ICAR, ELI Partner for Dialogue

The ICAR Undergraduate Program actively seeks ways to reach out across the George Mason community. Last fall, the Undergraduate Program collaborated with the English Language Institute (ELI) to create an experiential learning opportunity in cross-cultural communication and dialogue. CONF 202 Dialogue and Difference combined with ELI 089 Dialogue with Americans to offer a joint course focused on dialogue about the U.S. election and identity politics.

Students from the two classes represented 15 different countries, with the majority of students from Korea, the United States, Sudan, China, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam. The majors and areas of academic study represented in the class were equally diverse. “The diversity among the students challenged us all to examine our fundamental assumptions about government, politics, and democracy,” said Leila Peterson, ICAR Adjunct Professor.

The course began with a dialogue workshop designed to build trust and develop individual communication skills such as listening, identifying assumptions, and asking questions. The class then moved to a series of eight dialogues on topics relevant to the election, including immigration, the role of religion in government, the relationship of the West and Muslim world, and race, ethnicity, and nationalism. Student groups designed and led each dialogue, giving them the opportunity to experiment with different formats and techniques. Although designed to maximize the time the students spent learning together, the course also allowed opportunities for the two groups of students to reflect on their experiences separately.

ELI has provided English language instruction at GMU since 1981 and also works with students to develop academic skills and cultural awareness. It was a natural fit. This gave my students the opportunity to interact with GMU students, learn about the U.S from Americans, and get a sense of what an academic class entails,” said Michael Smith, ELI instructor. “And, the CONF 202 students didn’t just learn about conflict resolution theory – they got to experience it,” added Peterson. Both departments are excited about continuing the partnership between ICAR and ELI.

The students shared their perspectives on the experience during the final class. One student noted, “I could understand other students from other countries. Their thoughts, customs, behaviors; some things were very similar to mine, but others were totally different. We have seen the same event, but our viewpoints were various. I learned that I had to escape from bias when I saw or heard news. I also learned the way to dialogue with another people. Although I have opposite opinion, I have to respect the other people's opinion. Before speaking, listen.”