Valuing All Languages to Unlock Europe
www.valuemultilingualism.org
Title:
My portrait
Duration:
2 teaching hours
Objetives:



Reflective analysis of own personality traits, character, strengths and
weaknesses
Development of vocabulary related to describing the personality,
character, interpersonal and social skills in two languages
Development of intercultural competences
Description of the activity (step by step)
Contact with other cultures is always a an experience that helps you to
develop. People from different countries, speaking different languages,
professing various religions can learn a lot from each other. Every culture
presents a distinct, individual canon of values, principles and equips its
members in a different set of skills and attitudes. Thus, living among people
from different cultures can get you to know different perspectives on various
issues and phenomena, to learn new skills. Think about how contact with a
different cultures affects on the development of your personality, skills and
attitudes.
If you are a person coming from another country, who learns customs and
rules prevailing in the new home, consider:




what positive and valuable features of your character do you owe a
culture in which you had grown up?
how can you use the knowledge and skills, which you have learnt in
your homeland in the circumstances of your new country?
what can you learn from the people of your new country?
what attitudes and skills typical for your new country do you want to
assimilate and use in the future?
If you are a person who live in his/her native country but in contact with
colleagues from other cultures, consider:



what can you learn from your peers from other cultures?
which of their attitudes, skills do you want to emulate?
how the knowledge of their culture can help to develop your own
competences and personality?
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the
views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made
of the information contained therein. Project Number: 2014-1-UK01-KA200-001841
Then create your self-portrait, which describes all the attitudes and skills that
you owe your native culture, and on the other hand, these attitudes and skills
that you learn from a new country or from your peers who come from
different cultural backgrounds. Section on your native culture write in your
native language. Section dedicated to the values that you want to accept from
the new culture write in its language (if you refer to the culture of your peers,
whose language you do not know - ask for a help a colleague).
You can view an example of such a self-portrait below:
Thanks to my native
culture, I am a person:
 open-minded

harty
 hard-working
 honest
My native culture taught
me:
 to
believe
in
myself
 to help people in
need
 to fulfill my
responsibilities
reliably
 to be responsible
for the vulnerable
In my culture is worth to be
emulated:
 devotion to the
family values
 cultivating
the
principles
of
equality of all
people
I admire the people
representing the new culture,
which I’m getting to know, for:


self-confidence
friendly attitude to
the world
 kindness
 optimism
The person representing
the new culture, which I’m
getting to know, can teach
me:
 looking to the future
with optimism
 investing in my own
development
In the new culture, that I’m
getting to know, is worth to
be emulated:
 the opportunity to
realize own
ambitions and plans
 consistency in
implementing own
ideas
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the
views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made
of the information contained therein. Project Number: 2014-1-UK01-KA200-001841
Try to create a picture of the values, attitudes, skills learned from two
cultures, which you can refer to yourself:
Thanks to my native culture,
I am a person:
 ………………..
 ………………..
 ……………….
 ……………….
My native culture taught
me:
 …………………
 ………………….
 ………………….
In my culture is worth to be
emulated:
 ………………….
 ………………….
I admire the
People
representing the new
culture, which I’m
getting
to know, for:
 ……………………..
 ...…………………..
 ……………………..
 ……………………..
The person representing the
new culture, which I’m
getting
to know, can teach me:
 …………………………….
 …………………………….
 …………………………….
.
In the new culture, that I’m
getting to know, is worth
to be emulated:
 …………………………..
 …………………………..
Working on this kind of self-portrait is not just an exercise that will help you to
determine your potential and to summarize your competencies. Such a
picture of your abilities and strengths will have a use very soon when you will
be applying for a job and advertising your person and skills to employers.
Remember that in this context, your multicultural and multilingual experience
are enormous, invaluable advantage!
Expected results:




Pupil defines the characteristics of own personality
Pupil indicates the interpersonal and social skills related to
education in own culture
Pupil understands the benefits of getting to know people from
other cultures
Pupil builds an attitude of openness on both the values: of own
culture and of other cultures
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the
views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made
of the information contained therein. Project Number: 2014-1-UK01-KA200-001841
Methodology:
The task is based on students' self-reflection. Analysis of their own potential
give them an incentive to reflect on the skills and values given by the culture
in which they grew up. While working on the task, they also consider what
they can learn from people from other countries and cultures. The task should
also help them to realize the benefits from having a cross-cultural experience,
for example in the context of the competencies valued in the labor market.
Materials/Resources
/Pictures:
-
Target Group:
Pupils aged 12-15 years.
Evaluation:
The evaluation of the tasks should take place in the mutual discussion with the
group. Pupils should be able to present the results of their work in front of a
group. The teacher should ask pupils about what they learn from each other;
which of intercultural experiences they consider to be the most valuable; and
which they consider to be difficult.
At the end the teacher should pay attention to the importance of collecting
intercultural experiences (the good ones and the difficult ones) for personal
development and professional career.
Please, indicate
reference points and
coherence with the
teaching planning
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the
views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made
of the information contained therein. Project Number: 2014-1-UK01-KA200-001841