ASSESSING INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE:

A YOGA FORM

The term "YOGA" stands for "Your Objectives, Guidelines, and Assessment" form. This form may be used as a self-evaluation guide. It is designed to help you examine the development of your intercultural communicative competence (ICC, or Intercultural Competence, for short). This pilot document should help you to critically examine your intercultural objectives, serve as guidelines while undergoing an intercultural experience, and provide an assessment tool at various stages of intercultural development.

Rate yourself in each of the areas below (from 0 — no competence — to 5 — very high competence). After doing so, it is useful to have a native of the host culture rate you as well. This will provide you with not only your own perspective, but that of your hosts as well. Normally, the same individual will be perceived differently by the various evaluators (providing, e.g., "emic" and "etic", or insider/outsider viewpoints that invariably exist across cultures). These different perspectives can spark important discussion, reflection, and learning.

AWARENESS  
Level I: Educational Traveler — I demonstrate awareness of  
• differences across languages and cultures   0 1 2 3 4 5
• my negative reactions to these differences                                                                  
(fear, ridicule, disgust, superiority, etc.)       		 0 1 2 3 4 5
• how a specific context affects/alters my interaction with others  0 1 2 3 4 5
• how I am viewed by members of the host culture    0 1 2 3 4 5

 

Level II: Sojourner — I demonstrate awareness of  
• myself as a "culturally conditioned" being and as an individual with
personal preferences and habits             		0 1 2 3 4 5
• responses to my social identity (race, class, gender, age, ability, etc.)
within the context of my own culture                                                                                		0 1 2 3 4 5
• responses to my social identity (race, class, gender, age, ability, etc.)
as perceived by the host culture      		0 1 2 3 4 5

• intracultural differences (i.e., diversity aspects such as race, class, 
gender, age, ability, secual orientation, etc.) within my own culture                           

 0 1 2 3 4 5
• intracultural differences (i.e., diversity aspects such as race, class,
gender, age, ability, sexual orientation, etc.) within the host culture  		0 1 2 3 4 5
• my choices and their consequences (which make me either more or
less acceptable to my hosts)     		0 1 2 3 4 5

 

Level III: Professional — I demonstrate awareness of  
• my own values that affect my approaches to dilemmas and their 
resolution   		0 1 2 3 4 5
• my hosts’ responses to me that reflect their own cultural values
(e.g., ethical frameworks embodying values, variations based on
individual differences, etc.)		 0 1 2 3 4 5
• how my values and ethics are expressed in specific contexts  0 1 2 3 4 5
• differing cultural styles and language use and their effect on the
workplace or institutional context      		0 1 2 3 4 5

 

Level IV: Intercultural/Multicultural Specialist — I demonstrate awareness of  
• my own level and stage of intercultural development (e.g., in terms of
sensitivity, empathy, ethical issues, language proficiency, etc.)                                 		0 1 2 3 4 5

• the levels and stages of intercultural development of those I work with
(students, program participants, colleagues, etc.)                                                          

0 1 2 3 4 5
• factors which help and hinder my own intercultural development and
ways to overcome them           		0 1 2 3 4 5
• factors which help and hinder the intercultural development of those
I work with and ways to help them overcome them        		0 1 2 3 4 5
• how I perceive myself as a communicator, facilitator, mediator in
intercultural/multicultural situations       		0 1 2 3 4 5
• how I am perceived by others as a communicator, facilitator, mediator
in intercultural/multicultural situations         		0 1 2 3 4 5
• the multiple perspectives, complexities, and implications of choices in
intercultural and multicultural contexts    		0 1 2 3 4 5

 

ATTITUDE 0 1 2 3 4 5
Level I: Educational Traveler — I demonstrate a  willingness to 0 1 2 3 4 5
• interact with members of the host culture (I don’t avoid them, or primarily
seek the company of my compatriots, etc.)              		0 1 2 3 4 5

• learn from my hosts, their language, and their culture    

0 1 2 3 4 5
• try to communicate in the host language and to behave in ways judged
"appropriate" by my hosts                 		0 1 2 3 4 5
• try to deal with the emotions and frustrations caused by my participation in
the host culture (in addition to the pleasures which it offers)                 		0 1 2 3 4 5

 

Level II: Sojourner — I demonstrate a willingness to  
• take on various roles as appropriate to different contexts in the host culture
(e.g., in the family, at school, as an intern, etc.)    		0 1 2 3 4 5
• demonstrate interest in particular aspects of the host culture
(e.g., motivation to learn the host language, to understand the values,
to learn the history and traditions, etc.)      		0 1 2 3 4 5
• adapt my behavior in accordance to what I am learning about host culture
communication (e.g., language, non-verbal behaviors, and sensitivity to
behavioral adjustments appropriate for different contexts          		0 1 2 3 4 5
• reflect on the impact and consequences of my decisions, choices, and
behavior on my hosts                                                                                                       		0 1 2 3 4 5

 

