Cross-Cultural Twitter Interviews

If you are interested in international business and network on Twitter then you probably follow a number of people with international profiles. Some international people on Twitter share some great insights in their Twitter feed. I ask the cross-cultural people on my Twitter interviews to share the international people they like to follow on Twitter. Here are some of their replies.

21 International People to Follow on Twitter

1. @CCTheLowdown it’s a publishing company that Tweets all sorts of interesting things – sometimes international - @deborahswallow
2. @PennOlson I like those guys take on marketing but there are many others! – @ohh_la_la
3. Try @AmiExpat for her blog – @HoeferleConsult
4. I follow and read people like @RichardBranson interesting perspectives on business and the universal great thinker @SethGodin – @dkiernan
5. Christina Geyer @AmiExpat an American, expatriate, half-Asian living in Germany, and tweeting about cross-cultural differences & German cuisine – @transdomo
6. I’d say @StephenFry because he does so much travelling – @culturematters
7. @RickCogley, an American business consultant living in Japan. @vgr an Indian innovator living in the US – @tdebaillon
8. I like your list of international people to follow on Twitter. – @DR4Ward
9. My absolute favorite @queenrania – @XCulture
10. Hmmm … @johnniemoore is someone I have followed since the first year I was on Twitter (2007). – @jackyan
11. I really enjoy tweets from @ShellTerrell @kalinagoenglish @MissShonah @familyonbikes @KirstenWinkler – @CotterHUE
12. Adrian Monck ( @amonck ) an ex journo & current prof & head of comm. at World Economic Forum in Geneva … I answered as such because Adrian is international to me… and a Canadian perspective may be international to you, for example, and others; so for those interested in Canadian perspective, I would recommend Irshad Manji ( @reformingislam), @whoweareca, and @mathewi (Canadian journalist heavily involved in social media) – @DoreenatDMS
13. @globetrotteri is a friendly and international Tweeter: Canadian writer / photographer / teacher living in Taiwan – @pocketcultures
14. @volunteerabroad b/c I would like to travel by sharing my skills and competencies whilst learning – @psitutor
15. @glcuccureddu, @GotSagaLatino, @Marilyn_Res, @PatriciaVance, @hungaryguy, @PierrePaperon, @maxbehar, @mikebutcher – @culturalrealms
16. Couldn’t resist myself to give these 3 names – @guykawasaki @wchingya and @shellykramer (Possess great networking skills) – @mintblogger
17. @dragosroua Quote: “Think happiness is a process, not a goal.” Inspired by Aristotle? He is on your int’l s.m. list. – @lyceum
18. I would follow @talk2brazil. He tweets about Brazil’s economy, BizDev, etc. Brazil is going to be huge market in the future. – @SeanJamesOliver
19. If you have interest in international educational exchange/mobility research & literature then I recommend following @IDPDRIE – @DavidComp
20. I like @HoeferleConsult because his tweets make me feel connected to Germany, where I used to live – @CateBrubaker
21. One of my favorite international business profiles on Twitter is @finikiotis – @CindyKing

Who are your favorite international people on Twitter?

• Do you have a favorite international person on Twitter?
• Where do you get the best international insights on Twitter?
• What do you like most about the international people you follow?

As usual, please share your comments below.

Copyright Cindy King 2006-2010 - International Business Blog

21 International People to Follow on Twitter

Cross-Cultural Twitter Interviews

You need strong cross-cultural skills when you travel or live abroad and when you work or interact often with people from different cultures.

It’s not always easy to develop your cross-cultural skills because it requires a fair amount of personal work to get to know yourself better. But the rewards are often worth the effort.

Here are some tips from the Cross-Cultural Twitter Interview series.

21 Tips To Grow Your Cross-Cultural Skills

1. Understand that EVERYTHING in life is culturally coded from when we were very young. So we all think differently about things: our meanings for things are deeply buried in our unconscious mind, what is a business for? how we think about our boss; what is luxury; quality; love; etc.  Individualism in Far East seen as immaturity- @deborahswallow
2. Research and appreciate the cultural diversity of the market you are preparing to visit before you travel there – @ohh_la_la
3. 1st, understand your OWN culture -> try to be understanding of others’ backgrounds. Now meet half way for common ground.- @HoeferleConsult
4. Visit the countries, get to know the people, try and see the world through their eyes. Learn from the experts including @CindyKing- @dkiernan
5. Immerse yourself deeply into other cultures by living & working in their country for at least six months- @transdomo
6. One tip to improve your cross-cultural skills…Know thyself–>Listen & Observe–>Communicate… in that order! – @culturematters
7. Be less self-righteous than who you are dealing with. The more humble you are, the more you are going to gain.- @PicSeshu
8. Travel, as “bare” as possible. When you are in need of something, you see how people react to your misery. Discovering people when out of your comfort zone is the greatest lesson ever! – @tdebaillon
9. One tip to improve cross-cultural skills is understand your own values & attitudes 1st so you can compare & contrast – @DR4Ward
10. Develop ability 2 appreciate historical backgrounds Honor experiences that might contradict ur way of looking @ life – @XCulture
11. Put yourself in the other culture’s shoes and think about what stereotypes exist about your own culture. – @jackyan
12. Learn a foreign language. Language and culture are so intertwined that… to fully understand the psyche of another nationality, you must know the language… – @CotterHUE
13. Learn another language – @wisequeen
14. Practice patience & never underestimate power of observation & ability to listen; if u make an effort … prepare to be pleasantly surprised; people care about you when you care and are genuinely interested in them – @DoreenatDMS
15. Be flexible when facing different values – try to understand what reasons lie behind other ways of thinking – @pocketcultures
16. Get out there amongst it! As a global village most people have many ethnicities within their community~and then there is the Internet~Skye, chat rooms, online classrooms, forums, blogs, email, video etc – @psitutor
17. Travel & try to understand local cultures. That open minds, changes perspectives & creates cross-cultural skills. – @culturalrealms
18. Adapt to the occasion, learn different languages, respect other cultures AND don’t hesitate to ask. – @mintblogger
19. Take the jump and just “do it,” i.e., travel and move abroad. – @lyceum
20. “Common Sense”, and all our underlying assumptions about everything are learned, and vary between cultures. Interact with different cultures with the knowledge that things you take for granted as true, are not universal. – @SeanJamesOliver
21. Other ways of doing & thinking just might be better so enter with an open mind – @DavidComp
22. I’d say be curious. If you’re curious, you’re observing, listening, questioning, reflecting and learning – @CateBrubaker

What Is Your Tip To Grow Your Cross-Cultural Skills?

