Intensive Summer Fulbright-Hays GPA for Advanced Swahili and Intercultural Development

Abstract

This article applies Bennett’s (1993) Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity to reflect on Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad (GPA) for Summer Intensive Advanced Swahili in Tanzania 2008-2016. Bennett and his associates have identified six stages of intercultural development: Denial of differences, Defense of one’s culture, Minimization of differences, Acceptance of the new culture, Adaption of the new culture, and Integration into the culture. The first three stages, ethnocentric stages, characterize the reaction to a new culture as viewed from one’s own culture. In the last three stages, a person views their culture as part of a complex of world cultures and worldviews. Experience with the Swahili GPA has shown that participants come to the program with different levels of preparedness and development. In Arusha, Tanzania, the participants of the program took classes, lived in dorms and with host families, visited cultural sites, wrote about their cultural experiences, and explored various subjects of their interest. This article presents anecdotes from GPA that demonstrate that we find our participants in all six stages. We propose a variety of activities and approaches that can facilitate the learners’ development to integrate into Swahili culture. The activities involve developing awareness among the participants and assisting them in reflecting on their culture and the new culture.