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71 Immigration and diversity 05 LANGUAGE SKILLS EXPLORE EXTRAS Individual long turn (4–5 minutes): You have been asked to talk about the present immigration situation in Austria. Study the graph on the right and use this information to:   outline where immigrants in Austria come from.   speculate about reasons why people emigrate.   assess the effects of immigration on immigrants and the native population. Interaction (8–10 minutes): After your presentation, you talk with another student. In your conversation, you should:   explain why you decided to take part in an exchange programme.   discuss the importance of cultural awareness in everyday and business life (see article below).   evaluate the advantages of spending some time abroad for your future career. Österreich – Zuzug nach Nationalitäten 2012 40.000 30.000 20.000 10.000 0 EU Ungarn Deutschland Rumänien Polen Slowakei Bulgarien Italien Bosnien Herzegowina Serbien Russische Föderation Türkei Afrika Amerika Asien nicht EU Cultural awareness is the cornerstone of effective communication. It involves the ability to stand back and reflect on our own cultural values, beliefs and perceptions. Why do we react or do things in a certain way? How do we see the world?  Cultural awareness is essential when we have to interact with people from other cultures. People see, interpret and evaluate things in different ways. What is considered appropriate behaviour in one culture might be inappropriate in another. Misunderstandings arise when I use my meanings to make sense of your reality.  An Italian is likely to perceive US Americans as people who always work, talk about business over lunch and drink their coffee running along the street instead of enjoying it in a bar. What does this mean? Italians are lazy and Americans hyperactive? No, it means that the meaning that people give to certain activities, like having lunch or dinner, varies in different cultures. In Italy, where relationships are highly valued, lunch, dinner or the simple breaks for coffee have a social connotation: people get together to talk and relax and to get to know each other better.  In the USA, where time is money, lunches can be part of closing a deal, where people discuss the outcomes and sign a contract over coffee.  Misinterpretations occur primarily when we lack awareness of our own behavioural rules and project them onto others. In the absence of facts, we tend tomake assumptions instead of finding out what a particular behaviour means to the person involved, e.g. that looking straight into your face is regarded as disrespectful in Japan whereas in America avoiding eye contact is associated with dishonesty.  Becoming aware of our own cultural dynamics is a difficult task because culture is something we are not conscious of. Our experiences, our values and our cultural background lead us to see and do things in a certain way. Sometimes we have to step outside of our cultural boundaries to realise the impact our culture has on our behaviour. It is very helpful to gather feedback from foreign colleagues on our behaviour to get more clarity about our cultural traits. Making sense of other cultures Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv