Rachel Bower

1. Cultural Studies to Sport Coaching
in Spain
Students co-present to share the
Development of their Intercultural
Employability Skills
Rachel Bower
Senior Lecturer in French and Business English
Academic Coordinator of the University Language Scheme
Languages & Cultures, Sheffield Business School
Peter Jones & Rhys Simmonite
BSc (Hons) Sport Development with Coaching Level 5 students
Academy of Sport and Physical Activity
Faculty of Health and Wellbeing.

2. Developing intercultural employability skills
• the need for intercultural skills - the employer and
theoretical perspectives
• the student experience - developing language, intercultural
& academic research skills on the Language & Specialist
Cultural Studies module
• an analysis of the development of these students' Cultural
Intelligence (CQ) capabilities

3. Over to our students
• What was your interest in other languages
and cultures before the start of the
module?
• To what extent do you feel it is important to
understand the culture of others:
• in your personal life?
• in your studies?
• in your professional life?

4. The need for intercultural skills
- the graduate employer perspective
• 'Staff who can communicate at least
conversationally - combined with an
understanding of the local culture - can make all
the difference in the conduct of business,
consolidating relationships with existing
suppliers and customers and opening the way
to new overseas contacts.' CBI Education & Skills survey, 2014

5. The need for intercultural skills
- the graduate employer perspective
• "‘Global graduates’ can be a key driver for
achieving business success.... Through their
attitudes, skills and knowledge, global
graduates can tackle the myriad of challenges
and opportunities (of) globalisation...., in a
way that graduates with a narrower national
focus simply cannot."
(CFE Research and Consulting, 2010)

6. the need for intercultural skills
- the graduate employer perspective
The four most important global competencies as defined by the
Association of Graduate Recruiters & the Council for Industry &
Higher Education (2010) are:
• an ability to work collaboratively with teams .. from a range
of backgrounds and countries
• excellent communication skills (both speaking and listening)
• a high degree of adaptability, drive and resilience
• an ability to embrace multiple perspectives and challenge
thinking.

7. The need for intercultural skills
- the graduate employer perspective
– 'the candidates who end up with job offers also
demonstrate determination and resilience, and are
able to work hard and thrive in difficult
situations......able to cope if they are sent half way
across the world to work on a client project.'
– graduates should 'build resilience and get out of
their comfort zones.'
Stephen Isherwood, head of graduate recruitment at Ernst & Young, (international
consultancy), Personnel Today, 2012

8. Language & Specialist Cultural Studies
– students combine their course specialism
– with the development of linguistic, intercultural
and academic research skills using sources in
the target language
– to transform in just 20 weeks from complete
beginner in Spanish
– to employment as a sport coach in a Spanish
school
– a cross-faculty collaboration working creatively
and innovatively to meet students' needs

9. Over to our students
• What was your research theme?
• How have your academic research skills
developed as a result of this module?
• How have you applied or how will you
apply your learning on the language &
specialist cultural studies module to other
modules on your course?

10. The need for intercultural skills
- the theoretical perspective
• Earley and Ang’s (2003) Cultural Intelligence
(CQ) scale:
• metacognitive CQ: 'consciousness and
awareness during interactions'
• promotes 'active thinking about people and
situations'
• 'triggers critical thinking about habits and
assumptions'
• 'individuals evaluate and revise their mental
maps' to increase their CQ (Van Dyne, Ang & Koh, 2008:17)

11. Over to our students
• Has your learning on Language &
Specialist Cultural Studies made you
• think about others’ culture?
• think critically about assumptions or habits
you had previously about others’ culture?
• actively change your thinking about others’
culture?

12. metacognitive CQ analysis
Students’ self-perceptions would
suggest...
Evidence of active thinking about others' cultures
• ‘I have become more aware of other cultures and I am
interested’
• ‘I was that set on ours being the only culture I never really
thought about others but now I will’
• ‘I would probably question them and want to learn more’
• ‘it has encouraged me to think deeper into this subject area’
Evidence of critical thinking about others' cultures
• 'made me think very critically’
• ‘I didn’t realise how interesting other cultures can be'
• ‘any pre-conceived ideas I had about sport in Spain were
either confirmed or denied during my research through
asking questions to the language assistant.‘

13. metacognitive CQ analysis
• evaluate and revise mental maps
Students’ self-perceptions that they are evaluating
and revising their mental maps are less in evidence
‘changed my views’
‘I’m not sure I would say actively’
• This would perhaps require a longer-term
interaction with the target language culture

14. The need for intercultural skills
- the theoretical perspective
• Earley and Ang’s (2003) Cultural Intelligence (CQ)
scale:
• cognitive CQ: 'cultural knowledge of norms, practices,
and conventions'
• 'knowledge about cultural similarities and differences
is the foundation of decision making and performance
in cross-cultural situations'
(Van Dyne, Ang & Koh, 2008:17)

15. Over to our students
• To what extent do you now believe you would be
able to understand the culture of speakers of
your target language?
• Can you give specific examples of cultural
understanding you have developed through:
• your interaction with the language assistant?
• your interaction and learning in your ULS
language class?
• your research sources in your target language?

