Time:

2 hr.

Goals:

1. To generalize on what effect individual learning styles could have on work with farmers.

2. To identify communication tools with which to work with farmers.

3. To identify the difference between Participate and Directive Training Styles, and what training styles have been carried out in training.

Overview:

This session brings together cross cultural ideas with the practical teak of communicating with farmers. As such, it is related to all the other Agriculture Extension Skill Group sessions.

The trainer starts this session with a lecture, though the lecture is delivered in two contrasting styles; 1) as an American teacher; 2) as a HCN rural subsistence farmer.

This experience is reflected upon and generalized, after which the Experiential Model is presented. A handout compares Participate and Directive Training Styles, and the trainees views of the trainer's style are solicited.

Activities:

Time:

Climate Setting
10 Min.

1. Introduce session: "Have you noticed how people talk differently when they are with different groups of people?

Even beyond talking politely to older people, or talking baby talk with babies, one tends to say 'y'all' in the Southern USA, or talk with French inflections in French speaking areas. In a similar way, one can change one's teaching or training style depending on what group of people you're with, and also according to what the topic is. The session is about ways of working with farmers with different cultural backgrounds than yourself."

Share goals of the session (on a flipchart).

Ask if any trainees have had experience with teaching rural subsistence farmers before. Ask for their general observations on their experiences.

Split into Americans
5 Min.

2. Ask the group to split into two, separated by a line down the middle. Label one half of the group as "Americana', & HCN farmers and the other half as "Host Country Farmers". The trainer presents a lecturette to the group. However, the trainer should use two radically different styles during the lecture as she/he strolls around in front of the group. When the trainer is in front of the "Americana", she/he should use American slang, be like a high school or college teacher, use a podium and a blackboard or flipcharts, use written audio- visual aids, use all available technology. When the trainer strolls in front of the HCN group, the trainer should adopt the mannerisms, speaking style, body language, etc. of host country rural subsistence farmers. (For example, with trainees going to West Africa, the trainer would speak in parables and proverbs, use a local language if possible, could crouch down on heels while talking, could use a lot of slapstick, and Arabic phrases.)

Split style lecture
45 Min.

3. Touch on the following points in the lecture; "Cross Cultural Communication With Farmers"

.Differences between English and HC Language colloquialism. Cite examples of proverbs, parables from both cultures. (e.g., dealing with food, family, land, etc.).

.Differences in non- verbal communication, timing of verbal exchange, eye contact, touching, body language, gestures, interpersonal space.

.Different approaches to Western scientific notions, such as measurements (use of body parse vs. use of ruler, use of tomato tins to measure volume vat exact measuring cups), notions of time, verticalness and horizontals, straight lines and levelness, reading scientific map a and photographs, interpreting scale.

.Different training methods; use of technology vs. lack of it. Storytelling, analogy, proverbs and parables, skits, role plays, song and dance, visual aids such as models, photos, puppets, drawings, posters, flannel boards, flash cards, games, puzzles.

Break
10 Min.

4. Break

Processing
10 Min.

5. Ask trainees how it felt to be in either side of the lecture.

6. Ask "Have you noticed yourselves explaining a concept or idea of someone using some wards or mannerisms of the person who taught it to you, that is, your teacher, your mother, etc?" Ask trainees to generalize about this experience and relate it to their PCV placement.

Techniques used in training
15 Min.

7. Identify with the group some of the training techniques and styles used in this training program. Start with the Experiential Model, which many of the sessions and Skill Groups follow.