Page 8 - euroguidance-insight-newsletter-2016-autumn

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Over time you realise that it isn’t good or bad, only different!

At a seminar for guidance practitioners from Nordic and Baltic countries, Marit Grøn-
skei from AFS Intercultural Programs in Norway was invited to talk about the learn-
1
ing outcomes that can be gained by students from an high school exchange year
abroad. She shared her insights into what the most appreciated learning outcomes
are and how to deal with more and more partners becoming involved in the students
exchange experience – the parents.

– We tend to think that mobility
is about learning about other cul-
tures. But you also say that cul-
ture sensitivity to our own culture
is equally or even more import-
ant?

– Yes, absolutely. To be able to
understand another culture you
have to start by understanding
your own. Your own references
are drawn from your own cul-
ture, so if you haven’t under-
stood those references it will be
very difficult to put the new cul-
ture’s references into context,
Grønskei explains. This is why
AFS always provide some kind
of training about my culture and
background and the motivation having a deeper cultural sensitivity. and then minimising them takes
that I have for learning some- It starts with where we come from, time. This is why we believe
thing new, she adds. which is the comfort zone and also that exchanges needs to last for
the norm. more than a couple of days. They
should preferable last for a year.
Cultural sensitivity takes time
According to Grønskei, the stu- – And then one day they realise that And then after a while they will
dents undergo certain phases something outside of their own bub- find themselves self adapting to
of development on their way to ble is different, that people are dif- the new culture. Over time they
ferent. Realising these differences begin to realise that all the new

1 AFS is an international, voluntary, non-governmental, non-profit organization that provides intercultural
learning opportunities to help people develop the knowledge, skills and understanding needed to create a
more just and peaceful world. afs.org