Level III: Professional — I demonstrate a willingness  (plus evidence of moving beyond tolerance to deeper  levels of understanding and respect) to  
• grapple with multiple ways of perceiving, of expressing myself,
and of behaving                		0 1 2 3 4 5
• engage with others and to try to understand differences in their behavior,
values, and attitude                                                                                                             		0 1 2 3 4 5
• interact in a variety of ways, some quite different from those to which
I am accustomed       		0 1 2 3 4 5
• grapple with the ethical implications of my choices
(vis-a-vis my behavior, decisions, etc.)                                                                          		0 1 2 3 4 5

 

Level IV: Intercultural/Multicultural Specialist - I demonstrate a willingness (plus evidence of moving  beyond tolerance, understanding, and respect, to appreciation) to  
• engage the challenges of linguistic and cultural diversity as they occur
in professional and community settings               		0 1 2 3 4 5
• exhibit appreciation for and interest in individuals and groups in
particular cultural contexts         		0 1 2 3 4 5
• be flexible in communicating and interacting with those who are
linguistically and culturally different (and with limited knowledge of
my own language and culture)      		0 1 2 3 4 5
• enter into dialog with others and accept responsibility for the
consequences of my decisions and actions within the host culture                          		0 1 2 3 4 5
• suspend judgment and appreciate the complexities and subtleties
of intercultural and multicultural communication and interaction            		0 1 2 3 4 5
• extend a sense of empathy to those oppressed because of their
sociocultural status         		0 1 2 3 4 5

 

SKILLS  
Level I: Educational Traveler  
• I demonstrate flexibility when interacting with persons 
from the host culture             		0 1 2 3 4 5
• I use models appropriate to the culture and I avoid offending
my hosts with my behavior,dress, etc          		0 1 2 3 4 5
• I am able to contrast the host culture with my own             0 1 2 3 4 5
• I use strategies which aid my adaptation and reduce 
cultural stress                                                                                                                     		0 1 2 3 4 5
• I develop strategies for learning the host language and 
about the host culture    		0 1 2 3 4 5

 

Level II: Sojourner  
• I use a variety of effective strategies when interacting
 with culturally different people             		0 1 2 3 4 5
• I use a variety of effective strategies when interacting
 with culturally different people                                                                                        		0 1 2 3 4 5
• I demonstrate the capacity to interact appropriately in a 
variety of situations within the host culture                    		0 1 2 3 4 5
• I am able to cite sociopolitical factors which have shaped 
both my own culture and the host culture         		0 1 2 3 4 5
• I employ appropriate strategies for coping and/or adjusting
to the host culture                                                                                                               		0 1 2 3 4 5
• I employ appropriate strategies for coping and/or adjusting
 to my own culture upon returning home                                                                          		0 1 2 3 4 5
• I identify and effectively utilize models, strategies, and
techniques to enhance my learning about the host culture 
and language     		0 1 2 3 4 5

 

Level III: Professional  
 • I utilize several cultural frameworks to improve my 
professional interactions in the host country                           		0 1 2 3 4 5
• I communicate effectively with people from various cultures 
in a range of social domains, considering age, gender, 
social status, and other factors                  		0 1 2 3 4 5
• I utilize relevant culture-specific information to improve my 
working style and professional interaction with my hosts                     		0 1 2 3 4 5
• I monitor my behavior and its impact on my learning, growth,
and on my hosts     		0 1 2 3 4 5
• I successfully utilize relevant frameworks to improve my 
 managerial role in intercultural and multicultural settings                       		0 1 2 3 4 5
• I devise strategies to adapt my professional habits to the 
appropriate learning and styles of the workplace                                   		0 1 2 3 4 5

 

  Level IV: Intercultural/Multicultural Specialist  
• I can explain a range of models for understanding cultures and 
the dominant and emerging theories which underpin these                       		0 1 2 3 4 5
• I utilize my language ability and cultural models to anticipate 
the behavior of persons from various cultures in most domains 
of social and professional interaction                                                                            		0 1 2 3 4 5
• I successfully incorporate host culture dominant cultural traits 
into intercultural education and training designs                                                         		0 1 2 3 4 5

• I help resolve cross-cultural conflicts and misunderstandings                               

0 1 2 3 4 5
• I test out the relevance of new and alternative methods that further  
understanding of the intercultural and multicultural fields                                          		0 1 2 3 4 5
• I develop new concepts, models, and strategies for presentations at
professional meetings and publications in appropriate journals                               		0 1 2 3 4 5
• I provide professional and educational services in the intercultural
and the multicultural fields                                                                                               		0 1 2 3 4 5

 

KNOWLEDGE  
Level I: Educational Traveler  
• I can cite a basic definition of culture and identify its components                0 1 2 3 4 5
• I can contrast aspects of the host language and culture with my own     0 1 2 3 4 5
• I know the essential norms and taboos (greetings, dress, behavior, 
   etc.) of the host culture               		0 1 2 3 4 5
• I recognize signs of cultural stress and I know strategies for
overcoming them              		0 1 2 3 4 5
• I know some techniques to maximize my learning of the host  culture         0 1 2 3 4 5

 

