Teaching cross-cultural competence and CLIL: a CLIL approach in International Relations University Courses

International relations professionals need cross-cultural competence and English language communication skills to function in the international arena (Graddol 1997). English language communication skills are necessary not only to communicate with foreign colleagues (Bocanegra-Valle 2014) but also to access the vast amount of knowledge transmitted in English over the internet (Ku, Zussman 2010). This work reports the use of CLIL and cross-cultural training in the University of Messina International Relations Advanced Degree Program as a method to raise students’ level of English as quickly as possible while giving them the essential intercultural skills for work in the international field. The researchbased course program combined cross-cultural communication training (Storti, 1997; Lewis, 1999; Gannon, 2004, Harris and Moran, 2007; U.S Peace Corps Training Handbook 2012,) and intercultural competence skill development (Bennett, 1998). Two objectives were proposed: 1) develop cross-cultural communication competence; 2) bring students up to a B2 level as fast as possible. The final exam demonstrated significant growth in the areas of cross-cultural competence as well as an increase in European Common Framework level ranging from .5 to 1.0 depending on the student. Students expressed their belief that what they had learned would be useful for their future career. Combining CLIL with intercultural competence building seems to be effective in meeting two objectives: increasing English language fluency and developing cross-cultural communication competence. More research is recommended to further document this method for increasing English communication proficiency while developing interculturally competent international professionals

"Mal d'Afrique" in Italy: Translating African "Cultural Idioms of Distress" for more Effective Treatment☆

Abstract The DSM-V (2013) states that culture assists in diagnosis because it shapes "the experience and expression of the symptoms, signs and behaviours that are criteria for diagnosis" (DSM-V, 2013, p. 14). The idea of "cultural idioms of distress" is presented as a description of suffering among people of the same cultural group. Various "cultural idioms of distress" have been identified worldwide, ranging from the 'Susto' (Central America) to 'Maladi Moun' (Haiti) which can be correlated with various psychopathologies (DSM-V, 2013). Recent statistics reveal that there are over 105,000 Africans from the English-speaking countries of Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya currently living in Italy legally (Tuttitalia, 2014), and African immigration is increasing. The Executive Director of Frontex Fabrice Leggere stated that between 500,000-1,000,000 immigrants could arrive in the near future, departing from Libya ( ANSA, 2015 ). It is logical to assume that more people from English-speaking Africa will arrive, especially Nigerians. The immigrants who remain in Italy will have to learn Italian but they will use their own cultural concepts by translating them from English into Italian. Speaking with medical personnel and mental health professionals presents a huge challenge for both the patient and the care provider. This poses a problem of diagnosis for the healthcare professional, who must interpret both the words used and the underlying meanings of "cultural idioms of distress" which are an expression of the patient's culture. The purpose of this study is to identify basic definitions or names for illnesses and conditions of suffering given in English by English-speaking African immigrants. But what the words actually mean must be discovered and Italian healthcare professionals and social workers must understand the underlying meanings in order to provide effective diagnosis and care. Twelve African immigrants were interviewed from a selection of African countries where English is either the official language or one of the official languages. Discussions about how they arrived in Italy, their present condition and general illnesses were conducted in English. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed. The immigrants demonstrated a few cultural idioms of distress describing both physical and mental illness and other difficulties. More research should be done on other African language groups. This information should then be communicated to all health and mental health professionals and incorporated into university professional training and continuing education programs in Italy

The Self in the Alzheimer's Patient as Revealed through Psycholinguistic-story Based Analysis☆

