Cultural Insights: Frequently Asked Questions

How do you select your cultural interpreters?

Canadian cultural interpreters have spent considerable time living and working in their assigned country. Most have worked at least 8 consecutive months in their specific country within the last 5 years. Preference was given to those who have experience in more than one country.

Local cultural interpreters must have worked with Canadians and preferably lived in Canada as well. Our experience shows that having knowledge of both cultures makes for more interesting and useful insights.

Do you pay your cultural interpreters?

Our cultural interpreters have been remunerated for their time and effort. However, most have gone well beyond the expected level of effort because of a keen interest in intercultural matters and in sharing their experiences.

Your interpreters have different answers to the same question and I'm confused. Who's right and who's wrong?

In most cases, there are no absolute rights or wrongs. Take the time to carefully read and reflect upon the answers. Often, what is not said or the manner in which things are answered is very revealing. Contrasting responses can be explained by individual cultural backgrounds, work context, adaptability, personalities, etc. When in doubt, continue your research!

I find some of the answers misleading or insulting; is this official Government of Canada policy?

Absolutely not!
The opinions expressed are those of individuals who have specific experiences to relate. Our selection and editing process ensures that all responses are posted in the spirit of respect, tolerance, fairness and openness. Cultural Insights is designed to encourage exploration and learning and was never intended to be the "final word" on the subject. Given the complexity of culture, differing points of view are expected and welcomed. We encourage you to share your experiences in the same spirit of tolerance and respect.

How did you select these questions?

Questions were selected based on the questions most frequently asked of country resource persons during our Pre-departure and Intercultural Effectiveness courses. If you are registered for a program, you can use Cultural Insights to make best use of your session with a country resource person.

How did you select the countries?

Countries were selected based on Centre for Intercultural Learning statistics. We have prioritized the most common destinations based on previous Pre-Departure programs.

Why only 50 countries?

The Centre wished to pilot Cultural Insights and gauge the response before offering other countries. If responses to this pilot project are positive, other countries will be added in the coming months.

Some of the grammar is poor and sometimes confusing. Why is that?

An explicit effort was made to retain the style and tone of all interpreters. For many of these people neither English nor French is their first language; in some cases it is their third or fourth! On your international posting, you will undoubtedly experience this situation on a regular basis. Minor editing has been performed when it was deemed necessary to avoid confusion; otherwise, answers were left unchanged.

What language(s) were they written in originally?

All responses were received in either English or French and then translated in accordance with the Official Languages Act. Great pains were taken to retain the tone and style of the source responses. See above question.

What's special about this site compared to others?

The Centre for Intercultural Learning feels that Cultural Insights is unique in many ways:

• The depth and breadth of responses and not just do’s and don'ts;
• The calibre of our cultural informants;
• Information of interest to business travellers, diplomats, aid workers, tourists, and others;
• We explain the context of this tool, how it should be used and its limitations. We do not qualify our cultural interpreters as experts as other misleadingly do;
• We offer you the opportunity to voice your opinions but screen responses in order to maintain the Centre’s highest standards;
• We offer a unique Canadian focus;
• We provide interpreters’ responses in both of Canada’s official languages of Canada.