1. Intercultural Situational Awareness Training at the RDDC

2. Presentation Outline Definition of ”situational awareness” Why do we need it? Intercultural situational awareness training Testing situational awareness

3. Situational Awareness Perception – Comprehension – Projection Accessible knowledge – Assessment – Coping Information extraction – Integration – Orientation - What’s going on, why, and what’s next?

4. Intercultural Situational Awareness When cultures meet… Added complexity Preconceptions Negative transfer

5. The Endsley Model

6. Why do we need it? We train military linguists who will serve as interpreters area experts cultural advisors liaison CIMIC PSYOPS HUMINT

7. Knowledge, Skills, Attitudes? Knowledge of social structure in ”foreign” culture Knowledge of cultural issues in area of expertise (target country) Very active formulaic vocabulary Active gesticulatory skills Adequate level of formality Diplomatic savoir-faire Strategic cunning Respect of the ”foreigner”

8. How do we do it? Scripts Conversation practice Lectures/Presentations Situational role plays Intercultural Situational Awareness Exam

9. Scripts Dialogues from everyday situations Rote memorized Enacted as ”plays” Include gesture and body language Break down barriers

10. Conversation Practice Conversation face-to-face with native Egyptian-speakers

11. Lectures/Presentations Lectures: Discussing social and cultural issues in Danish Presentations: Native Egyptians treating social and cultural issues in Egyptian Arabic

12. Situational Role Plays Written description of situation Task-based Individual debriefing/”walkthrough” of video recording Lengthy conversation regarding performance

13. What do we want? Ability to perceive, comprehend and anticipate a situation in a ”foreign” culture and react adequately, including: Verbally, With gesture and body language, Solving the task at hand

14. Examination Same setup as in role play Performance judged on basis of: Task solved? Role players happy? Adequate use of language? Adequate use of gesture?

15. Knowledge, Skills, Attitudes? Knowledge of social structure in ”foreign” culture Knowledge of cultural issues in area of expertise (target country) Very active formulaic vocabulary Active gesticulatory skills Adequate level of formality Diplomatic savoir-faire Strategic cunning Respect of the ”foreigner”

16. You cannot know everything…

17. Questions?

18. Extras