Spry, Amber D. (2023). The #RiceBreaker: Facilitating intercultural dialogues in the classroom by engaging shared experiences. Journal of Political Science Education, 19(2), 195-204.
Amber Spry has invented a very cute icebreaker using discussion of how different students in a class cook rice in order to spark intercultural dialogues. It should be a good starting point for other instructors.
The activity asks students to answer a straightforward question: “how does your family or your culture cook rice?” By using the example of a simple ingredient found across the globe, the activity demonstrates how students can hold different perspectives on the same topic based on their own experiences, and models for the class how to approach conversation throughout the semester when perspectives on a given topic may vary. This activity provides an example of how a classroom icebreaker can be used in a way that facilitates dialogue, promotes participation, and models intellectual respect.
Her starting point is Political Science, but it seems likely to work for those in other disciplines as well. For example, it has already been adapted for the foreign language classroom by Sahai Couso Díaz on Language Panda.
If you prefer to listen to a podcast, Spry has been interviewed on the topic for radio station KCRW: Using a ‘ricebreaker’ to start a conversation about cultural identity.
The games leverage visual culture scenarios to help foreign students understand how country-specific culture values manifest in contemporary everyday life and are informed by historical events. Designed by interculturalist trainers, these learner driven interactive games emphasize problem solving and practical application of cultural knowledge. Our games can be trainer facilitated or used as self-directed learning tool. There are multiple sets of games for American Values, British Values, Chinese Values and Indian Values.
Center for Intercultural Dialogue 