Cross-cultural encounter partnership: You will find and establish a partnership

with someone from another culture or co-culture in Belarus (someone you did not
know before this semester). This partnership allows you to become more familiar
with differences across cultures (or co-cultures) as well as the communication
complexities present when people from different cultures (or co-cultures) interact.
You will meet with your partner regularly throughout the semester (and hopefully
establish a long-term relationship). You should plan at least one encounter with your
partner each week. You may choose to share meals, attend movies or concerts
together, study, or whatever appeals to you. However, the main purpose of these
encounters is to share your experiences with one another, learn as much as you can
about your partners culture (co-culture) and acquaint him/her with yours.
Journal: As a result of your interactions with your intercultural partner you will keep
a journal of your experiences. The assignments provide issues to discuss during your
encounters. Some of the issues addressed are cultural differences in interpersonal
relationships, management of interpersonal conflict, cultural values and beliefs,
family communication, dating/marriage rituals, education, and the use of verbal and
nonverbal codes. In addition, you will place the following in your journal:
1. your paper on your partners culture
2. your reaction paper to Being a Stranger,
3. your reactions to the readings we will provide you with
Place all your journal material in a folder or notebook that somehow reflects
some aspect of your individual and collective identity.
Reaction Paper to Being a Stranger: Attend some event when you are the only
person (or one of only a few) representing your culture where you feel comfortable
and safe. You must go alone (no classmates or friends) or with your cross-cultural
partner. You must gain approval of your teacher before going. We want you to feel
what it is like to be a minority. You are advised before going to seek out and gain the
approval of an escort or host. Once you have made arrangements to participate in an

event of another culture, you should read all you can find about the culture and event,
and if possible you should have a meeting with your escort or host to learn how to
anticipate the event and to learn its meanings. After attending the event, write a short
(3-4 page) reaction paper describing the settings, the interactions that you engaged in
and observed, how you felt, and what you thought while at the event. Discuss your
experiences using the content (language, concepts, research) you have studied in class
and from your textbook.
To get a good grade on this paper you MUST integrate some of the content that
we have been studying. The paper must be typed and is due the beginning of the
class period reserved for discussion of this assignment.
Cultural paper. As soon as you choose a partner you can write an 8-10 page paper
on his/her culture. This paper helps prepare you to interact with your partner. I want
you to specifically focus on the communication aspects of that culture. For example
how do people in that country deal with conflict, form romantic relationships, convey
friendships, and/or what is the mass media situation like in that country in terms of
number of radios and television sets per household. Research his/her culture using
research reports published in academic journals, published ethnographies, interviews,
encyclopedias, and other published materials. A minimum of 12 information sources
should be used. No more than two of these sources can be from non-scholarly
Internet sites. You can use other members (not counting your cross-cultural partner)
of the culture who live in this community for two of your remaining sources. Begin
the paper with an introduction, use APA style (you will be provided with a detailed
instruction on this style of writing), include a reference section for those references
actually cited (make sure every reference listed at the end of your paper is actually
referred to in the body of your paper). Note: This paper is a formal research paper and
should be written in third person.

Discussion Topics with Partner

Give your partner a copy of this so he/she knows what to expect. Record everything
you learn in your journal. In addition to these topics make sure you have asked any
questions or discussed any topics that we are discussing this year. Also, Id like you
to have these discussions as you are doing something else like preparing or sharing
meals together, attending a cultural event, visiting each others home and meeting
each others families, even taking your partner shopping. Even though I know
everyone is busy, dont just meet your partner in the library or a classroom, ask your
questions, and leave. Make these meetings an opportunity to form a meaningful
relationship. ALL ANSWERS MUST BE TYPED!
At the end of the semester you will give an in-class presentation where you describe
that culture, your experiences with your partner, and share some artifacts of that
culture. Partners are invited to attend class for the presentations.
WEEKLY DISCUSSION TOPICS FOR CULTURALLY DIVERSE PARTNERS
Block 1: Get Acquainted: Talk about where you both grew up, hobbies, age, etc.
Identify the major political, social, and environmental challenges facing each of your
countries. Talk about how you each view your own countrys standing in the global
community and what your hopes for your home country are in terms of its role on the
global stage. Ask them how long they have been in Belarus and what their move here
has been like. Ask them to tell you about any cultural differences they have noticed.
Then discuss cultural slang exercises with them. In your journal answer describe your
first encounter with your partner. What communication obstacles did you encounter?
What will you do differently in order to reduce or eliminate these obstacles?
Block 2: Continue to discuss cultural slang exercises. Also, find out as much as you
can about your partners culture. Talk with your partner about what values your and
his/her parents have taught you that reflect those from each of your home cultures

