Participants Preparation
For inclusive mobility, as well as for classic mobility, preparation is a key for a useful experience.
From logistics aspects (security, health, project projection) to skills development (linguistic, contributions & objectives), a good preparation will empower the participants thanks to a non-formal approach. It will also prevent him/her from bad surprises (interculturality, fears & expectations) and allow a full learning experience.
This topic is about empowerment. It is divided in 5 chapters :
- Fears, expectations, contributions & objectives.
- Project projection
- Interculturality
- Linguistic
- Health & security
These 5 chapters are keys for the participants to be ready before leaving his/her country.
Learning objectives :
- Logistic & security :
The participants will receive information and advices about living abroad, about the specific country he/she goes to, and about his/her mission (organization, activities, etc.). It will also allow a focus on health & mental health. - Skills development :
The point will also allow skills development during the participants’ mobility ; Thanks to linguistic preparation first, participants will feel empowered and able to discuss in the chosen language. He/She will also set up personal and/or professional goals, according to the contributions he/she can bring to the project. - Prevent issues :
With the intercultural preparation, the participants will be ready to face the cultural barriers they will meet during their international experience. In addition, they will discuss their own fears & expectations about their mobility.
At the pre-departure training moment, each participant already comes with dreams, expectations and fears. It is highly important to talk about this projection with them. This chapter will allow participants to be grounded in reality.
Fears :
Depending on their personal path, participants might have some fears (plane phobia, linguistic underestimation, etc.).
The main goal here is to reassure the participants, to lower their fears. If the preparation is done in a collective way (group), talking about their fears together will allow a peer-to-peer discussion ; they will know what are the others fears, and might help to reassure the other participants.
Expectations :
Just like for the fears, many participants may have strong expectations about living abroad, some of them being totally unrealistic (like becoming bilingual after 2 weeks).
After lowering their fears, the trainer should also lower the expectations, with concrete examples about how living abroad can be difficult. The balance might be difficult to find (between lowering fears and lowering expectations), but the activity with post-its will help the trainer to have a quick overview of their state of mind at the moment of this preparation.
Contributions :
In a group, every participant can bring something useful. Even if their linguistic level is very low, they can help the other participants with other contributions (cooking, orientation, etc.).
Objectives :
Allowing participants to give themselves some (realistic) objectives will also help them to imagine themselves in their abroad mission.
This is an individual work that participants can realize after the “fears & expectations” moment, in order to project themselves in concrete terms.
International mobility participants might have lots of questions about the logistics and content of the project. In order to reassure participants, it is crucial to clarify all these aspects during the preparation training. It is particularly crucial while working with participants with fewer opportunities and/or special needs.
Critical Information for Mobility Participants:
Living Conditions: Clearly communicate the living arrangements and environment where participants will stay during their mobility. This helps manage expectations and prevent surprises.
Financial Aspects: Providing detailed financial information regarding the project funding, allowances, and other financial matters ensures participants are well-prepared and avoid confusion.
Content of Activities: Outline the activities to be undertaken during the mobility period, so participants know what to expect and can mentally prepare for their tasks.
Project/Mission Topics: Sharing the objectives and goals of the project will align participants with the mission, making them more engaged.
Social Network During Mobility: Explain the support structures in place, such as mentors, tutors, and the host organization, to build trust and a sense of security for participants.
Special Needs: Confirm that the participants’ specific health and dietary needs are met, which is crucial for individuals with special needs to fully engage and participate.
International mobility also means intercultural experience. It is the opportunity to foster knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours regarding intercultural sensitivity. Each one of us has bias, stereotypes, prejudices, the first step to get ready for the intercultural experience is to recognise one’s own perspectives and relativity.
Preparing participants for the intercultural experience will help them to face the intercultural shock, becoming more curious and open towards difference and -generally- having a richer experience abroad.
Preparation focus:
- Sharing knowledge of the mechanism of bias and how it affects feeling and acting;
- Raise awareness about how a cultural environment can shape the understanding of different concepts (such as solidarity or inclusion);
- Promoting openness and willingness to look at identity, culture and related aspects from different perspectives;
- Fostering the ability to deal with tension and conflict;
- Promote cooperation with people from different cultures;
- Inspire reflection on own values and senses of belonging to increase self-awareness and understanding of difference;
- Develop participants’ readiness to confront others and be confronted in a respectful and constructive way
Even if developing language skills often is the main goal of the participants when they go abroad, there are many myths around linguistics, and it might become their main fear as well. It is highly important to allow participants to feel as comfortable as possible with the local language before going abroad.
Preparation focus:
- To feel at ease with communicating in another language (local language, English or another vehicular language)
- To know some basics of the local language
- To surpass the fear of harsh judgement we might have and that prevent us from talking another language publicly
- To understand that verbal communication only represents 7% of the global communication, and to develop other ways of communicating with other people.
Stay tuned for this section!!
TRAIL in application
More stories to come from our pilots
In general, we consider it better to organize the pre-departure training as a face to face moment. The activities might be adaptable in digital activities (with small adaptations), but the trainer’s work will be much facilitated in f2f. Also, it is very important to meet the participants in real at least once before their departure.
Though, some good practices can be pointed out.
The Dos:
- Send a digital version of the program to every participant with the planning and the goals of this preparation.
- Send a digital review of the day after the training. It can be in a Padlet, so the participants can refer to it whenever needed.
- For the “letter to myself”, you can use classic emails or this website : https://www.futureme.org/
Activities
Conduct a role-play mentoring session to practice how to motivate, prepare, and encourage an adult learner, Mary, who is one week away from departing for a 1-month on-the-job training abroad (as part of a 6-month long up-skilling course locally). This is Mary’s first time living abroad, and she is anxious and feels overwhelmed with preparation work.
You are Mary’s trainer in her home country, and you are conducting the final coaching session before her departure.
TASK:
Find a partner to take on the role of Mary.
Conduct a 10-minute coaching session focusing on how you would support Mary in managing her anxiety and feeling prepared for her departure.
After the session, get feedback from your partner on your approach and its impact.
Reflect on the experience, noting areas of strength and potential improvement.
For Whom: Trainers/mentors
Objective: To practice active listening skills by analysing a real-life conversation, interview, or speech and applying active listening techniques.
Instructions:
1. Choose a Video:
- Select an online video where someone shares a personal experience, challenge, or emotional story.
- Recommended sources: TED Talks, personal storytelling videos, interviews, or testimonials.
2. Watch and Take Notes:
- Listen actively and write down key points the speaker shares.
- Observer the speaker body languages and expression: Do they look confident, nervous, or uncertain? Are their gestures reinforcing their words or showing hesitation? How does their tone of voice change during different parts of the story?
- Identify their main concerns, emotions, and underlying messages.
3. Apply Active Listening Techniques:
- Paraphrase: Summarise the speaker’s message in your own words.
- Reflective Listening: Identify and note what emotions the speaker is expressing (e.g., fear, excitement, frustration).
- Ask Open-Ended Questions: If you were in a mentoring session with this speaker, what questions would you ask to encourage deeper discussion?
4. Self-Reflection:
- Did you notice anything new when focusing on listening actively?
- How does practicing with a video help you improve your ability to listen during mentoring conversations?
- What was challenging about picking up on emotions or underlying concerns?
Take the Quiz! (to be updated)
Difference challenge assumptions – Manual for Facilitators in Diversity and Sensitivity Learning
LINK to PDF