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 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 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?

6. 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?

7. 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?

8. 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?

9. 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?

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

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

12. Culture is:

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

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

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. The term stereotype refers to:

19. In your class, there is a foreign student who, although he/she is sociable in general, never looks the professor in the eyes when talking to him/her. What do you most probably think?

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

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

22. A stereotype is a form of bias.

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

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

25. What do you think empathic listening means?

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

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

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

29. During lunch, there is a heated discussion between two of your classmates from different cultural backgrounds. You don't want to take a side. How do you react?

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

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

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, do you like to engage in a conversation with locals?

34. During a festive event, a group of foreign students encourages you and your colleagues to participate in one of their traditional dances. How would you react?

35. A culturally open individual judges other people.

36. Do you think that an open person is, consequently, a flexible person?

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

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

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