Which one of the tipdo you like most?

• Do you have a favorite?
• Does one stand out and resonate with you?
• Do you have another one to add?

Share your 1-word definitions below.

Copyright Cindy King 2006-2010 - International Business Blog

21 Tips To Grow Your Cross-Cultural Skills

Twitter Interviews – #CKinterview

Today’s Cross-Cultural Interview is with David Comp. David is the person behind the Twitter handle @DavidComp.

David currently works as the Senior Adviser for International Initiatives in The College at The University of Chicago. He has also consulted on several international education related projects for a variety of institutions and organizations in higher education. He currently serves on the editorial advisory board of the Journal of Studies in International Education (JSIE) and edits and maintains International Higher Education Consulting Blog.

Additionally, he has co-authored several book chapters and reports on international education topics. His research focuses on the use of international education for soft power and public diplomacy efforts; methodology of data collection on global student and scholar mobility and on the history of international education exchanges.

He currently serves on the Committee on Outcomes Assessment of the Forum on Education Abroad and has served on multiple task forces and committees for NAFSA: Association of International Educators including his current role as special adviser to the Research and Scholarship Subcommittee.

He received his B.A. in Spanish and Latin American Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, his M.S. in Family Science from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and is currently at the dissertation proposal stage in Comparative and International Education at Loyola University Chicago.

This is a 2 part interview:

• Part 1 – The Blog Interview
• Part 2 – The Twitter Interview for 10 Cross-Cultural & International Questions

David Comp – Part 1

Hi David, for those who don’t know you, can you please tell us something about yourself?

David Comp: I’m originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and currently in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. I’m a husband and father of three young children (Gabriela at 8 years, Andres at 4 years and Lucas at 15 months).

In my day job I work in the Dean of Students Office at the University of Chicago as the Senior Adviser for International Initiatives. In my spare time I find myself thinking about my dissertation proposal in Comparative and International Education at Loyola University Chicago.

When I was 15 years old I was afforded the opportunity to be an exchange student in Rosenheim, Germany through my high school. I enjoyed that experience so much that I participated in the same exchange program again the summer after I graduate from high school.

I majored in Spanish as an undergraduate student and studied in Valladolid, Spain for a semester during my junior year in college. Unfortunately, my Spanish language skills are not what they once were but I can understand when spoken to, for the most part. I have always identified myself as being from Milwaukee with predominately German and Polish heritage.

How did you pick up your cross-cultural skills?

David Comp: My time as an exchange student in Germany and studying in Spain certainly started me on my path to understanding and respecting cross-cultural differences but I think it’s been my continued exposure to and my interest in different cultures that has helped develop my cross-cultural skills.

I, like most people I imagine, continue to hit bumps along the way but I work hard to continue to develop these skills and, most importantly, to instill these skills in my children. For example, my daughter is taking Classical Indian dance at her school and she loves. Her participation in Classical Indian danced impressed the people working the Indian booth at the Milwaukee International Holiday Folk Fair so much that they spent extra time showing her how to write her name in Hindi.

How do you use your cross-cultural skills in your job?

David Comp: I use my cross-cultural skills every day in my job. I work with undergraduate students from all over the globe who come to the University of Chicago to study. Additionally, I work with both domestic and international faculty and staff and my interactions with these colleagues add another level to the cross-cultural skills I must use in my job.

Can you tell us about your blog?

David Comp:

I started International Higher Education Consulting Blog (IHEC Blog for short) in February 2007.  To be honest, I can’t remember my exact motivation for doing so but in many ways it simply serves as an archive for the types of posts/messages I had been sending to the international education community, via a few key listservs, since I entered the field in 2000.  IHEC Blog has given me a place to share and archive ideas I have or items that I find of interest.  A side benefit of IHEC Blog (which led to me joining the Twitter movement back in February 2009 and the Facebook movement back in October) is all of the wonderful contacts I’ve made, both in the field of international education and outside of the field, that I most likely would not have made otherwise.

My favorite IHEC Blog post was “List of Movies/Television Programs where the Characters go Abroad” from August of this year.  Not only was this blog post my most trafficked and commented post ever, it allowed for me to connect with many people.  This blog post is really a continuation of an earlier post from April entitled “Portrayal of Exchange Students in Movies and on TV in the U.S.”  My perception is that exchange students/or young sojourners are often times portrayed in movies and television in a negative light.  My motivation for these posts was to engage my audience in a discussion on this topic and to compile a list of movies and television that can be used in training to demonstrate both positive and negative cross-cultural interactions.

My latest project was the creation of an IHEC Blog YouTube Channel which is really a clearinghouse of sorts for any and all international education related YouTube channels.  It was very easy to set up and has been received really well so far.  The best place to connect with me online is to search my Google Profile at: http://www.google.com/profiles/international.ed.consulting. My next project is to set up a much better and vibrant website that integrates IHEC Blog and my other online activities but due to time and three little mouths to feed that project has been tabled for the moment.

I have a couple of lists I’m building here on this blog, and wonder if you have anything you would like to share.

Have you come across any cultural stereotypes that bother you, or you find inappropriate?

David Comp: Probably the most troubling cultural stereotypes that I have witnessed have been directed towards the Muslim community (both here in the United States and abroad) which has substantially increased since September 11th and the U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Do you have a favorite movie that could help people understand cultural issues?

David Comp: With three little kids in the house I haven’t seen a movie in such a long time.  Occasionally, we do let the kids watch television and I have found the children’s television show “Toot & Puddle” to be a great show for my kids.  If I was posting to Twitter about Toot & Puddle it would go something like this “A kids TV show w/ 2 pigs who travel the globe where they learn about different ways of life and points of view”.