16. Cognitive CQ analysis
'cultural knowledge of norms, practices, and conventions'
- motivated to gain cultural knowledge, but more to learn.
Concerned about gaps in knowledge
• ‘how things are done in Spain and typical behaviours of Spanish
people’
• ‘there would be some areas which I wouldn't feel comfortable
talking about as I may get it wrong.’
• ‘given the chance to talk to someone who works there in
Germany It would be a fantastic opportunity’
Evidence of 'knowledge about cultural similarities and
differences’
• ‘I have developed cultural understanding through asking
questions about topics such as politics in Spain and the
argument about Catalonians wanting independence.’
• ‘I was able to make a specific cultural understanding of how
sport in schools is conducted.’

17. The need for intercultural skills
- the theoretical perspective
• Earley and Ang’s (2003) Cultural Intelligence
(CQ) scale:
• behavioral CQ: 'capability to exhibit
appropriate verbal and nonverbal actions
when interacting'
• 'behavior is often the most visible
characteristic of social interactions'
(Van Dyne, Ang & Koh, 2008:17)

18. Over to our students
• Do you feel that the cultural knowledge of
similarities and differences which you have
learnt on the Language & Specialist Cultural
Studies will help you make decisions and
perform in interactions with people of other
cultures?

19. Cognitive CQ analysis
'knowledge about cultural similarities and differences is
the foundation of decision-making and performance in
cross-cultural situations'
- some suggestion of cognitive CQ enabling
communication and learning in cross-cultural teams
• ‘learning about different cultures makes you more
emotionally intelligent when talking about sensitive
subjects and also allows you to interact with more
informed opinions about different cultures.’
• ‘Seeing what different cultures is all about gives you the
chance to interact with someone and ask for their opinion
on their culture and how it works. You can learn from each
other and it might even give you the chance to go out to
that country to study it from a different perspective.’

20. The need for intercultural skills
- the theoretical perspective
• Earley and Ang’s (2003) Cultural Intelligence
(CQ) scale:
• motivational CQ: 'an individual's capability to
direct attention and energy towards cultural
differences'
• 'self-efficacy'
• 'intrinsic motivation'
(Van Dyne, Ang & Koh, 2008:17)

21. Over to our students
• Has the module helped you self-evaluate your
performance and learning to help you improve
for the future?
• To what extent do you now believe you will be
able to understand and speak your target
language?
• Would you now approach speakers of your
target language in order
• to practice?
• have contact with them?
• develop longer-term contacts?
• for your career development?

22. Over to our students
• Peter - What were the highlights and main
learning points of your sports coaching
placement in Spain?
• Peter & Rhys - Will you consider working
abroad in the future?
• Peter & Rhys - Will you consider working
in an international team in the UK in the
future?

23. Motivational CQ analysis
'an individual's capability to direct attention and energy towards cultural
differences' - evidence of motivation to invest in CQ development
• ‘I believe it is important to know more than one language'
• ‘I would love to get contacts as it might give the chance to
go over to Germany and learn from there and maybe even
work there.’
• ‘to meet new people and learn about their life experiences’
• ‘I had to adapt very quickly to the culture in Spain’
• ‘I would like to practice as I think you learn more from each
other’
• ‘as I was on my own and had no other choice but to interact
with people I didn’t know in order to make the most out of
my time there.’
• ‘I would definitely work abroad in the future. This is
something I am looking to do after university. I would also
work in an international team within the U.K if the
opportunity came up.’

24. Motivational CQ analysis
'self-efficacy' - I believe I can do it!
• ‘I improved dramatically’
• ‘improved my confidence’
• ‘It helped me see that if I put the effort in, I can do well’
• ‘when I got the results back I was pleasantly surprised’
• ‘I am fairly confident as, again, this is something I have
experienced during my time on placement.'
• ‘my level isn’t that great. I’m still at a basic level of the German
language’
• ‘You understand each other better’
• ‘I can imagine my German level would improve if I was over
there for a long period of time.’
• ‘I also improved my teaching style as with the younger children
especially they could not speak English to a good standard so I
had to use various teaching methods to make my lessons or
coaching sessions effective.’

25. Motivational CQ analysis
'intrinsic motivation'
• ‘It’s taught me if I put the effort in I can do well
and I will take this into third year when I do my
dissertation.'
• ‘I want to improve in Spanish’
• ‘the interactions are better in person’
• ‘you never know what opportunities may arise
and also the contacts they may have could help
you in the future’
• ‘increase my knowledge of the many different
cultures out there’

26. Any questions?
Presenting further developments at:
• SHU Languages and Cultures in 21st
Century Transnationality Conference
• 9 & 10 September 2016
• bookings and information:
• https://sites.google.com/a/my.shu.ac.uk/la
nguages-and-cultures-at-sheffield-hallam-
university/home

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