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Centre for Languages and Inter-Communication

 

CLIC offers a series of workshops and 1-2-1 coaching to support staff and students in developing their global agility:

 

Culture Shock

Most students and researchers will experience culture shock in some form or other when living abroad or even when working in their home country. It can happen at any moment whilst interacting across cultures in person or remotely. Whilst a very good command of a language helps, it does not guarantee a smooth cultural experience. Indeed, there is more to communication than simply speaking the same language. Culture shock does not have to be a negative experience if you are prepared and know how to handle it.

In this workshop, you will gain a better understanding of the Bennett scale (also known as the "Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity"), which will help you to analyse your experiences and prepare you to deal with culture shock effectively. This workshop is open to both native and non-native speakers.

Workshop date: Wednesday, 19th October 2022, 14:00 - 16:00

Book here

 

Chinese: Get the name right!

“Pronouncing someone’s name correctly can make people feel valued, honoured and respected — and mispronouncing their name creates real problems.” Gerardo Ochoa

This session will explore Chinese names. How to pronounce them. What it says about the person. The stories behind names. The focus will be on pronunciation but you will also be welcome to share your own experience and tell your stories.

Workshop dates:

  • Monday, 24th October 2022, 12:00 - 13:00 - book here
  • Monday, 30th January 2023, 12:00 - 13:00 - book here

 

Intercultural Competence

Have you ever struggled with other students’ or colleagues’ styles of communication, wondered why some people seem to use more formal language, or be more direct than others? Culture plays a big part in how we communicate and collaborate, and adjusting to the cultural communication norms is more about shared values and expectations than speaking the same language. It requires a specific set of awareness, attitudes and skills.

In this workshop, you will develop your cultural and self-awareness, reflect on attitudes to adopt and be given some tips on developing the right skills that will help you to develop cultural intelligence.

Workshop date: Wednesday, 2nd November 2022, 14:00 - 16:00

Book here

 

People buy people

As a future engineer, how do you stand out in a crowd of job applicants who all have excellent technical skills? Since recruiters perceive these as a must-have, they pay increasing attention to the so-called "soft" or "people's" skills. These are hard to teach and evaluate, but they are also difficult to identify and demonstrate. Despite this, they have become critical in the recruitment process of global companies and are assessed at various stages of job applications.

In this workshop, we will address the following:

  1. What are soft skills and why you need them?
  2. How do you know which ones you have?
  3. How can you demonstrate them to your future employers?
  4. How to develop them?

Workshop date: Wednesday 16th November 2022, 14:00 - 16:00

Book here

 

Creating opportunities through strategic networking

Many people believe that your future career opportunities are down to luck and being at the right place at the right time. The reality is that your attitude towards getting to know new people and strategic networking is one of the most important ingredients when it comes to your career development. In this workshop, you will learn about the optimal mindset for increase your 'luck’ through networking, both face-to-face and online.

Join us for a catered sandwich lunch for this lunch and learn workshop. 
Please let us know of any dietary requirements by 10th January.

Workshop date: Wednesday 18th January 2023, 12:00 - 14:00

Book here

 

Skillset for VUCA

In this ever-changing world, adaptability is one of the most valuable skills for your time in Cambridge and also for your future employment. In this session, you will discuss the requirements of ‘the new normal’ – the volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous reality that requires the right mindset to support you as an ongoing part of your professional life. You will learn how to address VUCA and how to turn the adversities we’re all facing and turn them into opportunities. 

Join us for a catered sandwich lunch for this lunch and learn workshop. 
Please let us know of any dietary requirements by 17th January.

Workshop date: Wednesday 25th January 2023, 12:00 - 14:00

Book here 

 

Unconscious bias

Diversity has well been established as a key driver of innovation. However, creating inclusive environments to harness the power of diversity takes preparation. We can be aware or unaware of it, but we are all biased towards people who are different from us. This interactive session will explore where bias come from, what different types of bias can we talk about, and what are the different layers of diversity. You will examine the implications of bias on our day-to-day interactions and decision-making gain insight into strategies of counteracting potential bias.

Join us for a catered sandwich lunch for this lunch and learn workshop. 
Please let us know of any dietary requirements by 24th January.

Workshop date: Wednesday 1st February 2023, 12:00 - 14:00

Book here

 

Body language

Workshop description coming soon

Workshop date: tbc

 

"Everybody speaks English, right?"

Workshop description coming soon

Workshop date: tbc

 

Effective online communication

Workshop description coming soon

Workshop date: tbc

 

Inclusive leadership for effective collaboration

Workshop description coming soon

Workshop date: tbc

 

Cultural coaching

Living and working in both exciting and challenging international environments bring a certain complexity that might need to be explored further. These sessions will guide you in better understanding your communication profile and preferences, allowing you to adapt to a range of situations and contexts as well as to various interlocutors’ profiles, including intercultural aspects. Please contact Kasia () if you are interested. 

 

Coaching for job/placement applications

Being able to communicate your strengths to your future employers is a key ingredient for successful job applications. With the help of a coach, you can discover what your strengths are and how to demonstrate them at the different stages of the application process. Please contact Kasia () if you are interested.