LCW’s

Guide to Developing
Intercultural Competence

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 A general way of thinking or feeling;
an opinion or belief about a particular issue

Attitudes are learned tendencies to evaluate specific issues

or topics in a certain way. Attitudes are generally either
positive (in which case we tend to believe that a specific issue
People with a highly-developed level of intercultural is good and our emotional state is positively impacted by
competence often believe, wholeheartedly, that… supporting it) or negative (in which case we feel negative
emotions connected with certain experiences or issues).
• The things we learned from our parents and communities are so deeply Attitudes, and the resulting emotions, impact how a person
ingrained in us that it is often difficult for some people to imagine thinking in a responds to certain situations, topics, or interactions. A
different way. positive attitude about something makes us more likely to
• People are generally good and even those who disagree with you on a specific
support it, develop it, do it, or explore it.
issue are not inherently bad people
• There is value (on an individual, organization and even global level) in getting
to know and in learning to work with someone who comes from a different
background than your own
• There is rarely a “right way”, but rather a “best way, depending on
circumstances”
• Changing the way you behave, in certain situations, does not mean you’re
being untrue to yourself, nor does it mean you’re pretending to be something
you’re not.
• People, communities, and cultures are all complex entities. It is nearly
impossible to fit anything into a simple box.

If you don’t, on some level, believe these statements, you may encounter challenges as
you seek to develop a higher level of intercultural competence and may wish to explore
experiences that will help you to develop some of these attitudes.

© 2017, Language & Culture Worldwide, LLC.

www.LanguageAndCulture.com
 A learned, developed, and refined ability to do
something well

Skills represent the behaviors and activities that a person has

learned to do with a high level of excellence. Some skills may
be easier to develop if the individual has a natural ability or
People with a highly-developed level of intercultural inclination for them, but with enough dedication and effort,
everyone is capable of developing a desired skill set. (For
competence are usually skilled at… example, while everyone can learn to shoot professional
looking photographs, someone who also happens to have an
• Describing the behaviors of other people in non-judgmental terms
“artist’s eye” may be slightly more skilled at producing
• Advocating impartially for an opinion they do not necessarily share
stunning images.)
• Asking the right questions to better understand another person, group, or
community
• Identifying reliable resources to better understand another person, group, or
community
• Giving the benefit of the doubt to other people, especially in situations which
are stressful, conflict-driven, or emotional
• Managing their anger and frustration so as to allow themselves an opportunity
to think with a clear head

If you do not feel that you possess these skills, you may wish to identify learning
opportunities that will help give you the practice and application you need to refine them.

© 2017, Language & Culture Worldwide, LLC.

www.LanguageAndCulture.com
 The theoretical or practical understanding of
something, acquired through experience or education

Learning about something, whether through books, the

internet, personal observations, past experience, or any
other vehicle of learning, provides us with an invaluable
understanding of the world around us. Knowing what to look
People with a highly-developed level of intercultural for and where to look for it enables us to educate ourselves
and expand our familiarity with topics and issues that are
competence are familiar with and knowledgeable about… relevant to our personal and professional lives. Sometimes,
however, the most important knowledge is that which is
• What culture means, how it is formed, what it entails, and what impact it has unbeknownst to us – the oft-cited “things you don’t know
on human behavior
you don’t know”. External guidance, or just personal
• The proven ways (in sociological and anthropological studies) that groups
differ (including their own), whether in their values, beliefs, or actions exploration into uncharted territories, may uncover some of
• The simple and practical differences in greetings, rituals, and etiquette of those pieces that can prove to be most valuable.
different communities and cultural groups (including their own)
• The historic events and current events that impact a particular group or
community (including their own)
• How their own culture is perceived by other cultures
• The institutions that support and mold a cultural group’s current value system
(including their own)
• Proven strategies for working and socializing with key cultural groups with
whom they interact regularly

If you do not feel that you possess this knowledge, you may wish to identify learning
opportunities that will help you access and attain it.

© 2017, Language & Culture Worldwide, LLC.

www.LanguageAndCulture.com
 The mental or physical capacity, talent, or inclination
to do something;

As humans, we are born with the ability to walk and, if we

choose to, we may train to become an Olympic marathon
runner. Some people are just naturally more adept at certain
things. For some, creative abilities are innate. Some just have
People with a highly-developed level of intercultural a “musical ear”. For others, math and spatial reasoning come
competence are often recognized for their ability to… as second nature. And for many, their natural extroversion
empowers them to build relationships more quickly and
• Observe something rationally and objectively skillfully than other people. For those of us that do not have
• Demonstrate and feel empathy for other people a specific ability, we can usually work to develop it – at least
• Take on someone else’s perspective to a level which allows us to perform better than we
• Step outside of their natural comfort zone currently do, in whatever endeavor we are attempting.
• Remain calm, even in difficult situations
• Identify creative ideas for compromise

If you do not feel that you possess these abilities, you may wish to put conscious effort into
developing them. You may not be the fastest runner, but you can still run a marathon.

© 2017, Language & Culture Worldwide, LLC.

www.LanguageAndCulture.com