Building relationships and working successfully with different cultural backgrounds can seem like a major challenge. But you can enjoy the rewards, while keeping dissatisfaction to a minimum. The key to making them work is cultural competence. Essentially, cultural competence is defined as the ability to understand and interact effectively with people from different cultures.
Cultural competence is critical for everyone in today’s modern world. Living and working in a culturally diverse environment sometimes comes with differences of opinion and tension. People with strong cultural competence can resolve these issues creatively, even if a solution seems impossible at first. What’s more, thinking and caring about others with different experiences can bring out a sense of understanding. This helps to build trust between each other.
Cultural competence can be improved through training, education, and experience. Here are some simple tips to help you improve your cultural competence.
Assess yourself
The starting point is to understand your own cultural values and world view. Assess the current level of cultural competence in yourself and identify the knowledge, skills and resources that you want to acquire. This can give you an idea of your strengths and weaknesses in the area so that you can improve yourself in future.
Practice good manners
No matter whom you are dealing with, make sure that you are respecting others’ backgrounds, boundaries and customs. Pay close attention to your communication and make sure that you’re speaking to others in a kind and polite way.
Ask questions
When you don’t understand something or want to know why someone has behaved in a certain way, simply ask. Asking questions stops you making unnecessary assumptions, and shows the questions you did not understand to them.
Keep in mind that developing cultural competence is not a one-shot enterprise. It takes time and practice. Whether you are in a classroom or on campus, cultural competence plays an important role in your daily environment. Recognizing and dealing with cultural differences will create a happier setting for everyone.
1. What is cultural competence according to the passage?2. Why is cultural competence important for people in intercultural environment?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
>To improve our cultural competence, we should not only understand our strengths and weaknesses in this area, but also ask questions when we don’t understand others’ behaviors, even if we may speak in an impolite way.
4. Apart from the tips mentioned in the passage, what other way(s) can you think of to develop your cultural competence? (In about 40 words)
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Firefighters put their lives in danger every day to save lives and to battle fires before they can spread any further.
It could happen to you.
People have the mindset in many cases that fires will never happen to them.
Never hide from or attempt to fight a fire.
In the event of a fire, the only thing that should be on your mind is escaping. Never try to fight a fire or hide from one. Instead, try to escape as soon as possible. Then waste no time in calling the fire department.
You only have one to two minutes to escape.
If you were taught fire safety in school 40 years ago, you may have heard you have around 17 minutes to escape a fire.
Being in a burning building gets people injured and even killed. Once you're out, stay out, and let the fire department do its job. If someone or a pet is trapped, please know that firefighters are trained in escape and lifesaving measures.
A.That can be a deadly assumption. |
B.Never enter or go back into a fire. |
C.Life and safety is of the first importance. |
D.While it was true then, it's not true anymore. |
E.The faster firefighters are informed, the earlier they will arrive. |
F.Pay attention to potential fire dangers that may be in your home. |
G.They're a vast source of knowledge when it comes to preventing and surviving house fires. |
【推荐2】Problem-solving skills
We face problems in our everyday life.
1. Know the problem
First of all, it is important to know and understand the problem clearly.
2. Analyze the problem
Analyzing the problem will give you time to think of a proper solution.
3. Plan a strategy(策略)
Planning a strategy will help you waste less energy and time in trying all the solutions. This step includes knowing the advantages and disadvantages of a solution. In this way you can rule out the strategy that you don’t find worthy to apply.
4.
Leave out the information that is not required for the solving of the problem. You need to be accurate with the details. Keeping the irrelevant(不相关的) information usually won’t simplify the problem as we tend to overlook the relevant information.
5. Carry out the solution
Carrying out the solution in a correct way to get the expected result is important while solving a problem. You need to be creative while carrying out a solution just in case some other problem arises while applying the solution.
Solving a problem is easy if you understand the problem in the first place. By analyzing the problem, planning a strategy, using the best solution, and carrying out the solution in the best method, you will solve your problem smoothly.
A.Make a wise decision. |
B.Delete irrelevant information |
C.You can use various tools to analyze the problem. |
D.Knowing the problem means solving half the problem itself. |
E.It can be social problems, relationship problems, or problems at work. |
F.Sometimes we can take wrong decisions for solving the problems in haste. |
G.Being ready with other choices is also important in case a solution works only half way. |
If something that you're doing doesn't challenge (向…挑战) you, then it doesn't change you. We all need some normal stress in our lives, after all.
