Cultural awareness refers to the ability to recognize, understand, and appreciate the beliefs, values, customs, and behaviors of people from different cultures. It involves recognizing and respecting the differences between cultures, as well as finding commonalities and ways to bridge cultural gaps. 

There is no one single scientist or individual who has defined cultural awareness, as it is a concept that has been studied and discussed by various scholars across different fields, including anthropology, psychology, sociology, and communication. 

However, one influential anthropologist who contributed to the development of cultural awareness is Edward T. Hall. In his book “The Silent Language,” published in 1959, Hall introduced the concept of “high-context” and “low-context” cultures, which helped to explain how different cultures communicate and interact with each other. 

Building cultural awareness involves developing a range of skills and concepts, including: 

  • Cultural self-awareness: The ability to understand one’s own culture, beliefs, and values, and how they shape one’s perceptions and interactions with others. 
  • Cultural knowledge: Learning about different cultures, including their history, customs, traditions, and social norms. 
  • Cultural empathy: The ability to see the world from another person’s perspective and understand their experiences and feelings. 
  • Cross-cultural communication: Developing the skills to communicate effectively with people from different cultures, including the ability to listen actively, ask questions, and understand nonverbal cues. 
  • Cultural competence: The ability to navigate and function effectively in diverse cultural settings, including the ability to adapt to different communication styles, values, and behaviors. 

Here are possivble cultural awareness descriptors formulated as Can-Do statements for each CEFR level: 

CEFR A1: 

  • I can recognize how my own culture influences my interactions with others. 
  • I can identify some common customs and traditions of different cultures. 

CEFR A2: 

  • I can appreciate and respect cultural differences. 
  • I can explain basic historical and social context of different cultures. 

CEFR B1: 

  • I can communicate effectively with people from different cultures. 
  • I can identify similarities and differences between different cultures. 

CEFR B2: 

  • I can navigate complex and unfamiliar cultural situations. 
  • I can analyze and interpret cultural practices and symbols. 

CEFR C1: 

  • I can critically reflect on my own cultural biases. 
  • I can facilitate cross-cultural communication and understanding. 

CEFR C2: 

  • I can navigate and mediate complex cultural situations with ease. 
  • I can use my knowledge of cultural forces to foster greater cultural understanding and cooperation.