitator should take 3-5

responses.

The facilitator should here be sure to point out that small talk is a large part of American culture, as seen in these television and movie clips.

Small talk is used in part because of some of the ways Americans expect to interact with people they do not know because of cultural norms.

Following this, Students should receive the mapping your cultural orientation sheet.

The students will be instructed to place themselves on these scales to explore their cultural context. This will help us to better understand some of the

difference in cultural context that impact communication styles.

Please look at this worksheet and see where you think you are on the continuums. As you fill this out reflect on anything that surprises you

about where you land and where you think your culture may differ from American culture.

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Students will need five minutes to complete this survey.

Following this, they should pair and share their responses. To prompt discussion the facilitator can ask:

Where do you land in comparison to one another?In comparison to American culture?

What do you think are some of the challenges you may face because of your differences?

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Students will have five minutes to discuss this in their pairs.

Next we will ask students to connect their understanding of American culture to small talk. Americans use small talk often because it is a low context, individualis-tic culture. Americans have many surface level relationships. Establishing mean-ingful relationships takes time and requires a lot of trust to be established over

time, potentially requiring a lot of small talk.

After they have discussed in their pairs, students should be asked to share their responses to the group. The facilitator should take five min-utes for these responses.

After this, students should be asked to reflect on these questions in a personal journal. Students will be given five minutes to write about these questions. Questions to prompt reflection:

Does knowing your cultural context help you to better understand some of the challenges you perceive here in the U.S.?

Does knowing your cultural context make you think about engaging with other students at HGSE differently?

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Following this is a good time for a break so students may choose to share more with one another or take some time to reflect further.

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Part 3. Models and suggestions for small talk60 minutes

Understanding Goals

oStudents will understand a model of small talk.o Students will understand some of the ways to use small talk while at HGSE.

Students should be asked to change tables once more before the lesson begins.

To begin this lesson, students will view the following clip. Students should be told this is a comedy clip which outlines some of the challenges Americans face with

small talk in the U.S. in a humorous way.

This four minute long video is a comedy clip about small talk. After we watch it we’ll discuss what is happening in this clip.

Small talk at the hairdresser (4:43): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pg1xMP-Bg-k

Following this clip, students should pair and share their thoughts from the video. They should have three minutes to discuss the fol-

lowing questions:

What is happening here? Why is it funny? What are some of the tech-niques she is using to engage in small talk? Why is she using small talk?

During these discussions it may be helpful to call upon students who have lived in the U.S. or are from cultures similar to the U.S. to discuss their personal experiences. Students will probably be interested to hear thoughts

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from their peers and students who may be bored by this material will be given the opportunity to contribute meaningfully.

Students should be asked to share their responses with the group for about five minutes.

Next, students will be asked to reflect on their own ideas and experiences with small talk.

Do you enjoy small talk?Does small talk make you uncomfortable?

Why or why not?

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Students should discuss these questions in their table groups for five minutes.

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Following this they should report back to the entire group, the facilita-tor asking for responses for about five minutes.

After students have responded to these questions they should be prompted to con-sider what is and how people participate in small talk.

How do you small talk?

The facilitator should ask students to think about this question with a partner for five minutes.

After they discuss together they should share with the group for about five minutes.

Students may have questions about why Americans engage in communicating in this way. Ask others in the room who have experienced this to give their

thoughts on the question. Assure students this is not the only form of commu-nication Americans have... Instead learning about this is just to assist students in engaging in small conversations with strangers to establish more meaningful con-

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versations. Refer them back to previous videos to think about the places small talk is used.

Family Guy- not in a serious relationship, Pulp Fiction: only when people don’t know one another well, the hairdresser: attempts to create relationships with

strangers

The facilitator should ask for two volunteers to model a small talk conver-sation. They should be called to stand in front of the group.

Let’s practice; can I get two volunteers to role-play a situation?

After taking volunteers the facilitator should present the following situa-tion.

You don’t know each other and you’re both standing at the T station wait-ing for a train. You’ve seen each other in a class. One of you decides to say

hi.

Students should act out this situation for about three minutes and be thanked for acting in front of the class.

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After, the others should analyze the conversation they had for about five minutes.

What happened?What did they discuss?

What did they notice about one another?What did you notice about their conversation?

Do you think they will become friends?

Following this analysis together, the facilitator should offer students the following model for small talk. The facilitator should also point out our knowledge of our

“basketball culture” tells us that the conversation should go back and forth.

There are three steps to basic small talk: Anchor, Respond/Reveal and En-gage.