Do you have a book you could recommend to help others improve their cultural insights?

David Comp: Oh, there are too many out there to pick one to recommend and most of my current reading is in academic journals.  I must say I find my spending much time at the Intercultural Press booth at every NAFSA conference!

And finally…

Is there anything else you would like to share?

David Comp: The year 2010 marks the 40th birthday for my wife and me as well as our 15th wedding anniversary so we are trying to plan a major family vacation to an international destination. Any recommendations? The destination has to be little kid friendly!

I’m looking forward to retirement with the goal of living for an extended period of time outside of the United States…

David, thank you for sharing so much with us in this portion of the interview already. I’m looking forward to hearing your answers to the 10 Cross-Cultural Questions on Twitter with you later today.

David Comp – Part 2 – The Twitter Interview

This is an interview series of the people I recommend you follow on Twitter for the cross-cultural and international business insights in their tweets.

More Twitter Interviews

• Martin Lindeskog – @lyceum
• Rajeev Edmonds – @mintblogger
• Rossitza Ohridska-Olson – @culturalrealms
• Charmayne Paul – @psitutor
• Lucy Chatburn – @pocketcultures
• Doreen Iannuzzi – @DoreenatDMS
• Donna Jackson – @wisequeen
• Chris Cotter – @CotterHUE
• Jack Yan – @jackyan
• Silvia Cambié – @XCulture
• Bill Ward – @DR4WARD
• Thierry De Baillon – @t_de_baillon
• Seshu – @PicSeshu
• Neil Urquhart – @culturematters
• Klaus & Flavia Westerwelle – @transdomo
• Donagh Kiernan – @dkiernan
• Christian Hoeferle – @hoeferleconsult
• Caroline – @ohh_la_la
• Deborah Swallow – @DeborahSwallow
• Steve Roesler – @steveroesler
• Matthew Bennett – @matthewbennett

Copyright Cindy King 2006-2010 - International Business Blog

Twitter Interview With David Comp

Twitter Interviews – #CKinterview

Today’s Cross-Cultural Interview is with Martin Lindeskog . Martin is the person behind the Twitter handle @lyceum.

Martin Lindeskog is a “trader in matter & spirit” and a small business entrepreneur in Gothenburg, Sweden. He is a board member of the Swedish National Association of Purchasing and Logistics (Silf, Western Region). He has started a new series of interviews for his podcasting show on the Solid Vox network.

This is a 2 part interview:

• Part 1 – The Blog Interview
• Part 2 – The Twitter Interview for 10 Cross-Cultural & International Questions

Martin Lindeskog – Part 1

Here is the first part of the interview with Martin.

Hi Martin, for those who don’t know you, can you please tell us something about yourself?

Martin Lindeskog: I come from the west coast of Sweden. I live close to the second biggest city called Gothenburg (Göteborg in Swedish). I studied Business Administration at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, New Hampshire, USA, between 1997 – 2000. After my studies I worked as a cost analyst at a manufacturer of welding products in Troy, Ohio. I went back to Sweden in 2002.

I am an American in spirit, so I am happy that I have I received material regarding the Diversity Immigrant Visa program for the year 2010. I am planning to return to the Land of Opportunity – USA. Please feel free to give me suggestions on great cross-cultural and international places in the Melting Pot.

I speak Swedish and English (my second language). I understand and read German (I had it for six years in school), but I haven’t used it for a long time, so I don’t speak it fluently. I want to learn Interlingua at some point in the future. My wild guess is that Hungarian is one of the most difficult languages. I learned only a few words and phrases during my school project (international project coordinator) at a windshield (windscreen) manufacturer in Sopron, Hungary.

If you want learn some more things about me, please read my post, Seven Things About Me.

How did you pick up your cross-cultural skills?

Martin Lindeskog: I picked up my cross-cultural skills at an early age. I have been interested in fundamental ideas, history and philosophy for all long time. In my teens, I started to read foreign literature in English, subscribing to magazines, e.g., The Economist. I have a special bond to the Anglosphere and I have visited London several times. (Did you know that Gothenburg has a nickname: “Little London”.) I am a member of Vasa Order of America. It is a Swedish-American fraternal, cultural and educational organization. I celebrated Independence Day (Fourth of July) with my fellow members of Vasa.

Do you use your cross-cultural skills in your job?

Martin Lindeskog: As an experienced purchaser of raw materials from different parts of the world and an international project coordinator, I have been interested in international business for 20+ years. I started a hobby business in the end of the 80′s, importing computer stuff and teas from Asia. I visited Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and Thailand in 1992.

Can you tell us about your blog?

Martin Lindeskog: I had read blogs for some time and heard how the interest for this new type of journaling had grown in America, especially after September 11, 2001.  On May 7, 2002, I stumbled upon Blogger.com and created my first blog, EGO. Ego is I (am) in Latin and has its foundation in the description of the blog by the following keywords: Reason – Egoism – Laissez-Faire Capitalism.

Anita Campbell (Small Business Trends) wrote a PowerBlog Review of EGO blog in 2004.

I haven’t had time to update my blog for a couple of weeks, but I will do as Stephen P. Smith and take some time to reflect on my blogging and publish a new post in the near future. I have started a new blog carnival, but the first edition is delayed. I will kick-off 2010 with a new series of podcast interviews, when the producer of Solid Vox has fixed the recording studio and other technical issues.

In the meantime, please read my annual report VII and my post on guest blogging.

You could find me on several social media places. I have listed them at KnowEm and Card.ly.

I must thank you Cindy for adding my Twitter profile to your International Social Media list. I am honored to belong to this fine group of individuals. As an example, I see that Charlene Li is included in this list. I think that Charlene Li’s & Josh Bernoff’s book, Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies, is a very important book on social media.

I have a couple of lists I’m building here on this blog, and wonder if you have anything you would like to share.

Have you come across any cultural stereotypes that bother you, or you find inappropriate?

Martin Lindeskog: Here in Sweden you could find an ugly version of anti-Americanism. I started a blog in Swedish, covering this issue, but I got so fed up with the negativity so I have put it on hiatus. I am fighting hard to “bring back the smiley face to America.”

