Abstract
Individuals in possession of skills to communicate appropriately and effectively across cultural boundaries will be those in a position of leadership in a global world. Of the total student population in the United States, less than 1.5% chooses to study abroad, and 55% of those who do study abroad opt for less than a semester living in another culture. Preparing students in advance is essential to maximize the limited opportunity to develop interculturally competent communication skills. Despite the ardent pleas of twenty-seven years of research on the topic, students continue to venture abroad with little to no training, expected to gain vital intercultural communication skills largely through unprepared chance experiences. The pre-departure training program developed for this project attempts to fill a critical gap. Designed utilizing theoretical foundations, the three-day training course provides students with necessary communication and behavioral skills for their sojourn abroad. Intercultural communication competence is considered a vital skill in the 21st century. With a very small percentage of U.S. students participating in the study abroad experience, lack of pre-departure training compromises student ability to develop appropriate and effective communication; this oversight is, ultimately, negligent and dangerous to our nation as a whole. The three-day training course provides students with tools and concepts regarding intercultural communication competence, rhetorical sensitivity, and specific communication behaviors and attitudes to develop during their study abroad experience. A multi-method approach, including interactive lectures, critical incidents, role-play, and cross-cultural dialogues is used in the culture-general training. Sample needs assessments, a complete three-day training course with abstracts for training modules and course materials are included in the project. Training is designed to actively engage the learner, appeal to visual, aural, and kinesthetic learners, and apply concepts from training immediately. Post-training evaluation is also presented.