Intercultural Skills’ Assessment

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

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

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

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 empathy 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 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?

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. Culture is:

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

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

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

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

15. Can you explain your personal values to people who are culturally different from you?

16. 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.

17. The term stereotype refers to:

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

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. A stereotype is a form of bias.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

30. Do you think that widely recognised hand gestures, like the thumps-up sign of approval or agreement, may have opposite, negative, or even insulting meaning in some countries?

31. 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?

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. 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?

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

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

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

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

38. A culturally open individual judges other people.

39. The greater the comprehension an individual has of his/her own culture (cultural self-awareness), including stereotypes and generalisations, the more that person can appreciate and understand other cultures.