Do you have a favorite movie that could help people understand cultural issues?

Martin Lindeskog: I am not a movie buff, but I would recommend you to watch Lost in Translation. I want to visit Japan and attend a tea ceremony someday…

Do you have a book you could recommend to help others improve their cultural insights?

Martin Lindeskog: I read Cross-Cultural Business Behavior: Marketing, Negotiating, Sourcing and Managing Across Cultures by Richard R. Gesteland during my studies in international project management.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

Martin Lindeskog: I want to do a wine trip to Hungary and a tour around the United States of America in order to find a good place to set up a business.

Martin, thank you for sharing so much with us in this portion of the interview. I’m looking forward to hearing your answers to the 10 Cross-Cultural Questions on Twitter with you later today.

Martin Lindeskog- Part 2 – The Twitter Interview

This is an interview series of the people I recommend you follow on Twitter for the cross-cultural and international business insights in their tweets.

More Twitter Interviews

• Rajeev Edmonds – @mintblogger
• Rossitza Ohridska-Olson – @culturalrealms
• Charmayne Paul – @psitutor
• Lucy Chatburn – @pocketcultures
• Doreen Iannuzzi – @DoreenatDMS
• Donna Jackson – @wisequeen
• Chris Cotter – @CotterHUE
• Jack Yan – @jackyan
• Silvia Cambié – @XCulture
• Bill Ward – @DR4WARD
• Thierry De Baillon – @t_de_baillon
• Seshu – @PicSeshu
• Neil Urquhart – @culturematters
• Klaus & Flavia Westerwelle – @transdomo
• Donagh Kiernan – @dkiernan
• Christian Hoeferle – @hoeferleconsult
• Caroline – @ohh_la_la
• Deborah Swallow – @DeborahSwallow
• Steve Roesler – @steveroesler
• Matthew Bennett – @matthewbennett

Copyright Cindy King 2006-2010 - International Business Blog

Twitter Interview With Martin Lindeskog

Culturally Customized Content

I‘m collaborating with an American writer to write an ebook. The book will be marketed to an American audience and I have spent all of my life marketing to international audiences. So this represents a fair bit of cultural adaptation on my part. But with my cross-cultural marketing background I find this fascinating. So I thought I’d share one of the first changes I made to adapt my writing to an American audience.

2 Different Perceptions of “Let’s”

My American mentor pointed out that I use the words “Let’s…” often and to an American audience this comes with a certain perception. With these 2 little words, American readers perceive me as putting myself above them.

With my cross-cultural background I find this interesting. I’ve worked so long within different cultures and the words “Let’s…” are not perceived in the same way at all… in fact the effect is the opposite. I use them to be perceived as part of their team, on their level, with the exact same words.

Opposite cultural perceptions with the exact same words.

Cultural Behavior Scales

If you are not aware of the cultural scales of Individualism and Collectivism, I’ve written about them here.

Although these cultural scales have limitations they can often be helpful when looking for explanations in different cultural perceptions.  Together with some basic cross-cultural skills you can also use them to look for ideas in improving your cross-cultural communication.

If this intrigues you, be sure to also take the time to look at this long list of countries with their scores on 5 different culture scales.

It’s not surprising how different cultures have different perceptions from the exact same words.

A word of caution: do not go overboard into stereotypes and broad generalizations.  These scales can only provide a certain degree of insights into cultural differences.  You need strong cross-cultural skills to interpret them wisely and learn how to apply them to your communication.

The Answer Is In The Culture Code

Another way to understand these cultural differences in perception is to look at the different culture codes.  This example reminds me of The Culture Code which I re-read recently.

First in this book Clotaire Rapaille explains how when an American construction worker whistles at a American woman passing by on a big city street the woman will scowl and her response would be one of anger. And if you put the same woman on a big city street in Italy with an Italian construction worker, the woman would blush and be flattered.

The reason is because of different culture codes. The American code for sex is violence and the Italian code for sex is having fun. And this is communicated in the way men whistle in both of these countries and what women have to deal with. Clotaire Rapaille even goes so far to say in his book that he would never want to be an American woman today because of the challenges with the culture codes in being an American woman.

Changes In Culture Codes

This brings me back to the second reason why I thought of the Culture Code. In Clotaire Rapaille’s recent Archetype Discoveries Newsletter he alludes to the rise of the Latina, the South American woman in the United States. And I cannot help wondering how this will impact American culture codes. You see, in general all South American countries have higher scores on the Collectivism scales and the United States has a notorious high score at the opposite end of this scale – “Individualism”.

It is going to be fascinating to watch the rise of the Latina and how this impacts the American culture code as the older American generation dies off.

And this change in culture code will impact perceptions in how we write.  With the Latina influencing American communication, I wonder if the perception of the words “Let’s” will change in the future.

Writing For Different Cultures

Writing in English for different cultures is not easy today.

We have gone through changes:

• The global economy and the web have given rise to a certain understanding and tolerance for cultural differences.
• There is also a certain International English used in “standard” international business today.

We are going to continue going through changes with as the populations in many of the world’s leading nations change and the once minority ethnic groups become the new majorities.

It’s easy to think everyone has the same understanding of the English.  But this is not the case.  Different cultural perceptions pop up in the smallest of places. It safe to expect these different cultural perceptions to change over time too.

I’m definitely looking forward to this exercise in learning how to adapt my own writing for a predominant American audience and hope to come back to you with more clear examples of cultural differences.

What about you?

• What does “Let’s” say to you? Do you feel included or excluded in any way?
• What expressions do you find have different meanings in different cultures?
• How do you think the cultural evolution in our societies will influence communication in years to come?

Please share your thoughts and comments below.

