An Adventure in Teaching. An Experience in Learning.
GLOBAL COMPETENCY
With Jed Willard
WHAT IS GLOBAL COMPETENCY?
“A global-ready graduate [is] a person with a grasp of global systems, global issues, the
dynamics of how things are interrelated and interconnected in the world, and how society
can best address global issues.”
- Ron Moffatt, Director of the San Diego State University International Student Center
“The skills to listen, observe and evaluate, analyze, interpret, and relate.”
- Darla K. Deardorff, Director of Duke University’s International Education Administrators Assc.
“The ability to be fluent in at least one other language, such as Spanish or Mandarin;
fluency with e-commerce and the Internet; a well-versed knowledge of geography; and,
maybe most important, some knowledge of the political and cultural history of one or two
countries or regions outside of Western Europe.”
- Carol Conway, Director of the Southern Global Strategies Council
WHAT SPECIFIC SKILLS DO GLOBALLY COMPETANT GRADUATES HAVE?
• Initiative • Independence
• Enthusiasm • Appreciation of Diversity
• Inquisitiveness • Perseverance
• Interest in continuous learning • Creativity
• Courage • Flexibility
• Self-reliance • Comfort with uncertainty
• Self-confidence • Open-mindedness
• Self-control • Language and communication skills
• Self-knowledge • Assertiveness
• Positive outlook toward adversity • Sense of humor
Most important to employers, according to a study by Michigan State University, are
resourcefulness and adaptability.
101 Longfellow Road ~ Sudbury, MA 01776 USA
Ph: (877) 216-3267 ~ Email:
[email protected] www.LanguageCorps.com
An Adventure in Teaching. An Experience in Learning.
WHO CARES?
Given that finance, trade, technology, and information now move relatively freely across national
borders; governments, corporations, educational institutions, and the international community at
large need managers and professionals who possess a broad understanding of our interconnected
world.
“All major hiring companies need global citizens. Global sensitivities, global perspective,
global insight; along with maturity and a capacity for risk-taking, are exactly the skills
every major organization is looking for – in every industry.”
- Kevin Gill, Global Director of Staffing for Honeywell
“In the financial world, cultural awareness and cultural adeptness are far more important
than undergraduate major or existing skill sets… These needs touch all industries, from
banking to healthcare to engineering.”
- Jonathan Jones, Firmwide Campus Recruiting Director for Goldman Sachs
THE EDUCATION SECTOR & GLOBAL COMPETENCY
“With some notable exceptions, our public schools are doing a woeful job of teaching
students about the world outside America's borders… These trends have serious
consequences. In the 21st century, young people who understand the dynamics of global
economic and intercultural relations will have a distinct advantage in securing good jobs.
“In today’s world, the status quo is tantamount to a kind of educational isolationism. That
is unacceptable… [we must] foster teaching excellence in international education, and
create a new cadre of highly qualified teachers who understand the international
dimensions of their subjects… teachers must be qualified to prepare young people for the
opportunities and challenges of globalization.”
- Excerpted from Michael H. Levine (Progressive Policy Institute), Putting the World into Our
Classrooms: A New Vision for 31st Century Education, April 2005
Over and over again, studies have shown that American students lack even basic geographic
knowledge, not to mention exposure to world regions, languages and cultures. Given our
increasingly global economy, this lack leaves US students educationally and economically
handicapped.
Globally Competent teachers offer:
• Extensive exposure to a wide variety of learning styles and cultural backgrounds
• Firsthand experience in effective, hands-on teaching approaches
• In-depth exposure to foreign cultures
• A fresh, valued perspective on education
In addition, having observed firsthand the reciprocal effects of economic growth on educational
systems, and having close knowledge of multiple educational structures, Globally Competent
101 Longfellow Road ~ Sudbury, MA 01776 USA
Ph: (877) 216-3267 ~ Email:
[email protected] www.LanguageCorps.com
An Adventure in Teaching. An Experience in Learning.
teachers can provide their homeland with valuable insight into much needed changes in
educational administration and policy.
State and federal education leaders are not unaware of the need for new initiatives to promote
global literacy.* Evidence:
• Statewide "audits" examining the status of international education (A dozen states
have held summits to raise awareness about the importance of international
education; six have issued task force reports requested by their governor or
legislature on the issue)
• State legislation or board of education policies to promote international education
• Systematic statewide initiatives that include new curricular standards, teacher
professional development programs and investments in technology
• Model programs including internationally themed schools, virtual high schools that
teach Asian languages and exchange programs
• Programs expanding teacher training to deliver rigorous study in world history,
geography, global science and economics – key subjects in a transformed economy
• World language “pipelines” from primary school on, especially focused on critical
languages such as Chinese
• Task forces working on high school redesign and new graduation requirements to
motivate better achievement and promote key international knowledge and skills
• Innovative uses of technology to expand the availability of international courses
and sometimes virtually linking US students to peers in another country
* Bullets from States Respond to Challenges of a “Flat World” (Asia Society), December 2005
Policy makers are not alone in recognizing the importance of improving the global literacy of
American students. Americans at large – including those who sit on alumni, advisory, and
professional educational boards – have named international education as a key to preparing their
children for success in the global age:
• “90% believe it is ‘important’ or ‘very important’ to prepare future generations of
Americans for a global society;
• “92% agree that knowledge of other languages will give future generations a
competitive advantage in career opportunities;
• 94% feel it is important for future generations to have knowledge of other countries
and cultures.”