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An anchor is to identify things you have in common. Some examples of an-chors are on this slide.

A common anchor is the weather as it is not controversial and experienced by everyone. Other possible anchors could be talking about classwork, a

new restaurant that opened up or sports. For instance, you might see someone in a Red Sox hat and ask them if they saw the last game.

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Responding/Revealing is where you are able to add more to the conversa-tion depending on what you’re comfortable sharing. This is where you can

begin to explore more commonalities and interests.

Some examples are: in discussing rainy weather, someone might say at least it’s not snow!

In discussing school work, one might say they’re also feeling a little over-whelmed right now.

In response to a new restaurant you might share your favorite new spot.

If someone asks about a sports team you might reveal you’re a fan of an-other team.

If they ask about baseball and you don’t understand the sport, you might let the other person know this.

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The final step, engagement, is where you are able to make a connection forward.

Here when talking about the weather you might say you’re going hiking when the weather gets better and ask for suggestions or offer to invite

your new friend.

If you’re confused about baseball you might offer to teach someone about a sport you understand that they might not, like cricket.

When talking about schoolwork, you might offer to invite this new friend to your study group.

When talking about food you might ask if someone wants to try a new place together.

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After discussing the model, the facilitator should ask if students have any ques-tions or need clarification.

As a reminder, this is a model for communicating. Does anyone have any questions or thoughts about this model?

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Following this, students will be asked to find a partner they have not met yet and engage in small talk based on a scenario they are given.

We are now going to practice this model. Please find a partner to small talk with. I will walk around with scenarios for you. Each of you will re-ceive a scenario and you will take turns leading the conversation. Who-ever traveled furthest to campus will go first. You should discuss each

topic for about three minutes.

Students will each be given a slip of paper with a scenario on it to discuss. These scenarios will range from leaving Longfellow after class with a classmate to running into a professor in Gutman. These scenarios will allow students to play with real situations they may find themselves in and give opportunities to ask questions about possible cultural difference.

The model slide should stay visible for students during their conversations.

Following this, they should discuss in their partnership how the ex-perience felt- if they felt comfortable or uncomfortable, if they felt

connected to one another or not.

How was that?

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Students should then be given the opportunity to discuss these experi-ences with their peers for about five minutes. They may ask questions

about the experience and raise concerns.

The facilitator should assure students that they will have support of one another and the Office of Student Affairs.

To conclude this training session/orientation it might be helpful to point out some upcoming events and contact information for the staff.

Additionally, students should be given the opportunity to give feedback/ideas for future conversations to be added to the “save for

later” board.

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BEFORE YOU GOREFLECTING ON YOUR YEAR AT HGSE

This reflection document is yours and does not need to be shared. Please fill this out while you are still home and BEFORE you are on campus.

What are three things you are most excited about this next year?1. ___________________________________________________2. ___________________________________________________3. ___________________________________________________

What are three things you are most worried about?1. ___________________________________________________2. ___________________________________________________3. ___________________________________________________

What are three things you expect to miss from home?1. ___________________________________________________2. ___________________________________________________3. ___________________________________________________

What are three things you DO NOT expect to miss from home?1. ___________________________________________________2. ___________________________________________________3. ___________________________________________________

What do you expect America to be like?______________________________________________________________________________________________________

What do you expect graduate school in the US to be like?______________________________________________________________________________________________________

What do you expect Harvard to be like?______________________________________________________________________________________________________

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___________________________________________________

Adapted by “What’s Up with Culture” 1.1 http://www2.pacific.edu/sis/culture/

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YOU MADE IT! NOW WHAT?REFLECTING ON YOUR YEAR AT HGSE

This reflection document is yours and does not need to be shared. Please fill this during your first day or so at HGSE. The more honest your responses,

the better support you will be able to receive!

How was your travel here?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What have your interactions with Americans outside of HGSE been like?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Is Cambridge what you expected?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What have your interactions with HGSE students been like?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What have your interactions with HGSE staff been like?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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PLAYING THE GAME OF COMMUNICATIONThe characteristics of these three games represent common speaking styles you are most likely to come across (and practice) internationally.

"Basketball" is the style most frequently used in _______________________________________, in which the speaker gives cues by "dribbling," or setting up key phrases that invite an immediate response from the listener. Speaking turns are short with each party "taking the ball" to make their point, and then expecting the listener to then take the ball back to make theirs. Hesitations and pauses indicate an opportunity for the listener to take the speaking role - in which case, interruption is not seen as rude, but rather a way to keep the "game" moving forward.