More on Culturally Customized Content:

• A Different English For Your International Audience
• Customize Your Content For Different Cultures
• Customizing Content For Your Clients
• Do You Use English Or American Spelling?
• Multicultural Marketing And Colors
• The 2 Main Reasons Why Companies Do Not Have Good Foreign Language Content
• The Phases Of Cultural Communication You Go Through To Increase International Sales
• Translations, Foreign Language Content and Culturally Customized Content
• What Is Your Culture On The Social Web?
• Who Should You Get To Write Your Foreign Language Web Content
• Writing Info-Products For International Readers

More in the Get International Clients Business Guides

• Connect With Your International Markets
• International English
• Culture Customized Content
• Cultural Web Tools

Copyright Cindy King 2006-2010 - International Business Blog

Opposite Cultural Perceptions

Twitter Interviews – #CKinterview

Today’s Cross-Cultural Interview is with Charmayne (Char) Paul. Char is the person behind the Twitter handle @psitutor.  And Char is one of the people on Twitter I enjoy being around the most. Although she has not travelled she has a wealth of cultural skills the most experienced of us can appreciate. Her business is dealing with people from different cultures. You can tell that she experiences all of the challenges of cross-cultural communication on a regular basis and has a healthy approach to dealing with these differences.

Char is an Online Tutor:Mentor for students in higher education. She has a Bachelors Degree in Psychology (with Honors) from JCU, Cairns, Australia. She is currently completing her TESOL certificate online and taking e-courses to develop as an online instructor.

PSI stands for “Personal Study Instruction” to emphasise the tailored services to meet the needs and expectations of students. Students come to her when they need additional support with understanding concepts or completing an assessment. Over half of Char’s clients are ESL speakers who may be studying here in Australia or overseas, such as Saudi Arabia, China or Western Europe.

Char uses Skype, email and her blog to provide students with a range of academic services:

• Help with research for an essay/presentation or thesis
• Writing aid to structure an argument that flows
• Research design and analysis using SPSS
• Proofreading and formatting to APA, Oxford, Chicago and MLA styles
• Improvement of academic English skills for ESL students

Char also runs a Daily Skype Study Chat (psi_tutor) for students feeling overwhelmed with their workload at uni or college or just needing to bounce their ideas off somebody else.  In 2010 PSI Tutor:Mentor will be running a series of online workshops~ so let her know what you find most challenging with your studies!  Here’s a video to watch.

This is a 2 part interview:

• Part 1 – The Blog Interview
• Part 2 – The Twitter Interview for 10 Cross-Cultural & International Questions

Charmayne Paul – Part 1

Here is the first part of the interview with Char.

Hi Char, for those who don’t know you, can you please tell us something about yourself?

Charmayne Paul: I live in Cairns, a delight for those who adore reef and rainforest in tropical north Queensland in Australia.

My job is great! As an Online Tutor:Mentor I get to work with tertiary students from all over the globe~ from my home. I’ve never lived or worked abroad, but as Cairns is a tourist city there are many cross-cultural work opportunities. After high school I took a Community College course in Japanese and then worked with a Duty Free Store~ they thought my language skills very old fashioned Cultures that I feel close to are those that existed on and around this tropical island I call home; Indigenous Australian, Torres Strait (TI) and South Pacific Islander. Going to school and living next door to people of other ethnic backgrounds was the norm for me.

How did you pick up your cross-cultural skills?

Charmayne Paul: Any cross-cultural skills I have were mostly developed through interactions with those of other cultures. As a kid my friends were Aboriginal, TI, PNG, Dutch as well as Anglo-Australian. Later at TAFE and in the workforce I extended my skills by learning about Japan. As I travelled within Australia I met many international visitors and at uni we had a salad bowl of ethnicities. Nowadays I have Korean and Czech students living with me, coming for tutes and sometimes I provide homestay. Also, as my online tutor:mentor service grew I found that I have needed to take language courses (shout out to EduFire) to understand my clients better, and to show respect for their cultures as well. English may be the international language of communication for now, though it would be terrible to discount other languages because they are not “the norm”. Language is culture.

How do you use your cross-cultural skills in your job?

Charmayne Paul: To cultivate patience I like to learn a few basic words in a client’s language to show them that I value their culture and appreciate that they want to learn about mine. It is a great way to build rapport and to get a better understanding of how each culture approaches communication of particular topics. I also put into practice the basics that I know about different cultures, such as making sure my shoulders are covered on Skype cam for Muslim students, not making too much eye contact for Chinese students, and slowing down my speech patterns for patriarchal cultures. Living in this time where technology allows us to get to know others from around our global village is awesome. I am in awe at how much we can learn from each other, through language and communication styles. These two things reveal so much about how we make meaning of our world, thus how we interact. Amazing.

Can you tell us about your blog?

Charmayne Paul: Disillusioned with the culture within my work environment at the local university, I realised that I could meet my goal to provide student study support and their improved community engagement by striking out on my own. Personal Study Instruction is a common request from tertiary students. Not everyone works at the same pace, in the same way, science knows this yet so often in learning institutions it is not put into practice. I have a patient nature and it is fantastic to work with a student who really wants to understand a concept or achieve an academic outcome~ besides getting a good grade. In the real world employers and users of services want confident, efficient, effective and empathic professionals. The PSI Tutor:Mentor blog aims to encourage and support tertiary students in their personal and professional development. Cross-cultural awareness is a big part of this.

The majority of visitors to my blog are international. I started with a website though found it too static for higher education student needs. The interactive nature of a blog makes it a portal of conversation as well as a storehouse for tertiary resources and a contact point for tutor or mentoring services.

2010 will see the launch of my Membership site (fingers crossed~ must understand the software I’ve bought first!). My $1 for 1 year model aims to make access viable for tertiary students in developing nations as well, whilst providing a source of revenue that will enable me to create jobs for other tutors. I anticipate it to be a win-win-win, for uni/college students-other tutors-and me

Social media like Facebook and Twitter are a must for making contact with an international audience and to learn about their cultures. My excuse for reading the variety of blogs that I do is so that I can post material for students! I am very blessed to work at something I love doing, so even in my downtime what I am reading can usually be related back to my career purpose: To support student learning.

Besides blogging I take part in e-courses such as learning to use Moodle, WikiEducator and e-conferences.
I also run classes on EduFire and publish non-peer reviewed academic articles on Lulu. I am learning to podcast and braving myself for more YouTube videos. Apart from work I use the Internet to exchange poetry and short fiction feedback. Again, this is a great way to meet others from around the globe.

I have a couple of lists I’m building here on this blog, and wonder if you have anything you would like to share.

