To personalize a course in intercultural communication at a northwestern university, each student is allowed to design an individual project concentrating on a single area of prejudice held by each student. Students select a target area and then treat the problem (and the communication breakdown it represents) as the real enemy. They choose from a…

This orientation manual for the America-Israel Young Ambassadors Student Exchange Program is written for the exchange of high school students between these two countries. The goal is to familiarize American students with the history, politics, economy, religions and society of Israel. Thirteen training sessions are suggested on the following…

Differences in the attitudes, social organization, thought patterns, interpersonal distance, time sense, nonverbal communication, and human factors of different cultures can pose communication problems. Since Saudi Arabians generally do not score well on tests of English as a second language, reading at only about the fourth grade level, technical…

The current growth of interest in intercultural communication skills may be poorly directed. Unlike TESOL programs, bilingual and intercultural communication programs are designed to promote knowledge and experience in more than one language culture. Bilingual education's transformation into a program directed not at promoting true bilingualism,…

Education and training of management personnel in developing nations have been patterned after the American system. Unfortunately, efforts at transplanting such knowledge has neglected the cultural nuances unique to the various nations, resulting in incomplete success. Intercultural communication barriers can be posed by such cultural features as…

Analysis of multilingual acquisition processes among children at the European School of Brussels reveals how both curricular and extra-curricular factors combine to account for these students' high levels of proficiency in three or four languages. Schumann's (1979) Acculturation Model applied to one case study allows examination of how the…

This article addresses the question of whether or not current language education programs will meet the bilingual, cross-cultural needs of the Southwest business community. The article suggests ways schools can increase English and Spanish proficiency. (JL)

Describes how Maureen Crane Wartski's A BOAT TO NOWHERE can foster an exchange of ideas between Asian and non-Asian high school students. (MM)

Individualism in American culture makes students ignorant of world issues. Educators must change the students' intercultural perspectives. ASF intercultural programs offer youth an opportunity to live in another culture. The results include the following: (1) better appreciation of foreign culture; (2) ability in a foreign language; (3) more…

Defines true bilingualism as biculturalism, explains what "understanding" another culture means, and describes how to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching methods for students from different cultures. Ideally, individuals learning a second language will acquire a "metacultural" consciousness that permits them to be comfortable in any cultural…

The following elements of music are examined to show differences and similarities between Afro-American and Euro-American musical and cultural traditions: (1) cultural context, (2) time, (3) rhythm, and (4) form. Both traditions address the American experience and a greater understanding of their musical styles is crucial to inter- and…

A conceptual framework is proposed for studying variations in kind and extent of social integration and relatedness, such as those new communication technology may foster. Emphasis is on the contrast between direct and indirect social relationships. The framework is illustrated by consideration of potential social impacts of widespread…

Discusses the problems that confront multilingual persons, not only in the United States but also in the People's Republic of China. (DF)

Explores ways in which microcomputers may be used in classrooms, both to enhance academic skills and to allow students to interact directly with students in other cultures. Examines the transmission and the interactional pedagogical models in terms of using computers for teaching writing and instituting cultural exchange networks. (SED)

A study of age and time differences in motivation for learning French and in attitudes toward French instruction found attitude variation decreasing with time, and found rural and suburban students' attitudes linked most to the learning situation while urban students' motivation was rooted in desire to communicate in French. (MSE)