Piloted with the 2021 Boren Regional Flagship Language Initiatives (RFLI), the Culture Initiative is funded by the Institute of International Education (IIE) to provide supplemental culture materials to RFLI program participants. These materials are provided in the form of interactive scenarios and moderated roundtables through which the participants develop a better understanding of the culture of their host site and how elements of that culture may influence the interactions that they have while there.
The first module is delivered during the summer intensive language program and covers 3 topics across 6 to 9 scenarios depending on the language. During the summer, participants also attend 3 roundtables during which a program coordinator moderates discussions on the scenarios within each topic. During the fall abroad (which was not piloted in 2021 due to COVID-19) participants work through a second module while attending roundtables moderated by their Resident Director.
These culture scenarios and guided roundtables give RFLI students a cultural framework through which they can improve their intercultural communicative competency and more confidently and appropriately apply the language skills they develop through their intensive domestic program and fall abroad.
For program-specific information, please refer to the following links.