A.Set aside at least a few minutes a day for physical exercise. |
B.You should make a plan before you travel. |
C.Running may be a better choice. |
D.Don't just limit yourself to your fellow travelers. |
E.Taking a class for what you like may give you extra income as well. |
F.You may upset people a little bit sometimes. |
G.You can never see any improvement if you stick to your comfort zone. |
【推荐1】Learning to Give Praise to Others
Words of praise, when used right, can have powerful positive effects on others. They are free, but they’re worth so much to the receiving person.
Of course, with what I have mentioned above, be sure it’s coming from your heart.
Besides, praising in public is rather important.
I believe that as you begin using these communication tips and praising people around you, you’ll see a change in the atmosphere of your work environment.
A.So you need to be sincere in praise. |
B.This is more so in voluntary organizations. |
C.People will become happier and smile more. |
D.Words aren’t always necessary in praising others. |
E.It is much more effective than praising in private. |
F.Remember that measured praise is not praise at all. |
G.The best way to give praise is by being an example. |
【推荐2】When I worked on the manufacturing shop(车间)floor, we rarely saw plant managers. Except for one. He often walked through the plant. He checked out product quality. He stopped for a brief word—usually no more than a "hello." He wasn't outgoing. He didn't display any of the qualities typically associated with a "leader." Yet we liked him.
In a 1992 University of Pittsburgh study, researchers had four women attend a number of different classes. Their attendance varied: one woman might attend every class; a different woman might attend only a few. What didn't vary was their behavior. None of the women spoke in class or spoke to other students.
At the end of the term, students were asked which woman they liked best. Who "won"? Women who attended the highest number of classes. According to the researchers, "Mere exposure had weak effects on familiarity, but strong effects on attraction and similarity." Or in non-researcher-speak: If I see you frequently, I naturally like you more. That's the power of showing up.
Knowing someone will show up in the future also matters. In a 1967 University of Minnesota study, researchers gave study participants profiles of two people and told them that one would be a partner in future discussion groups. When asked, the participants said they liked their future partner more. Even though the profiles were almost identical.
Want your team or your customers to like you more? Show up. Drop in. Drop by. Send a brief note. Make a quick phone call. You don't have to say or do much. Then, be consistent in your behavior. In time, people will expect you to drop in or drop by, whether in person or virtually. Anticipating future contact will make them like you more.
1. What does the first paragraph serve as?A.An introduction. | B.A background. |
C.A comment. | D.An explanation. |
A.Answering questions frequently. | B.Greeting others enthusiastically. |
C.Behaving more like others. | D.Attending classes more often. |
A.Familiarity contributes to likability. |
B.Identical behaviours enhance likability. |
C.Future partnership increases likability. |
D.Virtual contacts benefit likability. |
A.Power of likability. | B.Research on likability. |
C.Definition of likability. | D.Application of likability. |
【推荐3】About 72% of Americans use social media, where it’s common to make new friends, build relationships, or share photos of your daily life.
Social media allows people to connect in ways that wouldn’t otherwise be possible, and can often expand (扩展) people’s social circles, says Kathryn Moore, Ph. D., a psychologist at Providence Saint John’s Child and Family Development Center in Santa Monica. On social media, you can connect with those people in similar situations and share worries, fears, and celebrations, Moore says. According to her research, up to 64% of teens report they have made a new friend online, for example, and 83% of teens report that social media makes them feel more connected with their friends.
Social media can negatively impact relationships when you start comparing yourself to other people, including your friends, just based on their social media, Moore says. For example, some may fear their lives aren’t as good as their friends’ and take friendships away because they feel they’re not good enough. Problems with self-esteem (自尊) can also appear when posting about some relationships on social media, but not all of them. “People might feel left out that they’re not as important if they’re not being shared on social media,” Moore says. Cyberbullying (网络霸凌) can also negatively impact relationships, whether you are receiving mean comments or sending them to someone else.
In order to grow a relationship that started online you should show the real you. To deepen a relationship that started on social media, Moore suggests talking on the phone or meeting in person. This allows for more fluid (流畅的) conversations, where you can communicate in real time. Remember that the people who you meet online can become an important part of your life.
