General information about Germany and its culture has been trained for PAM trainees within the transcultural training course.
(HCMC)- “German people look tall, strong with a simple casual style.”- a PAM trainee answered when she was asked to describe a German. Indeed, the first impression is important, however, not enough to represent all aspects of a German. And for people who want to migrate and integrate in destination country, the preparation list is beyond qualifications and language.
In the process of integration, well- understanding and integrating culture of other countries are considered as indispensable to a global citizen. The transcultural perspective incorporates the involvement at all levels of one culture, ranging from people, lifestyle, customs, and practice in daily life.
To better equip all PAM trainees with relevant knowledge about society, the country and culture of Germany, a 2- day training course on transcultural preparation was organized by GIZ- the Programme “Partnership Approaches for Development- oriented Vocational Training and Labour Migration” (PAM in Vietnam) in Ho Chi Minh City from April 15-16, 2023. The training focuses on stereotypes, cultural misunderstanding and general information about German culture and history.
The transcultural course develops participants an overview of Germany as well as in-depth understanding of particular aspects by learning the history, values, and behavioral patterns of Germany. Thereby, PAM trainees can properly find ways to fully participate in public life.
“Only by experiencing may you realize the real nature of one person.”- shared by a consultant during the course. And to get rid of inappropriate stereotypes in terms of race or ethnicity, the training course provided trainees with a new approach of multi culture via interacted activities such as play-acting, watching videos and discussing in groups. Thereby, the trainees could share, dynamically exchange their opinions with their classmates and learn to respect others’ different viewpoints.
The approach to transcultural has initially inspired trainees in researching more about culture. “I love the hidden meaning of play-act in Diary excerpt, when the mother always asks her son’s friend whether he took a shower or not. Discourteous may emerge in some people’s minds, but in fact, it is a friendly way to initiate a conversation. Taking everything simple is the key to avoid unnecessary conflicts.” – PAM trainee Le Van Hoa expressed after the training.
Besides particular training cases, the course provided inputs about Germany, ranging from facts of Germany, social structures, education, values, prejudices and experiences from the international consultant. Finally, track back to certain historical periods (Reich, National socialism, Cold war…) to see how it still impacts political and cultural discourses and practices until today.
The transcultural training course left a good impression on all participants. For PAM trainees, it was a brand new and unforgettable experience as their first time to approach creative training methodologies, get more prepared for the upcoming journey. This is the first training course among a series of transcultural events to provide comprehensive information about Germany before migration.