Have you come across any cultural stereotypes that bother you, or you find inappropriate?

Charmayne Paul: Once in a while a student may assume that because I live in Australia that I am affluent~ and perhaps I am compared to their living situation. However, I come from a very humble background and maintain a very simple lifestyle~ I am not a capitalist per se, more of a sustainable person. My business is not about making a profit, of course some profit is necessary to pay bills and to extend my services, such as providing jobs for others. Overall though, my goal is for equal access to learning support. Students in my home of Cairns have the option to trade fruit and veggies or labor around my home for my services. So, yes, sometimes it bothers me that another assumes that I am wealthy and should want to do work for free or no fee.

Do you have a favorite movie that could help people understand cultural issues?

Charmayne Paul: Sure~ but are they appropriate…? 300 is one i watch regularly as I love the message of celebrating one’s culture and not taking a “melting pot” approach, especially when it means the dilution of the values under the tyranny of another.

The Kite Runner brought home the cultural differences between my country and Afghanistan, as well as highlighting cultural issues for youth that have migrated to a western nation. Bend It Like Beckham shows the difficulties of a second generation Indian teenager who is female and wants to play soccer.

A favorite Aussie movie is One Night The Moon, set in 1932 about a missing Anglo-Australian child whose parents resist taking up the skills of a local Aboriginal tracker due to their racist feelings. The movie highlights how the farmer (Anglo) sees the land as “mine”, whilst the tracker sees the landscape as “me”. Two mutually exclusive ways of approaching life. Beautiful message, cinematography and ending~ tracker find the child.

Do you have a book you could recommend to help others improve their cultural insights?

Charmayne Paul: A Son of the Circus by John Irving, he has a wicked sense of humor and his sarcasm resonates well with my Aussie culture. The book is fiction, about an Indian man and his Indian wife who return to Bombay every couple of years for their holiday. Their Americanized culture is so different to the “norm” in their home country. Lots of laughs as well as insights into cultural values in the East and West.

And finally…

Is there anything else you would like to share?

Charmayne Paul: I would like to travel more overseas when my business is sustainable; it would be great to visit other nations, teach English in trade for homestay and to experience other cultures and their beautiful land and seascapes. So far I have only been to a couple of places in Micronesia~ Guam twice, and Palau. Oh, there was the airport in Manila

I am actively learning at least 500 words and phrases from an assortment of languages at present; Czech (so hard!), German, Japanese, Korean, Italian, Spanish and Arabic. I would like to add to these in 2010 with French, Pali, Portuguese and Turkish.

Due to my pet companions, I am not keen at this point in my life to live in another country; though I am eager to travel more often for 3-6 weeks at a time in one place. Especially I want to travel to the developing world, where I can contribute my teaching and researcher skills. I am also an avid gardener, so perhaps I could help out planting crops or digging holes for a well. Wouldn’t that give me some perspective on life!

Char, thank you for sharing this with us.  I hope others can see why I value your cultural insights. I’m looking forward to  going through the the 10 Cross-Cultural Questions on Twitter with you later today.

Charmayne Paul – Part 2 – The Twitter Interview

This is an interview series of the people I recommend you follow on Twitter for the cross-cultural and international business insights in their tweets.

More Twitter Interviews

• Rajeev Edmonds – @mintblogger
• Rossitza Ohridska-Olson – @culturalrealms
• Charmayne Paul – @psitutor
• Lucy Chatburn – @pocketcultures
• Doreen Iannuzzi – @DoreenatDMS
• Donna Jackson – @wisequeen
• Chris Cotter – @CotterHUE
• Jack Yan – @jackyan
• Silvia Cambié – @XCulture
• Bill Ward – @DR4WARD
• Thierry De Baillon – @t_de_baillon
• Seshu – @PicSeshu
• Neil Urquhart – @culturematters
• Klaus & Flavia Westerwelle – @transdomo
• Donagh Kiernan – @dkiernan
• Christian Hoeferle – @hoeferleconsult
• Caroline – @ohh_la_la
• Deborah Swallow – @DeborahSwallow
• Steve Roesler – @steveroesler
• Matthew Bennett – @matthewbennett

Copyright Cindy King 2006-2010 - International Business Blog

Twitter Interview With Charmayne Paul

Twitter Interviews – #CKinterview

Today’s Cross-Cultural Interview is with Lucy Chatburn. Lucy is is co-founder and managing editor of PocketCultures.

She is the person behind the Twitter handle @pocketcultures. And if you do not follow her there, I highly recommend you do. Lucy always shares interesting links for anyone interested in culture, travel and different place in the world.

This is a 2 part interview:

• Part 1 – The Blog Interview
• Part 2 – The Twitter Interview for 10 Cross-Cultural & International Questions

UPDATE: The transcript of the Cross-Cultural Twitter Interview with @pocketcultures is now below.

Lucy Chatburn – Part 1

Here is the first part of the interview with Lucy

Hi Lucy, for those who don’t know you, can you please tell us something about yourself?

Lucy Chatburn: Hi Cindy. Thanks for inviting me to do this interview. About me, originally I’m from the UK but I have lived in Turkey for the last 3 years. I have also lived in France (2 years), Spain (3 years) and spent 3 months in Italy. So those are also the languages I know. I’m studying Arabic too, but I’m still at a basic level.

Turkish culture is quite different from English culture – among other things it’s less individualistic and people here are more gregarious – but I feel very much at home here. Maybe having experience of other Mediterranean cultures made it easier to adapt.

How did you pick up your cross-cultural skills?

Lucy Chatburn: I don’t claim to be a cross-cultural expert! But I do love learning about other cultures and meeting people from different places. My passion for discovering other cultures started with an ERASMUS exchange to Paris when I was at university. I also studied a master’s degree at IESE in Barcelona, which is a very international school. It was a great opportunity to make friends from many different places and backgrounds.

I find it fascinating that two people from different backgrounds can see and interpret the same event in very different ways.

Can you tell us about your blog?

Lucy Chatburn: The best thing about PocketCultures is getting to know and exchange opinions with people from all over the world.

