GOSSIP

Field of application

Intercultural training

Resume / Brief description

This short role play illustrates cultural differences in #communication behavior (tone of voice, eye contact, degree of self-revelation). At the beginning of the activity, each participant receives a card with instructions.

Target group

Participants:

• 4- 400
• Ideal: 12-24  

Objectives

Experience of own and #external communication patterns and modification if necessary

Requirements

Time: 10min for the introduction, 20min for the debriefing

Materials:

• Stopwatch
• Handout: Role cards (for print off)
• Signal (whistle, sound signal, etc.)

Space requirements

• Sufficient space so that participants can move freely and regroup

Online implementation:

• possibility to contact participants privately (e.g. private chat on Zoom) for the "role cards"
• possibility to share a sound
• Breakout rooms (or similar) where participants can join freely (no attribution by trainer)

Implementation - Guidelines

PHASE 1: PROCESS

• Distribution the role cards: Reading the card without showing it to anyone
• 1. Round
  • All participants move freely through the room
  • On signal, the participants should behave as on the role cards and communicate in small groups/ in pairs
  • Neither one´s own roles nor those of others are addressed – differences should be addressed through perception
  • Signal after 3min and regrouping
• 2. Round
  • Also like the first round

PHASE 2: DEBRIEFING  

• Inquire with whom:
  • Strange
  • Coarse
  • Irritating
  • Offensive patterns have appeared
• After a while, emphasize, that each other of these behaviors is accepted/ desired in certain cultures
• Participants are asked to guess the instructions of the others
• To clarify the difference between objective perception and subjective judgement and to generate tolerance for other codes of conduct

Additional format/references

Thiagarajan, S. (2016) p. 182-190