Study Abroad Office study-abroad@york.ac.uk york.ac.uk/study/study-abroad

1. Welcome to our Pre-departure programme Wednesday 24th April, 2013 Study Abroad Office study-abroad@york.ac.uk www.york.ac.uk/study/study-abroad

2. Experience isn’t what happens to you; it is what you make of what happens to you. Aldous Huxley

3. Pre-departure workshops1 • Exploration • Preparation • Reflection • Information 3

4. goals goals • Encourage a sense of exploration • Acquire concrete knowledge about the country you are visiting • Heighten curiosity about your own country • Encourage reflection on your own culture 4

5. There are going to be times when you will feel like a fish out of water…

6. But did you know that a gold fish will grow to the size of the bowl you put it in? Just think about how you will grow in that great big new bowl!

7. Coming back – you will be transformed… And whether you know it or not, you will be different!

8. But – who are you before you leave? • What defines you? • Hobbies, sports, interests, schooling, pets • Where do you call home? • Who are your close friends, family, peers, etc? • Your special places? exercise

9. A general overview.. • On the cusp of a big adventure … life changing? • But you will work through it!

10. how does it feel? anticipation 1 anticipation 10

11. Rites of passage (Van Gennep) Transition is an opportunity for change, but also disruption & challenge.

12. perceptions challenging perceptions 12

13. developing a taste bucket list 1 for discovery • Write down five to ten things you would put on your ‘must do’ list for your exchange destination. exploration exercise 13

14. developing a taste bucket list 2 for discovery • Write down five to ten things you would put on your ‘must do’ list for your exchange destination. • Group: Write a must do list for visitors to the UK. Provide them with a realistic & balanced overview of UK society, culture & way of life. exploration exercise 14

15. developing a taste bucket list 2 for discovery • Write down five to ten things you would put on your ‘must do’ list for your exchange destination . • Group: Write a must do list for visitors to the UK. Provide them with a realistic & balanced overview of UK society, culture & way of life. • Do you think your ‘must do’ list gives a balanced and realistic overview of society, culture and way of life in your host country? exploration exercise 15

16. Symbols or Stereotypes • There’s often variation, ambivalence & self-criticism in other cultures, just as in ours (e.g. Yob culture; celebrity; sport and racism) • Recognise how other people also play with their own identity, e.g. British accents, regional jokes • How do you respond to outsiders’ criticisms…? • Study other people’s sensitivities and what they take pride in • Don’t traffic in stereotypes unless you’re willing to be painted with them.

17. A student went into a Dutch cheese shop…. Me: “How do you keep out the mice?” Dutch cheese shop owner: ‘We have a high standard of hygiene and cleanliness here.” Humour didn’t translate.

18. exploring home You need to start by doing some basic research... 18

19. Relations with relations the UK • What are the particular relationships or trade issues between the UK and the country you will be visiting? • Do we have many nationals from that country living in UK? • Any particular ongoing cultural / historical / political / economic relations? • Is there any particular point about UK which might interest people in your host country? • Any points of conflict or potential issues? relations exercise 19

20. culture shock relations or culture stagger? • ‘Culture shock’ when confronting radical unfamiliarity • ‘Culture stagger’ when you feel you are in familiar surrounds, well-adapted, until some slight difference causes you to stumble, regaining your equilibrium but with occasional moments of disorientation. • ask ‘Why?’ when you encounter cultural difference rather than assume that your native interpretations and evaluations can be imported into the new setting. disorientation 20

21. disorientation It’s really confusing – you think, ‘Why can’t I function? Everything seems so similar, we speak the same language. I am perfectly capable of doing what I need to do here so why does it seem so difficult?’ Something is missing but you don’t know what it is. Student in Canada disorientation 21

22. Cultural trade-offs

23. D.I.V.E. Model (Brewer and Cunningham) ‘DIVE’ model for helping students to acquire the skills to learn experientially from cultural difference. Description - Interpretation - Validation - Explanation No stereotypes, snap judgments, or blanket generalizations investigate, think of many possible interpretations and imagine what another person’s perspective might be. Engage cultural curiosity photo submitted by Simone Anderson adaptation

24. Through pictures… we anchor an experience • Photos help us to remember what we were like when we took them. • Something that’s initially shocking when you arrive may become commonplace. • Helps you to chart how you’ve grown, adapted, learned & become bi-cultural. • Photos trace out your learning trajectory.

26. Using photos • Our goal is maximum gain with minimum pain. • Using photos is a highly concentrated, fun way to capture concrete examples of learning opportunities. • Help you to remember what you’ve learned, to formalize it, and to be able to tell it. • Other people’s photos can spark your awareness.

27. Photo Passport exercise Collect 6-8 photos which describe “Who are You” Bring to Week 3 workshop – 8th May

28. Reflective writing Journals recount a person’s experience and interpretation close to the time of the experience. A journal commands the writer and invites the reader into the very process through which new thinking is derived and change occurs. (Linda A Chisholm, Charting a Hero’s Journey, 2002)

29. What we would like you to do • Read and sign the attendance form • Take your bag and materials • Sign up to Facebook group and share your experiences • Complete all exchange paperwork and return on time • Complete and sign the pre-departure release form • Keep in touch and watch out for visitors • Attend the re-entry programme and help with promotions

30. What’s in it for you? • Turning your study abroad into skills and experience that matters. • Share photos and experiences – competition and York publications. • A chance to communicate broadly with students in same situation. • A hand in creating opportunities for future students.

31. What we will provideon your return • Re-entry programme: review and reflection, CV and interview workshops • Help in transforming your experience into meaningful credentials (language & examples) • Peer group forum • The opportunity to earn credit towards York Award • Chance to share experiences with future study abroad students

32. developing a taste exploration 5 for discovery • encountering the new & the unexpected • getting lost • but that doesn’t mean you don’t need to plan ahead • we can help, but we can’t do it for you exploration 32

33. Support for the production of this publication has been provided by the Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching. With the exception of the Commonwealth Coat of Arms, and where otherwise noted, all material presented in this document is provided under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia licence(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/). The details of the relevant licence conditions are available on the Creative Commons website (accessible using the links provided) as is the full legal code for the CC BY 3.0 AU licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/legalcode). Requests and inquiries concerning these rights shouldbe addressed to: Office for Learning and Teaching Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education GPO Box 9880, Location code N255EL10 Sydney NSW 2001 learningandteaching@deewr.gov.au licence