UUGANTSETSEG GANTUMUR (BOOKBRIDGE )
HUNTER NUZZI (Peace Corps)
DANIEL BARLOW (Peace Corps Mongolia)

THE IMPACT OF THE CROSS-CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT ON BOTH STUDENTS AND TEACHERS : INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION AND GLOBAL COMPETENCIES

Working with people from different cultures has marked benefits for all parties involved. In this workshop, we will be exploring the growth that has been seen through working with both American and German English education programs for developing countries, namely Mongolia. The tools that have been developed through working with these multilateral organizations have aided both teachers and students. Benefits include helping aid in expanding opportunities, engaging in cross-cultural communication, developing English proficiency, and fostering unique experiences. We will be discussing the lasting impact on rural Mongolian communities that intercultural education has had in the past and present. Then, we will take a glance at the future of these projects and what they could mean for English language learning. With these programs, we have seen growth in students’ capabilities and interest in English as well as teachers’ capacity and methodology in the classroom. Students who perceived a stronger classroom climate fostering contact and cooperation between students of diverse cultural backgrounds, or a stronger climate fostering multiculturalism, reported higher cultural intelligence (Schwarzenthal et al., 2019). The presentation will conclude with methods to foster intercultural communication and what the future of these programs looks like for developing nations.

Uugantsetseg Gantumur is an English teacher at Bookbridge and the Access program in Mongolia. She holds a Master's in Linguistics from the University of Humanities in Mongolia. She is passionate about working as a mentor to support young educators. Her interests include facilitating sessions in the Education field and conducting trainings on local teachers. Her key areas of interest include education and youth participation with other regions.

Hunter is currently serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mongolia. He has a B.S. in Philosophy from Indiana University and is currently serving as an English Education and Community Development volunteer. He enjoys working in youth development and cross-cultural exchange programs.

Daniel Barlow is currently serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mongolia. He has a B.S. in Statistics and is currently an English Education and Community Development volunteer. He enjoys working in youth education and cross-cultural exchange programs.