“If a relationship created through online resources is treated with respect and consideration, it can be a great way to meet someone you might never have had the chance to meet,” says Don Grant, Ph. D., chairman of the American Psychological Association’s Device Management & Intelligence Committee.
1. What can we say about social media according to Moore’s research?A.It has become the most important way for teens to make friends. |
B.It prevents people from making friends in real life. |
C.It can help teens to develop real relationships. |
D.It makes teens feel more lonely and lost. |
A.Social media may influence relationships in a bad way. |
B.Building relationships online is not a piece of cake. |
C.Relationship online makes people less connected. |
D.Social media increases the risk of cyberbullying. |
A.It leads people to lose chances to meet face to face. |
B.It is more respectable than the relationship in real life. |
C.It can be meaningful if dealt with properly. |
D.It can be developed in an informal way. |
A. | B. |
C. | D. |
【推荐1】Chinese and Western eating habits are different. In China, the dishes are placed on the table and everybody shares. It is always polite to let guests or elderly people at the table taste every dish first. But in the West, everyone has his or her own plate of food.
Although there are no strict rules on how to set chopsticks and spoons, there are some things you should never do during a Chinese banquet.
Firstly and most importantly, don’t put your chopsticks upright in the rice bowl. Instead, lay them on your dish. The reason for this is that when people die, family members give them a bowl full of rice with a pair of chopsticks sticking out upright in it. So if you stick your chopsticks into rice bowl, it appears that you want someone at the table to die.
Make sure the spout of the teapot is not facing anyone, as this is impolite. The spout should always be directed to where nobody is sitting, usually just outward from the table.
Don’t tap on your bowl with your chopsticks. Beggars tap on their bowls, so this is not polite. Also, when the food is coming too slow in a restaurant, you should not tap on your bowl. If you are in someone’s home, it is like insulting the cook.
1. What is the difference between Chinese and Western eating habits according to Para.1?A.In China people are very polite, while in the West people are not so. |
B.In China people share the dishes, while in the West people eat separately. |
C.In China people use the chopsticks, while in the West people use the knife and fork. |
D.None of the above. |
A.It is polite to taste the dishes before the guests or the elderly. |
B.You can put your chopsticks wherever you want. |
C.Never tap on your bowls with the chopsticks during the meal. |
D.Teenagers can stick their chopsticks in the rice bowl. |
A.playing jokes on | B.laughing at |
C.treating badly | D.looking down upon |
【推荐2】Culture shock, which has five stages, refers to the cultural incompatibility(不相容性) of a person moving from his native cultural environment to a new one. Each stage can be ongoing or appear only at certain times. The first stage is called the “honeymoon stage”, in which the new arrival may feel pleased,
Afterwards, the second stage presents itself. There may be feelings of discontent, impatience, anger, sadness, and feeling incompetence.
The third stage is characterized by gaining some understanding of the new culture. A new feeling of pleasure and sense of humor may be experienced. One may start to feel a certain psychological balance. The new arrival may start to have a feeling of direction. Things are still different,
The fifth stage is the stage that is called the “re-entry shock”.
These stages are present at different times and each person has their own way of reacting in the stages of culture shock. Keep an active attitude and you will definitely make it.
A.but you are now a survivor |
B.The fourth stage can be called “at ease at last” |
C.as everything he encounters is new and exciting |
D.Follow these steps, and you will get over culture shock |
E.This occurs when a return to the country of origin is made |
F.when the new arrival may encounter some difficult times and crises in daily life |
G.The period can be very difficult and led to the new arrival of rejecting the new culture. |
【推荐3】Learning about other cultures is a valuable experience. Gaining an understanding of other cultures benefits both you and other people by deepening your understanding of how different people are.
Follow social media about your chosen culture. A great thing about the Internet is that it has made the world smaller and more accessible than ever.
Ask questions online. There are plenty of ways to ask members of a culture questions about that culture online directly. Take a look at local communities and forums that accept questions or conversations.
Look up YouTube videos. YouTube is another form of social media that allows passive watching or interaction. There are many channels on YouTube dedicated to a specific culture or some aspects of a culture.
A.Read online news sources. |
B.Post a question and wait for a response. |
C.Ask what daily life is like in their culture. |
D.There are many ways to attain knowledge about other cultures. |
E.Ask what the major holidays are like there, and how they celebrate them. |
F.You can find people from cultures all around the world on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. |
G.Often, these videos are produced by people that come from that culture, or know a lot about it. |