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Dehmel / Li / Sloane: Intercultural competence development in higher education study abroad
programs: A good practice example
to a greatest extent. The ASBE program structure is visualized
in the figure 3 and is explained in some detail below.
Exh. 3: Structure of the ASBE program. Source: Compiled by the authors.
The program starts with a comprehensive one-term preparation
phase at the University of Paderborn. This phase has several
objectives: The students acquire basic knowledge of the
language, of the culture, and of other characteristics (e.g. as
regards history, politics or economics) of their Asian target
country in particular and of the region Asia as a whole in
general. Their international awareness and sensibility to other
cultures, but also to their own culture, is raised. In order to
reach these objectives, the students participate
• in an exclusive three-week intensive language course at a
special language institute, the renowned Landesspracheninstitut
Bochum (LSI). The language skills can be further
improved in weekly language courses offered by the
Zentrum für Sprachlehre (ZfS, center for language learning)
at the University of Paderborn. Furthermore, the students
are encouraged to form language-tandems with
Asian students.
• in a weekly media und literature forum that builds on innovative
ICT-technology such as weblogs and podcasting.
The students read, review and discuss critically nonscientific
literature on or of Asia (e.g. Japanese Mangas).
The engagement with non-scientific literature allows approaching
the foreign culture(s) from different angles and
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