Teaching perspective taking in intercultural contexts: Encounters with international teaching assistants with foreign accents

Abstract

The possession of a foreign accent constitutes one of the challenges international teaching assistants have to deal with in their encounters in U.S. classrooms. This challenge often impacts their perceived competence and effectiveness in the classroom. Consequently, undergraduate students usually have existing stereotypes about international teaching assistants even before they meet them. This activity teaches perspective taking in intercultural contexts, especially in encounters with international teaching assistants. Effects of taking the perspective of international teaching assistants and people from other cultures include building intercultural relations, improving interpersonal relationships, and empathic communication.

Courses: Intercultural Communication, Communication Theory, and first-year courses.

Objectives: The aim of this activity is to apply the understanding of perspective taking and intercultural competence in intercultural encounters with international teaching assistants (ITAs) and non-native speakers of the English language.

Notes

1 The story is adapted from one of the author's personal experiences as an ITA. Instructors can request similar stories from the author for adaption to other intercultural contexts.