Identity beyond accent: Harnessing cultural differences

This semester, Tatiana Skopintseva’s series of workshops on cross-cultural communication provided AWC visitors with an opportunity to discuss identity, cultural diversity, and effective communication strategies. 

The second workshop of the series, “Cultural diversity and how to deal with it,” opened with a story of the first lady’s faux pas at Buckingham Palace and closed with a role-play, in which participants practiced talking to colleagues from different cultural backgrounds without overstepping their cultural boundaries. 

The main takeaway: even basic research into your partner’s cultural background before the meeting can make all the difference between success and failure in an intercultural exchange.

What did the participants especially appreciate about the workshop? 

• “It was a good combination of explaining and letting the audience figure things out for themselves through real-life cases, which I particularly appreciated.”
• “I really liked the starting example with the Queen, the friendly atmosphere (as usual with this speaker!), great handouts, and a very well prepared speaker.”
• “The material was informative, well-structured, and up-to-date; the speaker was open to discussion.”

Although the year is coming to its close, our events are not over yet. Don’t miss our end-of-year gathering, where you can talk to colleagues, play an exciting game, and have a cup of tea!