Abstract:

The goal of the article is to explore and review the possibilities of Service learning methodology in developing intercultural and global competencies of university students while engaging incoming international students.

It is evident that Service learning and global education overlap in their learning outcomes and they both possess potential to contribute to the university internationalisation. In Service Learning, students get involved in the meaningful service for a community through which they learn subject specific content by working on the project with the community. Normally, the project is linked to the curriculum and the learning comprises both continuous and final reflection. The empirical studies show that a range of personal and social skills are improved in the process, along with the attitudes towards self, school and learning. Academic performance and civic engagement increase, too.

Global competencies, desirable in the globalized world, include co-operation and conflict resolution, ability to use arguments effectively, challenge inequality and above all, critical thinking, together with the knowledge and understanding of global topics. In order to develop global competencies, it is essential to be confronted with otherness, be it other language, culture, values or status. This is where we see that the incoming foreign students have their role as the ambassadors of their specific cultures. The question is what the aims of internationalisation are in our context and if they include greater understanding of a local context and diversity, as the courses are predominantly offered in English.

In our analysis, we will focus on the outcomes of Service Learning courses at our University and their evaluations to see what skills they develop and how they could incorporate more international and multilingual dimensions.

Keywords:

Service learning, methodology, university, students, global competencies.