““Crossing Borders”Crossing Borders”Desislava Zareva, New Bulgarian Desislava Zareva, New Bulgarian

University, SofiaUniversity, SofiaEllie Boyadzhieva, South-Western Ellie Boyadzhieva, South-Western

University, Blagoevgrad University, Blagoevgrad

““Must name mean Must name mean something?” activitysomething?” activity

Introduce yourself to your partner by Introduce yourself to your partner by telling an interesting story related to telling an interesting story related to your nameyour name. . It shouldn’t be very long – It shouldn’t be very long – up to 5-6 sentences.up to 5-6 sentences.

Now please look under your chair. Now please look under your chair. Those of you who find a post-it stuck Those of you who find a post-it stuck to it please tell your story to to it please tell your story to everyone.everyone.

““Must a name mean Must a name mean something?something?

• ““Must a name mean Must a name mean something? Alice asked something? Alice asked doubtfully. Of course it doubtfully. Of course it must, replied Humpty: must, replied Humpty: 'my name means the 'my name means the shape I am - and a good shape I am - and a good handsome shape it is, handsome shape it is, too. With a name like too. With a name like yours, with a name like yours, with a name like yours, you might be any yours, you might be any shape, almost.”shape, almost.”

Alice in Alice in WonderlandWonderland

OUR AIMS TODAYOUR AIMS TODAY

• To show you ways of crossing the To show you ways of crossing the borders between students and borders between students and teachers through interpersonal teachers through interpersonal communication and learning about communication and learning about each othereach other

• To discover the intercultural To discover the intercultural teacher/learner in yourselves teacher/learner in yourselves throughthrough the activities we are going the activities we are going to share with youto share with you

• DON’T FEEL GUILTY IF YOU ALSO DON’T FEEL GUILTY IF YOU ALSO HAVE FUN IN THE PROCESSHAVE FUN IN THE PROCESS

The The intercultural intercultural teacher/learnerteacher/learner is: is:

• comfortable with their complex and developing comfortable with their complex and developing identitiesidentities;;

• tolerant towards different values, attitudes, and tolerant towards different values, attitudes, and belief systemsbelief systems;;

• seeking to understand new and different cultural seeking to understand new and different cultural patternspatterns;;

• understanding the strength found in diversityunderstanding the strength found in diversity;;• capable of interpreting, relating and relativizingcapable of interpreting, relating and relativizing;;• capable of evaluating critically and on the basis of capable of evaluating critically and on the basis of

explicit criteria, perspectives,explicit criteria, perspectives, practices practices and and products in one’s own and other cultures and products in one’s own and other cultures and countriescountries

How are names given?How are names given?

““Ask any parent. The bookshops are full Ask any parent. The bookshops are full of books titles that are a variant of of books titles that are a variant of 'Name Your Baby', and parents spend 'Name Your Baby', and parents spend quite some time choosing.” - D. Crystal, quite some time choosing.” - D. Crystal, Words, 2007Words, 2007

• family traditionfamily tradition• fashionfashion• religionreligion• just nicely soundingjust nicely sounding

Going back to the name Going back to the name activityactivity

• Some hints – why did we start in this way? Some hints – why did we start in this way? We wanted to know something about the people we’re We wanted to know something about the people we’re

working with at the moment. Names are a part of our working with at the moment. Names are a part of our personality. They tell a lot about who we are and why personality. They tell a lot about who we are and why are we like that.are we like that.

good ice-breaking activity in a new groupgood ice-breaking activity in a new groupe.g. you learn how to address someone, what’s e.g. you learn how to address someone, what’s

acceptable, what not. Helps enhance interpersonal acceptable, what not. Helps enhance interpersonal communicationcommunication

you practice speaking/writing you practice speaking/writing • Potential follow-ups:Potential follow-ups: talk about cyber nicknames talk about cyber nicknames

(e.g. how you choose your nickname)(e.g. how you choose your nickname)• Potential dangersPotential dangers: too personal for students – they : too personal for students – they

might refuse to participate, which also carries might refuse to participate, which also carries information about the borders that shouldn’t be information about the borders that shouldn’t be crossed forcefullycrossed forcefully

‘‘Song Mates’ activitySong Mates’ activity

• You are going to hear 4 popular songs. You have You are going to hear 4 popular songs. You have 30 seconds to write down 5 words/phrases that 30 seconds to write down 5 words/phrases that best describe the person who would like this song.best describe the person who would like this song.

• Song 1 http://youtube.com/watch?v=VBnXoqvcAZQSong 1 http://youtube.com/watch?v=VBnXoqvcAZQ• Song 2 http://vbox7.com/play:4c204bddSong 2 http://vbox7.com/play:4c204bdd• Song 3 http://youtube.com/watch?v=7SFZ_cWakI8Song 3 http://youtube.com/watch?v=7SFZ_cWakI8• Song 4 http://youtube.com/watch?v=0OIt2ABJlwASong 4 http://youtube.com/watch?v=0OIt2ABJlwA

• Two of these songs are Desi’s favourite and two Two of these songs are Desi’s favourite and two are Ellie’s. Guess which are Desi’s choice? Which are Ellie’s. Guess which are Desi’s choice? Which two are the ones preferred by Ellie? WHY?two are the ones preferred by Ellie? WHY?

• What do you think was the purpose of the last What do you think was the purpose of the last task?task?

Thank you!!Thank you!!

Desi & EllieDesi & Ellie