   Level II: Sojourner  
• I can articulate at least one academic definition of culture and describe the complexities of cultural systems using relevant concepts and terms         0 1 2 3 4 5
• I can describe and explain my own behavior and that of my  in various domains (e.g., social interaction, time orientation, relation  to the environment, spiritual, etc.)         0 1 2 3 4 5
• I can articulate the general history and some  factors which have  shaped my own culture and the host culture      0 1 2 3 4 5
• I can describe one cross-cultural model for understanding common adjustment phases (from entry to reentry) and strategies for coping while immersed in the host culture and upon returning home            0 1 2 3 4 5
• I can explain at least one model for understanding learning processes and strategies (e.g., the experiential learning cycle) and implications for learning about and adjusting to another culture                                                    0 1 2 3 4 5

 

Level III: Professional  
• I can cite various publications about understanding cultures, 
including those related to the domains of work, teaching, etc.                                 		0 1 2 3 4 5
• I can describe and explain the interactional behaviors common 
to persons from a specific other culture in social and professional 
domains (e.g., team work, problem solving, teacher-student roles,)                          		0 1 2 3 4 5
• I can compare and contrast my professional area of interest in 
my own cultureand a specific other culture (e.g., teaching, sustainable 
development, community organizations, volunteer practices, etc.)                             		0 1 2 3 4 5
• I can describe several models of cross-cultural entry and 
strategies for successful entry and adaptation                                                              		0 1 2 3 4 5
• I can discuss models for understanding learning styles and strategies, and describe prevailing styles in my own culture and  another culture and their implications         0 1 2 3 4 5

 

Level IV: Intercultural/Multicultural Specialist —  I am able to  
• explain the complex dynamics inherent in multicultural settings  involving people of diverse language and culture backgrounds    0 1 2 3 4 5
• describe a range of models for understanding cultures, and the prevailing theories and paradigms in the intercultural literature which underpin them       0 1 2 3 4 5
• describe and explain in depth the behavior of persons from specific other cultures in important domains of social and    professional interaction                  0 1 2 3 4 5
• discuss aspects of specific other cultures within the professional domain of intercultural training          0 1 2 3 4 5
• explain and utilize several models for mediating and resolving conflict among peoples of different cultures    0 1 2 3 4 5
• provide a range of alternative models for conducting education or training processes that address diverse learning  styles, relevant to training and advising in intercultural  and multicultural settings                                                                                                 0 1 2 3 4 5
• provide a range of alternative models for conducting education or training processes that address diverse learning  styles, relevant to training and advising in intercultural  and multicultural settings                                                                                                 0 1 2 3 4 5
• cite primary and secondary research tools and other resources and systems available to professionals in the field                                                        0 1 2 3 4 5

• cite primary and secondary research tools and other resources and systems available to professionals in the field       

0 1 2 3 4 5
• identify relevant publications, journals, and professional societies  that contribute to our understanding of intercultural communications, as well as the contributions of other related academic disciplines              0 1 2 3 4 5

 

LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY  
Level I: Educational Traveler — I demonstrate ability within the following range  
• ACTFL Novice-Mid (or FSI 0): able to operate in only a very limited                              capacity      0 1 2 3 4 5
• ACTFL High (or FSI 0+): able to satisfy immediate needs with
learned utterances     		0 1 2 3 4 5
• ACTFL Intermediate Low (or FSI 1-): able to satisfy basic survival
needs and minimum courtesy requirements          		0 1 2 3 4 5
• ACTFL Intermediate-Mid (or FSI 1): able to satisfy some survival
needs and some limited social demands                		0 1 2 3 4 5

 

Level II: Sojourner — I demonstrate ability within  following range  
• ACTFL Intermediate-Mid (or FSI 1): able to satisfy some survival
needs and some limited social demands       		0 1 2 3 4 5
• ACTFL Intermediate-High (or FSI 1+): able to satisfy most survival
needs and limited social demands       		0 1 2 3 4 5

 

Level III: Professional —I demonstrate ability within  the following range plus some ability in a third language  as stated below  
• ACTFL Advanced (or FSI 2): able to satisfy routine social demands
and limited work requirements             		0 1 2 3 4 5
• ACTFL Advanced Plus (or FSI 2+): able to satisfy most work requirements and show some ability to communicate  on concrete topics    0 1 2 3 4 5
• ACTFL Superior (FSI 3 to 4+): able to use the language with sufficient structural accuracy and vocabulary to participate effectively in most formal and informal situations                                                                               0 1 2 3 4 5
• and ACTFL Intermediate Low to Intermediate High (FSI- 1to1+) in a third language      0 1 2 3 4 5

 

Level IV: Intercultural/Multicultural Specialist — I demonstrate ability within the following range plus some ability in a third language as stated below  
• ACTFL Superior (FSI 3 to 4+) in a second language                                                   0 1 2 3 4 5
• and ACTFL Intermediate High to Advanced Plus (FSI 1+ to 2+) 
  in a third language                             		0 1 2 3 4 5

                                                             

                                               

 

                                                                    

                                                                              

 

                                                                               

                                                                                                  

 

                                                                                                         

 

 

                                                                                 

 

*Adapted in part from a "Report by the Intercultural Communicative Competence Task Force,"
© Alvino E. Fantini, Brattleboro, VT, USA 1995; Revised 2000