AbstractThe World Alzheimer Report (2014) stated that 44 million people worldwide suffer from AD. Perhaps the worst effect of the disease is the loss of Self, which is based on the loss of identity and memory (Caddell & Clare, 2010). Research into the initial stages of the disease with the scope of developing some sort of 'salvage therapy' is rather scarce. This work reports research done from a psycho-linguistic point of view with the goal of identifying how Alzheimer's patients maintain the Self through narrative. Self-narrative may be effective in maintaining the Self in AD patients if begun in the preliminary stages of AD .The purpose of this study was to extend knowledge about how subjects with a probable AD diagnosis or in a medium-low phase maintain the continuity of Self. The use of narration with linguistic analysis was used. Various authors have considered the use of narrative therapy (England, 2010; Ramanthan, 1997; Hyman, 2011). The study was conducted on a group of 10 patients /7 females and 3 males) with ages ranging between 67-82 (average=73.70; DS=4.76), a medium-low education level (between 1 and 11 years of education) and a probable diagnosis of AD. Three interviews were conducted including neuropsychological tests. Interviews were recorded, transcribed according to Mergenthaler (1992) and analysed following the GT approach and using the textual analysis software of Atlas.ti. This research showed that the emotional aspects which give continuity to the patients' Self seem to be well conserved in their implicit memory. The analysis of the beginning phase of the disease and the way in which it progresses seems to be useful in the effort to understand the patient's psychic reaction to the diagnosis as well as how he or she reorganizes self-representation. It is also useful in observing how the subject's identity weave or self concept begins to deteriorate. Intervention protocols could be developed as well as a subsequent model to promote psychological health and efficacy of available traditional treatments. More research needs to be done in this area internationally, in order to test the universality of these results

Cultural Integration in the Contemporary World: Using the Cultural Identikit

AbstractIntegration has become an extremely important and controversial global issue. Italy is facing a huge increase in the immigrant population which presents a daunting integration challenge in many sectors: economic, social, health and educational (ISTAT, 2013). The authors propose the Cultural Identikit as a proven instrument to assist in the integration process. It has been used as a transcultural psychotherapy instrument for more than 30 years in Italy by the Fondazione Cecchini Pace, Milan (Terranova-Cecchini, 1991, 2013). This work reports a recent project in an immigration center sponsored by the Municipal Government of Milan where it was used as a therapeutic tool to assist in the integration process

Introducing the Cultural Ego for Counselling Immigrants and Local Students in Secondary and Adult Educational Settings

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The Role of Metacognitions in Predicting Anxiety and Depression Levels in Cancer Patients Ongoing Chemotherapy

Abstract Cancer patients often have to deal with numerous side effects and psychological distress during chemotherapy. Research has shown that dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs are the basis for the development and maintenance of emotional disorders. The present research is a first attempt to explore how metacognitions influence anxiety and depression in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. A sample of 175 cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy completed a demographic questionnaire, the Metacognitions Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30)and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Medical information about the stage of disease and the history of treatment was obtained. Linguistic analysis (Stansfield et al., 1992) was employed to ensure that the form had been correctly translated because the Italian form of the MCQ-30 was utilized (Quattropani, et.al, 2014) Negative beliefs, the need to control thoughts, and positive beliefs explained up to 89% of variance of anxiety in cancer patients during chemotherapy. The negative beliefs about worry and the gender explained up to 81% of variance of depression in cancer patients during chemotherapy. In fact, female gender was positively correlated with depression level of patients. The negative beliefs about worry and the need to control thoughts explained the 81% variance for the overall distress of patients during chemotherapy. In conclusion, some metacognitive factors have a crucial role both for anxiety and depression in cancer patients ongoing chemotherapy. It is suggested that the psychological intervention for cancer patients should assess such factors and try to address them in clinical practice. Statistical analysis was conducted by Massimo Mucciardi. Mary Ellen Toffle wrote the abstract, re-werote entire article, assisted in translation and wrote section 3.3.

THE ATTACHMENT STYLE AND EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE OF UNIVERSITY FOREIGN STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MESSINA