and that have been shaped by historical events in your two cultures. Then switch to
which values your partner has been taught that reflect elements of Belarusian culture.
Each of you should identify a historically important visual symbol that you think
really reflects your culture. Put pictures of those symbols in your journal entry. Ask
him/her if he/she has any questions about any aspect of Belarusian culture.
Block 3: Ask your partner what nonverbal gestures exist in your partners cultures
that dont exist in the Belarusian culture. Have any of our cultural nonverbal gestures
especially confused your partner? Ask your partner to show you examples of his or
her cultures use of communicative body movements.

What similarities exist

between the two cultures? Differences? Potential areas for misunderstanding?

Block 4: Talk about the notion of success.

Specifically, ask your partner the

following. Then tell them your answers.

a. How would you define a successful person?
b. How would you define the traditional notion of a successful person in the
Belarusian culture, in your culture?
c. Would you say that you are a successful person? Why or why not?
d. How does your success differ from the traditional notion of success in Belarus,
in your culture?
e.

How have the people in your life (family, friends, coworkers, spouse, etc.)

influenced your success?

f. What barriers have you had to overcome in order to be a successful person?
g. How has or will interacting with people from different cultures impact on your
success?
Summarize your findings. In your summary, answer the following questions:
h. How do the definitions of success offered by your partner compare to your own
and to the traditional views of a successful person in the Belarusian culture?
i. What barriers did your partner have to overcome in order to become successful?

j. What has helped your partner become successful?

k. After your discussion with your partner, how would you define success?
Block 5: Discuss what groups are outgroups in each of your cultures. How does
the mass media in each of your cultures reinforce the outgroup status of that group?
Discuss cultural differences in interpersonal conflict management.

To be a

competent communicator in each culture what should one know about how to
effectively deal with conflict? Has your partner experienced any conflicts with people
in Belarus because their expectations for how conflict differed from his/her?
Block 6:

This week, discuss cultural differences in interpersonal relationships.

Discuss both cultures dating and marriage rituals, and communication roles within
the family. Discuss the norms for friendship and physical contact between friends in
both cultures. What did you learn that surprised you? What aspects of relationships
in their culture might make relationships in your culture even better?
Block 7: Finally in 2 pages please indicate What do you think was the greatest
value to your completing this multicultural experience? In what ways have you
changed in your outlook on communicating with strangers? In what ways do you
need to improve to more effectively communicate with strangers? Obviously this
weekly assignment will NOT be done with your partner.

CULTURAL SLANG EXERCISE

Newcomers to a culture may know the language of the new country but not
understand some of the common expressions its inhabitants use. Here are some
common phrases you see if your partner understands and, if not, discuss with him or
her. You do not have to complete this exercise but it might give you something fun to
use to break the ice. You might update some of the terms to reflect the fact this is
2009 . If so, just cross out slang no one uses any more and insert an alternative
term.
A lemon:___________________
Break the ice:________________
Cop:_______________________
Cram:______________________
Dead day:___________________
Down in the dumps:___________
Go Dutch:___________________
Goof Off:___________________
Hassle:_____________________
In hot water:________________
On the house:_______________
Spill the beans:______________
Yall: ______________________
Apple of Ones Eye: ________________
Couch Potato:_____________________
Cool as a Cucumber:_________________
Cost an arm and a leg:___________________
Break the ice:__________________________
Get off ones back:______________________
Elbow grease:__________________________
Green-eyed monster:_____________________

Bring home the bacon:____________________

Bite the Bullet:__________________________
Bread winner:___________________________
Shake in ones boots:_____________________
Up ones sleeve:_________________________
Out of the blue:__________________________
White lie:_______________________________
NOW ask your partner to share 5 slang terms used in his/her culture and provide the
definition of each.