Intercultural Communication Institute

23 | Teaching and Training Asians: Strategies for Effective Collaboration

This workshop will move beyond the myth of the “model minority” to focus on how teaching and training approaches can consider Asian values, communication styles, and patterns of interaction within and outside their groups.

Designed for
Managers, team leaders, trainers, teachers, law enforcement officers, healthcare and social service providers, and other professionals who teach, train, supervise, or coach Asian employees, students, and clients.

Develop greater knowledge of various cultures of Asia
Analyze the impact of conflicting values on intercultural relations
Understand the difficulty many Asians have in articulating and/or expressing their perspective in Western terms
Enhance communication skills with culturally appropriate ways to express empathy, warmth, and acceptance
Understand some typical patterns of Asian behavior in organizations and educational settings and their impact on training and teaching
Learn to apply culturally sensitive training and teaching skills
Formulate training designs and other interventions that are relevant and effective with Asians and Asian Americans

Learning Activities

Presentation and discussion of major similarities and differences among Asian cultures as well as contemporary issues affecting Asians in the U.S.
Case studies, simulation exercises, small group discussion, and exploration of resources
Individual and group consultation and discussion of applications to participants’ training and teaching situations

Faculty: Prany Sananikone and Stephen Thom

Prany Sananikone is the director of Diversity Relations and Educational Programs, Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity, at the University of California at Irvine. He develops, oversees, and implements staff development programs for the main campus and the medical center. Previously, Prany worked extensively with community-based nonprofit organizations, developing health, educational, and social services programs for refugees and immigrants. He has served as a consultant/trainer for law enforcement, medical, educational, and social service agencies, and for numerous corporations in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Asia.

Stephen Thom is currently a consultant with Peace Partners Inc., which assists schools in violence prevention through the PeaceBuilders Program. From 2003-2006 he served as the deputy director for the Community Relations Service (CRS) of the U.S. Department of Justice, the only federal agency mandated to mediate and conciliate conflict based on race, national origin, and color. He previously served as a CRS mediator, chief advisor to the Secretary of Education as the director of Asian Pacific American Concerns, and coordinator/professor of Asian American Studies at California State University, Fresno. He has mediated race-related disputes in high-profile cases such as the Korean/African American disputes prior to and during the 1992 civil unrest in Los Angeles, the White Mountain Apache and town residents over disputes related to the Chediski-Rodeo fire, and demonstrator and police disputes in both Democratic and Republican national conventions.