RESUMOEste trabalho relata a pesquisa que foi objeto da tese de mestrado de um estudante brasileiro, formado pela Universidade de Messina em Psicologia Clínica e da Saúde no Ciclo de Vida - A. A. 2018/2019. Estudar no exterior não é uma escolha simples. Os estudantes que decidem enfrentar esse tipo de experiência encontram grandes desafios cognitivos, físicos e pessoais. Esse tipo de mudança pode expor o aluno à vulnerabilidade emocional, favorecendo o surgimento de dificuldades, como gerenciar tarefas diárias, lidar com a carga de estudos, exames e gestão do dinheiro (FORBES-MEWETT; SAWYER, 2016). O objetivo da pesquisa foi examinar a relação entre estilo de apego e experiência emocional em uma amostra de estudantes universitários estrangeiros; especificamente sintomas relacionados à ansiedade de separação e sintomas depressivos. O estudo envolveu 80 estudantes estrangeiros da Universidade de Messina matriculados em um curso de três anos; mestrado ou doutorado. Os participantes responderam a um questionário estruturado relacionado à experiência de estudar no exterior, um instrumento que verificava o estilo de apego (Revised attachment scale for adults - Version for close relationships, Collins, 1996); um instrumento que avaliava a presença de sintomas de ansiedade (Measure of severity for separation anxiety disorder – adult, APA, 2013) e um instrumento para verificar a presença de sintomas de depressão (Beck Depression Inventory II, Beck, Steer e Brown, 1967). Os resultados desta pesquisa oferecem ideias para melhorar os serviços oferecidos aos estudantes estrangeiros, a fim de incentivar a integração na Universidade de Messina e o bom resultado dos estudos.Palavras-chave: Apego. Estudantes estrangeiros. Ansiedade. Depressão. ABSTRACTThis work reports the research that was the subject of the master’s thesis of a Brazilian student, graduated from the University of Messina in Clinical and Health Psychology in the Life Cycle - A. A. 2018/2019. Studying abroad is not a simple choice. Students who decide to face this type of experience undergo great cognitive, physical and personal challenges. This type of change can expose the student to emotional vulnerability, favoring the onset of difficulties such as managing daily tasks, coping with the load of studies, exams and money management (Forbes-Mewett & Sawyer, 2016). The objective of the research was to examine the relationship between attachment style and emotional experience in a sample of university foreign students; specifically symptoms related to separation anxiety and depressive symptoms. The study involved 80 foreign students enrolled at the University of Messina in a three-year degree course; master degree or Ph.D. Participants answered a structured questionnaire related to their experience of studying abroad, as well as an instrument that checked the attachment style (Revised attachment scale for adults - Version for close relationships, Collins, 1996); an instrument that assessed the presence of anxiety symptoms (Measure of severity for separation anxiety disorder - adult, APA, 2013) and an instrument to verify the presence of depression symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory – II, Beck, Steer e Brown, 1967). The results of this research offer ideas for improving the services offered to foreign students, in order to encourage integration at the University of Messina and the successful outcome of studies.Keywords: Attachment. Foreign students. Anxiety. Depression

The burnout syndrome in palliative home care workers: the role of coping strategies and metacognitive beliefs

Healthcare professionals are daily confronted with events involving the suffering of others, which are likely to generate highly negative and stressful emotions. In palliative care the emotional commitment is exacerbated by the constant confrontation with the theme of suffering and death. The failure to successfully down-regulate negative emotions is a key risk factor for a severe form of discomfort, known as burnout syndrome. Burnout is a psychological state of exhaustion, related to stress at work. Maslach (1996) describes it as a psychological syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. Recent studies have shown that healthcare worker coping strategies may function either as a risk or aprotective factor for the development of distress and emotional problems. Furthermore, other studies highlighted the role of the dimensions of metacognition as vulnerability factors in predicting the development of psychological symptoms. The aim of this study is to examine and assess the relationships between burnout, coping strategies and metacognitive beliefs in workers involved in home palliative care. The hypothesis of the present work is that the appropriate use of positive and flexible coping strategies and functional metacognitive beliefs may relate to the management of distress and emotional problems. A group of operators working in a team of Integrated Home Palliative Care participated in the research.The study was based on a protocol including the Italian version of MCQ-30, used to assess a range of metacognitive beliefs and processes relevant to vulnerability and maintenance of emotional disorders; the Brief Cope (BC) to survey coping strategies; Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) to measure burnout. The questionnaire includes a socio-demographical section. The results show the presence of a statistically significant correlation between the variables investigated