The EXCELL Intercultural Skills Programme

Register now for ExcelL 2008

Upcoming ExcelL programmes

ExcelL programmes brochure

"The distress that many culture travellers experience is largely due to their lacking the social and behavioural skills of the new society. Competent adults in their home culture come to feel like helpless children in another. Such unnecessary distress increases the likelihood of failure in the new environment." (Ward, Bochner and Furnham 2001). The Psychology of Culture Shock. Routledge).

The EXCELL Intercultural Skills Programme is a practical programme designed to help international students adjust to a new culture and to fully participate in life at school or on the university campus.

The EXCELL programme will teach international students:

What to do in certain educational, social and work settings in order to communicate effectively
How to apply this knowledge for best results
Why these behaviours are appropriate in the new culture

Participants in EXCELL will learn the skills to

1. Seek help or information

2. Make social contact and social conversation

3. Participate in a group or team setting

4. Refuse a request

5. Give feedback

6. Express disagreement

International students who complete EXCELL report a market increase in self-confidence and happiness resulting in local friendships and academic success. EXCELL promotes intercultural understanding amongst local students thus maximising the benefits of cultural diversity in the classroom.

Comments received from participants:

a) from international students:

"The ExcelL program is really useful to our practical life’s needs… the teaching system was brilliant and helpful …demonstration and discussions were really perfect and useful … Absolutely I recommend this."

"I was really confident afterwards. I used to run away".

"It gave me the skills to avoid conflict".

"I got the skills to talk to people".

b) from a ‘Kiwi’ student:

"Participating in the ExcelL course increased my awareness of the eagerness of international students to be accepted for themselves in a totally foreign place. I gained an important insight into their struggles which has changed my attitude and behaviour towards international students".

EXCELL Training

The Centre for Applied Cross-cultural Research provides EXCELL training in the April academic break of each year.

Engaging Across Cultures Workshop - This workshop prepares education professionals to engage with international students from different cultures and to facilitate adjustment to a new culture - 2 days

Facilitators' Workshop - This workshop prepares educators to deliver the EXCELL Intercultural Skills Programme. The first two days consist of the Engaging Across Cultures Workshop described above - 3 days.

For more information on EXCELL training CLICK HERE
Or go to http://www.ceed.vuw.ac.nz

The International Team of EXCELL Developers:

EXCELL is a result of collaborative research and programme development by an international team of counselling and applied social psychologists since 1990.

EXCELL in Practice

Student Mentoring University of Canberra implements innovative mentoring program for students: An innovative intercultural student mentoring program is to be implemented at University of Canberra this year.

Social Skills Ease Integration - press release

Internationalising the Student Experience

On 20 April 2007, the International Division, Ministry of Education hosted a seminar organised by the Centre for Applied Cross-cultural Research at Victoria University of Wellington.

By hosting this seminar, the Ministry of Education provided the opportunity for those present to hear latest findings in cross-cultural research from Professor Colleen Ward, a New Zealand expert in this field.

This event also made available time for EXCELL developers, Associate Professor Anita Mak and Professor Michelle Barker, to share their research and experiences.

Karen Commons, Victoria University of Wellington gave a presentation of the application of ExcelL in a New Zealand situation, assisted by international students – former participants in ExcelL. 

Internationalising the Student Experience - video presentation of research presented by Professor Colleen Ward - 20 April 2007.

Selected Publications

Social Integration: Strategies to foster migrants' effective participation in a group. MAK, A.S., & BARKER, M.C. (2006)

Optimising Conditions for Learning Sociocultural Competencies for Success

A Social Cognitive Learning Program for Facilitating Intercultural Relations. Mak, A.S. & Barker, M. (2004)

Review and Evaluation of International Literature on Managing Cultural Diversity in the Classroom. Elsie Ho, Prue Holmes, and Jenine Cooper http://www.waikato.ac.nz/wfass/migration/project-cultural.shtml

Benefits of Cultural Diversity for International and Local Students: Contributions from an Experiental Social Learning Program (The EXCELL Program). Anita Mak, Michelle Barker, Gary Logan, Lindi Millman (1999)

Extending Social Skills for Success in International Education: the EXCELL Program. Mak, A.S. (2004)

Beyond communication courses: Are there benefits in adding skills-based ExcelL sociocultural training? Anita S. Mak, Kirsten Buckingham

Group procedures and applications for developing sociocultural competencies among immigrants: Marvin J. Westwood, Anita Mak, Michelle Barker & F. Ishu Ishiyama

Community of EXCELL Practitioners

Through the EXCELL Facilitators' Workshop, we continue to build capacity to deliver EXCELL programmes throughout our educational institutions.

EXCELL 2005
EXCELL 2006
EXCELL 2007

Excellence in Cultural Experiential Learning & Leadership

The Centre for Applied Cross-cultural Research will offer three intercultural communication workshops on September the 10-12^th 2008.  Please select from the following options below to register and pay for the Workshops you are interested in.

Please note places in workshop 1 and 2 are limited to 25 and places in the Facilitator’s course are limited to 16.

Discounted rate applies to community organisations and educators only.

EXCELL Workshop 1: Building Alliance Across Cultures (10 September 2008)

* Discounted - for community organizations, educators (NZ$ 395.00)	All others (NZ$ 495.00)

EXCELL Workshop 2: Cultural Mapping (11 September 2008)

* Discounted - for community organizations, educators (NZ$ 395.00)	All others (NZ$ 495.00)

The EXCELL Facilitators’ Course Dates: (10-12 September 2008)

* Discounted - for community organizations, educators (NZ$ 995.00)	All others (NZ$1395.00)

For information on EXCELL and The Centre for Applied Cross-cultural Research please visit this page.

Download ExcelL 2008 registration form (Word document)

Related Links

ISANA

Education New Zealand

Education Wellington International

International Division Ministry of Education