Intercultural Skills’ Assessment

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

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

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

4. 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?

5. 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?

6. 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?

7. 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?

8. 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?

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

11. Culture is:

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

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

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

15. I believe that the social conventions of my country are universal. People who do not follow those conventions are outcasts.

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

17. I believe that nobody tasting my country's cuisine could dislike any of our traditional dishes.

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

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

20. I am aware that certain idiomatic expressions in my language may not be understandable in another cultural setting or translatable to another language.

21. It is important to suspend judgments vis-à-vis different values and customs, and to consider multiple meanings.

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

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

24. Do you think that cultural empathy is a prerequisite for effective cultural communication?

25. How would you define empathy?

26. Empathic communication is a powerful tool to solve interpersonal conflicts and establish deep connections.

27. In your country, a person who does not speak your language asks you a question. How do you react?

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

29. Do you think that linguistic competences could support you with your communication skills?

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

31. You have just moved abroad for a two-month internship in an organisation where your mother tongue is the working language. Do you still try to acquire a basic knowledge of the local one?

32. 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?

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

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

35. A culturally open individual judges other people.

36. A culturally open individual does not assume, but questions.

37. How would you react if, during a working experience abroad, you are asked to adapt your schedule, personal and working routine, to local habits?

38. In a working group formed by students with different cultural origins, do you try to impose your working method or do you rather value diversity in finding a common approach?

39. The less culturally empathetic and culturally open an individual is, the less xenophobic that individual may become.