Our main aim with the project is to help people discover foreign countries and cultures from the inside. Sometimes the view of a country you get from the outside is quite different to the one you see if you visit, or talk to someone from that country.

Many sites and news sources feature accounts by travelers and expats or analysis from international experts, and these are very valuable perspectives for understanding other cultures. But we can learn a lot from the locals as well, and sometimes (more so for some countries than others) their voices are not heard as much. With PocketCultures we would like to give them a voice.

So we try to emphasize the local point of view. We feature blogs and stories from around the world and we also have stories from people in cross-cultural relationships, as this is one place where cultural differences are sure to pop up! We’re currently building a team of regional contributors from around the world who can write about their country from an insider’s perspective. At the moment we represent 6 different countries, and we’re looking for more contributors who would like to join us in this mission.

A couple of my favorite posts are:

• The real Phad Thai
• Celebrating peace and freedom

These posts are great because they show local opinions from Thailand and Costa Rica. I could never have written them myself!

We also write about international issues, like world languages and the effects of globalization. An example would be this post on the Top 20 Languages of the World

Current world social and demographic trends mean that this top 20 list could look quite different in 20 years time.

I have a couple of lists I’m building here on this blog, and wonder if you have anything you would like to share.

Have you come across any cultural stereotypes that bother you, or you find inappropriate?

Lucy Chatburn: Well, all stereotypes are inappropriate to a certain extent, because they reinforce the idea that you can describe a place or a culture with a single point of view. I really liked this TED Global presentation by the Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, which I think illustrates the problem very well.

One of the things we try to do with PocketCultures is choose stories that challenge cultural stereotypes and show a different side to countries that suffer from undeserved reputations.

Do you have a favorite movie that could help people understand cultural issues?

Lucy Chatburn: The movie ‘The full Monty’ has a very silly storyline (please don’t think such a thing would happen in real life!), but it captures very well the background and people of my hometown, Sheffield. Things have moved on now, but many British towns went through a similar slump following the demise of UK manufacturing. With The Full Monty they managed to make a very funny film out of a bad situation. It was hugely popular in Sheffield when it came out.

Do you have a book you could recommend to help others improve their cultural insights?

Lucy Chatburn: I’ll stick with the UK theme, because that’s what I know best. Anyone familiar with the UK will know about the ‘North-South divide’: a slight mistrust which still exists between the different parts of England. George Orwell’s The Road to Wigan Pier is not a light read but gives some useful insights into the background behind that tension.

I also enjoyed The White Tiger (by Aravind Adiga), which is set in contemporary India. But to come back to the single story idea again India is huge and varied, and one book can only show one small part of it.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

Lucy Chatburn: We’d love to hear from anyone who is interested in sharing their country and culture with PocketCultures readers. There is more information here

Lucy, thank you for sharing this with us.  I’m looking forward to  going through the the 10 Cross-Cultural Questions on Twitter with you later today.

Lucy Chatburn- Part 2 – The Twitter Interview

This is an interview series of the people I recommend you follow on Twitter for the cross-cultural and international business insights in their tweets.

More Twitter Interviews

• Rajeev Edmonds – @mintblogger
• Rossitza Ohridska-Olson – @culturalrealms
• Charmayne Paul – @psitutor
• Doreen Iannuzzi – @DoreenatDMS
• Donna Jackson – @wisequeen
• Chris Cotter – @CotterHUE
• Jack Yan – @jackyan
• Silvia Cambié – @XCulture
• Bill Ward – @DR4WARD
• Thierry De Baillon – @t_de_baillon
• Seshu – @PicSeshu
• Neil Urquhart – @culturematters
• Klaus & Flavia Westerwelle – @transdomo
• Donagh Kiernan – @dkiernan
• Christian Hoeferle – @hoeferleconsult
• Caroline – @ohh_la_la
• Deborah Swallow – @DeborahSwallow
• Steve Roesler – @steveroesler
• Matthew Bennett – @matthewbennett

Copyright Cindy King 2006-2010 - International Business Blog

Twitter Interview With Lucy Chatburn

Twitter Interviews – #CKinterview

Today’s Cross-Cultural Interview is with Doreen Iannuzzi. It is a real pleasure for me to interview Doreen here.

Doreen is the person I turn to when looking for “wise” cross-cultural tweets. Of course, this is partly due to her professional background as you will read below.

Something else to remember is that Canada has been working through their cross-cultural issues longer than many countries; with the challenges of having both French and English speaking regions, as well as Canada’s long standing immigration policies. So a Canadian perspective on cross-cultural issues is always worth listening to.

Doreen is simply one of the best people to follow on Twitter for cross-cultural insights.  Besides it’s easy to see she has fun on Twitter and she is fun to be around.  You can find her @DoreenatDMS .

This is a 2 part interview:

• Part 1 – The Blog Interview
• Part 2 – The Twitter Interview for 10 Cross-Cultural & International Questions

The transcript of the Cross-Cultural Twitter Interview with @DoreenatDMS is now below.

Doreen Iannuzzi – Part 1

Here is the first part of the interview with Doreen.

Hi Doreen, For those who don’t know you, can you please tell us something about yourself?

Doreen Iannuzzi: I was born, raised, educated and currently live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I’m Vice President of New Media at Multimedia Nova Corporation, Canada’s leading diversity publisher and printer; our publishing, multicultural marketing and printing/distribution subsidiaries represent a domestic reach of over 4 million unique households; our 500+ multicultural media partners represent a local, regional, national or international reach across 5 platforms. The company’s beginnings go back 55 years ago, when my father founded Corriere Canadese, Canada’s only daily Italian-language newspaper.

Although I haven’t lived abroad, over the years, I have traveled throughout parts of England, Italy, Mexico, the Caribbean, the United States, and Canada. As a proud Canadian, I’m hesitant to say I haven’t visited every province, but it’s close … New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and the 3 territories are still on my list. My mother’s parents were originally from Liverpool, England, my father’s grandparents were born in Italy, and I live in Toronto; so you could say my cultural affinity is for “fish & chips” on Friday’s, pasta any time at all, and genuinely enthusiastic for everything else.

How did you pick up your cross-cultural skills?

