CPD

Workshops provided in this category are:

An introduction to Intercultural Communication for language teachers.
Developing Intercultural Training Skills: a train the trainer course for future interculturalists.
Introduction to Arabic language and culture for teachers with students from the Middle East and North Africa.

An introduction to Intercultural Communication for language teachers.

Our world of globalisation has turned the language classroom into an increasingly rich and fascinating, albeit sometimes challenging, setting of cultural and linguistic diversity.

ELT language teachers may have some knowledge of their students’ native language and how this affects their learning capability. However, understanding their students’ cultural heritage and how it may impact their behaviour inside and outside the language classroom is another matter.

Exploring the cultural codes of the hidden dimensions that lie behind our values and beliefs can help you adapt your lesson content and methodology accordingly. It will empower you as a teacher and help you build a relationship of trust with your international students as you foster cultural awareness in your teaching and become more empathetic towards their needs.

Type of session: group of 4-10
Delivery mode: in person or online.
Duration: Half or full day workshops depending on your requirements and needs.
Please get in touch to discuss your needs in detail and get a quoted proposal.

An introduction to Arabic Language and Culture for language teachers and professionals dealing with students and clients from the Arab world.

The Arab world stretches from the shores of the Atlantic ocean in North Africa to the Persian Gulf in Asia. It offers a unique and complex cultural diversity in terms of ethnicity, linguistic, religious and tribal customs resulting from history, tradition and immigration.

Whether you are a teacher or a host dealing with Middle Eastern students or a professional doing business in the Arab world, gaining some insight into the Arab-Islamic cultural heritage and mindset will help you understand the hidden values and beliefs that lie behind your Arab guests’ attitude and behaviour. You will explore some cultural codes that will help you avoid serious misunderstandings that can lead to conflict and unnecessary stress. You may even decide to adapt your own attitude or lesson content and methodology accordingly, if need be. Whatever the outcome, this training will empower you as a host/teacher/business partner and enable you to build a relationship of trust in the long run.

Developing Intercultural Training Skills Train the Trainer Course

Developing intercultural training skills is an online train the-trainer course I co-teach with Adrian Pilbeam, the Director of LTS Training and Consulting. It is adapted from the face-to-face course held regularly at LTS in Bath and at client locations abroad since 2005. This interactive online version of the course was launched in March 2021. It consists of 8 weekly modules of 3 hours each, plus weekly tasks and short assignments. The course is designed for trainers and coaches from fields such as language, communication, social work, business and management in both professional fields and higher education. The course aim is to introduce the theory and practice of intercultural training, so that participants can integrate intercultural topics into their current work, and also design and deliver their own intercultural courses. Exchange of experience with other participants is a valuable part of the course.

Type of session: Groups of 4-8 participants.
Duration: 8 weekly modules of 3 hours each, plus weekly tasks and short assignments covered over 9 weeks
Delivery mode: Online with a possibility of a blended session in Bath, UK, in the near future.