Intercultural Skills’ Assessment

1. Age, gender, and nationality are essential characteristics of a person.

2. At your university, can you observe a growing cultural diversity?

3. When you are on university grounds, do you regularly hear different languages being spoken?

4. How would you evaluate yourself on openness on a 1-5 scale, where 1 means very weak, 2 weak, 3 neither weak nor strong, 4 strong, and 5 very strong?

5. How would you evaluate yourself on cultural self-awareness on a 1-5 scale, where 1 means very weak, 2 weak, 3 neither weak nor strong, 4 strong, and 5 very strong?

6. How would you evaluate yourself on knowledge of cultural worldview frameworks on a 1-5 scale, where 1 means very weak, 2 weak, 3 neither weak nor strong, 4 strong, and 5 very strong?

7. How would you evaluate yourself on empathy on a 1-5 scale, where 1 means very weak, 2 weak, 3 neither weak nor strong, 4 strong, and 5 very strong?

8. How would you evaluate yourself on verbal and non-verbal communication on a 1-5 scale, where 1 means very weak, 2 weak, 3 neither weak nor strong, 4 strong, and 5 very strong?

9. How would you evaluate yourself on curiosity on a 1-5 scale, where 1 means very weak, 2 weak, 3 neither weak nor strong, 4 strong, and 5 very strong?

10. Cultural differences can also be observed between different generations.

11. There are different cultural identities in the different regions of my country.

12. Culture is:

13. The national culture of my country defines my country and makes it better than others.

14. Culture is given from one generation to the other and stays the same.

15. I am aware of my own cultural rules and biases and I can easily recognise them.

16. Cultural bias is different from racism in that it targets cultural differences rather than anthropological characteristics like skin color.

17. Cultural bias is the tendency of people to judge the outside world through a narrow view based on their own culture.

18. Which of the following could describe culture?: A. Learned and dynamic; B. Static and unaffected; C. Shared and integrated; D. Based on symbols and inseparable from language.

19. Do you think that all gestures have the same meaning in all countries?

20. Do you think that the number of times people kiss when meeting each other may differ from country to country?

21. A stereotype is a form of bias.

22. When stereotypes come up during a discussion, what do you usually do?

23. Do you think that empathy and sympathy are synonyms?

24. What do you think empathic listening means?

25. To be able to empathise with someone else’s feelings is more often a strength than a weakness.

26. Cultural empathy is the ability to empathise with the feelings, thoughts, and behaviours of members of groups with a different cultural background.

27. I look for opportunities to talk in foreign languages, even though I may make mistakes.

28. Communication is crucial in order to foster positive intercultural relations.

29. While working with a group of foreign students, do you pay attention to body language and gestures?

30. Communication is made to a significant extent of sounds and body language.

31. Before, during, or after visiting a foreign country, are you interested in learning about its culture?

32. When you are abroad, are you interested in trying the local food?

33. During a vacation in Mexico, you come across the parade of the Day of Deads (Dia de los Muertos). For the first time, you witness a different way to remember those who have passed, which replaces mourning with celebrations. How would you react?

34. You have just arrived in a foreign country for a year of studying abroad. A local classmate invites you for dinner to his/her parents' house, where many things (the welcoming, manners, the food, etc.) will be new for you. How do you feel?

35. During a friendly discussion, a foreign friend says something that seems insulting to you. How do you react?

36. Do you define yourself as an open-minded person?

37. Cultural openness allows people to navigate without social constraint within and across different cultural groups.

38. A culturally open individual judges other people.

39. The meaning of the terms cultural bias and racism is exactly the same.