In______________________________________, however, most favor what linguist Deborah Tannen refers to as a "high considerate" speaking style - in this case, described as the "bowling style." In the bowling style, speaking turns are much longer and based on the hierarchical position of individuals involved; the person with more authority speaks first, and the younger person (or one with less seniority) does not speak until spoken to and waits for an appropriate pause to speak. In this style, interrupting or speaking out of turn is seen as considerably rude and likely to negatively impact the communications.

This is in sharp contrast to the "rugby" style of speaking, often practiced in _________________________________________. The rugby communication style is spirited and spontaneous, with many voices being heard simultaneously. Rather than pause while listening to the speaker, others in the conversation respond immediately, finishing that person's sentences for them and even taking the topic into other areas. In this style, active involvement is key, and interruptions are just par for the course.

Japan, Northern China, Korea and ThailandBritain, Canada, Australia and the United StatesRussia, Greece, southern Europe, and African and Latino cultures Borrowed from the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and LearningAdapted from: Playing the Game of CommunicationBy Shelly Wallace, Associate Director,XU Intercultural Communication Grouphttp://xucommunication.blogspot.com/2008_02_01_archive.html

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MORE INFORMATION: CULTURES AND SPORT METAPHORBowling cultures, are generally hierarchical, those in which participants defer to those in authority and wait until others have completely finished. 

This type of “game” is characterized by long pauses between speakers, a low key attitude – low volume and a somewhat slow pace – and a consensus-building goal.  Speaking out of turn is seen as “considerably rude and likely to negatively impact the communications.”

According to research by linguist Deborah Tannen, this “high considerate” speak-ing style is most common in the cultures of East Asia and Switzerland.

Rugby cultures are characterized by common patterns of verbal and non-verbal interruptions or overlapping speech, a quick change of speakers and topics, and a louder volume in comparison to the other sports-based discussion analogies. 

“In this style, active involvement is key, and interruptions are just par for the course.”²  The cultures generalized to this pattern include the Middle East, Latin America, Russia, and Mediterranean cultures, such as Greece, and some African countries.

Basketball cultures, characterized by the style most common in the US, Britain, Canada and Australia, are characterized by short pauses between speakers and strategies such as “dribbling the ball” to hold the floor, e.g., “There are two points I’d like to make here.”  

“Hesitations and pauses indicate an opportunity for the listener to take the speak-ing role” – to take or steal the ball – “in which case, interruption is not seen as rude, but rather a way to keep the ‘game’ moving forward.”

It is expected in this style that no one person will “hold the ball” too long (drib-bling) and therefore the conversation must pass back and forth.

These resources were developed on material presented by the Derek Bok Center for teaching and Learning at Harvard, with additional information from the following:

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https://uminntilt.wordpress.com/2011/11/14/play-ball-discussion-as-bowling-rugby-basketball/http://xucommunication.blogspot.com/2008/02/playing-game-of-communication.html

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This resource is borrowed from the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning.

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SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING

Abe, J., Talbot, D. M., & Geelhoed, R. J. (1998). Effects of a peer program on international student adjustment. Journal of College Student Development,39(6), 539.

Hall, E. T. (1966). The hidden dimension. Garden City, NY: Doubleday.

Hyun, Jenny, PhD., M.P.H., Quinn, B., PhD., Madon, T., PhD., & Lustig, S., M.A. (2007). Mental health need, awareness, and use of counseling services among international graduate students. Journal of American College Health, 56(2), 109-18. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezp-prod1.hul.harvard.edu/docview/213067860?accountid=11311

Leong, P. (2015). Coming to America: Assessing the patterns of acculturation, friendship formation, and the academic experiences of international students at a U.S. college. Journal of International Students, 5(4), 459-474. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezp-prod1.hul.harvard.edu/docview/1695740363?accountid=11311

Mukminin, A., & McMahon, B. J. (2013).International graduate students’ cross-cultural academic engagement: Stories of Indonesian doctoral students on an American campus. The Qualitative Report, 18(69), 1-19. Retrieved from http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR18/mukminin69.pdf

Noyongoyo, B. (2011). International Students in US Colleges and Universities: Eating habits, Cultural Identity, and Dietary Acculturation. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezp-prod1.hul.harvard.edu/docview/918693316?accountid=11311

On the Importance of Diversity in Higher Education. (2012, June 1). Retrieved February 20, 2016, from http://www.acenet.edu/news-room/Documents/BoardDiversityStatement-June2012.pdf

Powell, A. (2016, February 2). Support for a Diverse Student Body. Retrieved February 25, from http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2016/02/support-for-a-diverse-student-body/

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