- Excerpted from American Public: International Education is Key to Preparing Next Generation”
(NAFSA), January 2006
Some additional background reading:
Nation's governors take global view on education – National Governors Association (2005)
Global competition brought to Americans' doorsteps by the latest technology and newest
business practices means new challenges for schools.
http://www.dmregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050717/NEWS09/507170368/1001/archive
101 Longfellow Road ~ Sudbury, MA 01776 USA
Ph: (877) 216-3267 ~ Email:
[email protected] www.LanguageCorps.com
An Adventure in Teaching. An Experience in Learning.
THE CORPORATE SECTOR & GLOBAL COMPETENCY
“Globalization is causing policy and business leaders to call for new competencies to
advance U.S. competitiveness, leadership in global markets, scientific innovation, security,
and proactively improve international relations… These new realities demonstrate that
future workers seeking careers in business, government, health care, law enforcement,
and a wide variety of other jobs will all require global knowledge and skills.”
- Excerpted from Michael H. Levine (Progressive Policy Institute), Putting the World into Our
Classrooms: A New Vision for 31st Century Education, April 2005
"Business, education and political leaders are grappling with the question of how to
produce workers and citizens who can remain competitive in a world that seems to be
shrinking before our very eyes,"
- Vivien Stewart, Vice President of Education, Asia Society, December 2005.
The Michigan State "Recruiting Trends 2005-2006" report identified "geographic awareness and
global understanding" as the primary "new competencies [for job seekers] critical to future
success." The report notes that, “as businesses become realigned globally, having employees with
an awareness of space…, social and cultural geographic movement, as well as dominant physical
assets of a region will be critical to a company’s vitality.”
Globally Competent managers:
• Understand the importance of international trade to their home state's economy
• Understand the multicultural nature (even if not multinational) environment of successful
corporations, and possess intercultural sensitivities preparing them to flourish in that
atmosphere
• Ask critical questions about diverse business practices
• Possess foreign language skills
While each industry and operational scale will have unique hiring needs, business leaders at all
levels are facing a growing need for talented team members who can bring a broad worldview to
the workplace. Even at strictly domestic companies, the following skills will be considered
valuable by managers:
• Thriving in diverse environments
• Eagerness for challenge, change, and life-long learning
• Awareness, understanding, and empathy for different ideas and ways of doing things
• Comfort interacting in multiple, often challenging contexts
THE PUBLIC SECTOR AND GLOBAL COMPETENCY
“By studying foreign cultures and languages and living abroad, we gain a better
understanding of the many similarities that we share and learn to respect our differences.
The relationships that are formed between individuals from different countries as part of
international programs and exchanges can also foster goodwill that develops into vibrant,
mutually beneficial partnerships among nations... Collectively, the same skills and talents
that bolster an individual résumé can make the country more secure and economically
competitive.
101 Longfellow Road ~ Sudbury, MA 01776 USA
Ph: (877) 216-3267 ~ Email:
[email protected] www.LanguageCorps.com
An Adventure in Teaching. An Experience in Learning.
“This is the great challenge facing America at the beginning of a new millennium: to give
its citizens a thorough understanding of the world and its crosscurrents, to help them see
what others value and believe.”
- Excerpted from Securing America's Future: Global Education for a Global Age, Report of the Strategic
Task Force on Education Abroad (NAFSA), November 2003
Some background reading:
Testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee – US State Department (2005)
Rice spoke about the importance of Americans making a serious effort to understand
foreign cultures and languages and said that our interaction with the rest of the world
"must be a conversation, not a monologue."
http://foreign.senate.gov/testimony/2005/RiceTestimony050118.pdf
States Prepare for the Global Age – Asia Society (2005)
"A movement to prepare our young people to succeed in the global marketplace and to
become informed global citizens has begun.”
http://internationaled.org/statespreparefortheglobalage.pdf
IDENTIFYING GLOBAL COMPETENCY: SOME DEFINITIONS
Internationalist
• Excellent intercultural communication skills
• Learn through listening and observing
• Thrive in multicultural settings with a diverse range of personalities and learning styles
• Establish rapport quickly
• Able to work effectively as a part of a multinational/multicultural team
• Effective and knowledgeable in working in cross-cultural settings
• Learn quickly
Comfort with Dissonance
• Capacity to adapt and be flexible in new and changing situations
• Handle difficult situations
• Extremely adaptable and resourceful in new and challenging environments
• Function well in multiple, dissonant environments
• Capable of working in difficult and ambiguous settings
Multicultural Leadership
• Effective and cooperative team player who also works well independently
• Take initiative and risks
• Communicate despite barriers
• Understand cultural differences and similarities
• Handle stress
• Identify problems and utilize available resources to resolve them
• Highly developed cross-cultural communication skills combined with ability to motivate
others to excel
101 Longfellow Road ~ Sudbury, MA 01776 USA
Ph: (877) 216-3267 ~ Email:
[email protected] www.LanguageCorps.com
