What is cultural competence?
- Cultural competence is an active process through which individuals learn how to effectively and respectfully engage with a culture that is different from their own.
- It is about having a positive attitude towards cultural differences and accommodating them.
- It is about being conscious of how culture impacts on interactions between people.
Cultural differences can lead to misunderstandings, disappointments, confusion, embarrassment, anger or insult. For example, a comment made without offence intended may be insulting to someone from another culture.
WSTP training may be delivered by trainers from a different culture to that of the participants. Some examples of how different cultural considerations may affect training are given below.
English
Arabic
Chinese (Simplified)
Dutch
French
German
Italian
Portuguese
Russian
Spanish