Doreen Iannuzzi: Through my past travels, I feel lucky and privileged to have seen and experienced first-hand many different people and places. I’m sure many would agree that it’s always best to get off the beaten track and immerse yourself into the day-to-day reality of others’ lives. To experience not only different customs and aspects of local cultures, but to feel the different rhythm and pace of life that goes along with it.

Way back, I studied piano through the Royal Conservatory system in Toronto; so I’d like to believe that that experience and training has also played a role in having an open, big picture, cultural perspective.

How do you use your cross-cultural skills in your job?

Doreen Iannuzzi: Our workplace is incredibly diverse and has about 140 employees that represent countries and nations from all over the world – Italy, Somalia, Colombia, Mexico, Portugal, China, Ukraine, and more. As well, practically on a daily basis, we welcome and meet with international dignitaries, business partners, clients and partner publishers who are from all over the world. As well, the nature of our DMS work, in particular, often involves the planning and execution of multicultural, and culturally competent advertising and marketing campaigns.

So in comparison to my own personal experience, I would definitely say that any cross-cultural competence I possess is a direct result of both the day-to-day experience of working with my co-workers and colleagues, and the specific nature of our work with clients.

Can you tell us about your blog?

Doreen Iannuzzi: Our corporate blog is specifically “attached” to our multicultural marketing subsidiary, Diversity Media Services; however, The New Mainstream™ reflects our overall corporate philosophy. We see The New Mainstream™ as a demographic group of Canadians who maintain ties to their cultural background and continue to consume cultural media. They are 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation Canadians with a cosmopolitan or “citizen of the world” attitude that cross markets every day; they enjoy the dynamics that are a result of cultural interaction.

We believe it’s an approach that is under-appreciated — in mainstream media and advertising — yet it speaks to the widest possible Canadian audience…diversity is the mainstream, I guess you could say. I consider the blog organic.

Besides Canadian content, I’ve had its scope allow for ‘global’ content/focus; with Canada frequently described as “the world in one country”, and with a blog itself on a ‘global’ platform, I believe that works, although I wish I had more hours in the day for it.

I have a number of favorite posts, but two immediately come to mind: “Is multicultural Toronto resting on its laurels?“  and “Multicultural Marketing Myths“; the former, because even in a city like Toronto, old stereotypes can persist …and the latter because its format alone (a list) is blog-friendly, relevant to our business and, ultimately, it’s a ‘give-back’ to the blog’s readers that provides insight into our business and our professional experiences.

Is there anything new about your blog you would like to share?

Doreen Iannuzzi: “The New Mainstream” was launched almost 2 years ago, and some posts have resonated more so than others. I’m not sure if it’s a trend everywhere, but I have noticed, generally speaking, a decrease in the amount of comments I read on blogs. I believed early on that Twitter participation was to go hand-in-hand with our blog … a necessary element of our outreach/conversation strategy.

Some social media purists may not like this, but for me, I consider both my contributions to The New Mainstream™ and my Twitter activity as blogging. Twitter, albeit 140 characters, has proved to be a really positive and engaging experience; and any timely and newsworthy content/conversation with elements of racism do seem to capture the attention of many (whether it’s related to their professional lives or not).

I do maintain accounts on FriendFeed, YouTube, and Delicious; I’m also exploring Mag.ma, but am more active on Twitter.

Can you give us some deeper insights about yourself regarding your cross-cultural background?

Doreen Iannuzzi: Even though my father was 3rd generation Italian-Canadian, I do not speak fluent Italian; but my Italian co-workers and friends are patient, thoughtful … very kind; I know more Italian now than ever before. I’ve been to Italy only 4 times … and I say “only”, because at the end of each trip, I never want to leave, it is never enough.

To be honest, a great deal of this feeling — and I say this with absolutely no hesitation — is because of the history you can see in every view, and the food …incredible, va bene. Italy goes without saying, but I’ve always been intrigued by Egypt, Peru and Australia.

Have you come across any cultural stereotypes that bother you, or you find inappropriate?

Doreen Iannuzzi: All cultural stereotypes are inappropriate and seeing them propagated in media or even celebrated in advertising is frustrating. See above (“Is multicultural Toronto resting on its laurels”) and, in particular “Do you remember the one about…?” — both examples prove that even though Italians have been in Canada for well over 100 years, the Italian stereotype continues.

Do you have a favorite movie that could help people understand cultural issues?

Doreen Iannuzzi: Many! I love “Monsoon Wedding” — a beautiful and honest film chronicling the days leading up to the arranged marriage of a South Asian couple…I found the inclusion of one particular story element heroic (I won’t spoil it here) that I believe transcends South Asian culture.

I remember seeing Deepa Mehta’s “Water” at the Toronto Film Festival a few years back, and it was extraordinary…just extraordinary.

The Oscar-nominated documentary, The Story of the Weeping Camel, is one more I’ll leave you with…it follows a Mongolian family, their life, and in particular, their efforts to have their camel accept the newborn it just gave birth to. Very beautiful.

Doreen, it is great to know a bit more about you… and I have 3 films I have to watch now   I’m looking forward to  going through the the 10 Cross-Cultural Questions on Twitter with you later today.

Doreen Iannuzzi – Part 2 – The Twitter Interview

This is an interview series of the people I recommend you follow on Twitter for the cross-cultural and international business insights in their tweets.

More Twitter Interviews

• Charmayne Paul – @psitutor
• Lucy Chatburn – @pocketcultures
• Donna Jackson – @wisequeen
• Chris Cotter – @CotterHUE
• Jack Yan – @jackyan
• Silvia Cambié – @XCulture
• Bill Ward – @DR4WARD
• Thierry De Baillon – @t_de_baillon
• Seshu – @PicSeshu
• Neil Urquhart – @culturematters
• Klaus & Flavia Westerwelle – @transdomo
• Donagh Kiernan – @dkiernan
• Christian Hoeferle – @hoeferleconsult
• Caroline – @ohh_la_la
• Deborah Swallow – @DeborahSwallow
• Steve Roesler – @steveroesler
• Matthew Bennett – @matthewbennett

Copyright Cindy King 2006-2010 - International Business Blog

Twitter Interview With Doreen Iannuzzi