intercultural differences – Center for Intercultural Dialogue

Sundermann, Killian. (21 October 2021). Irish and German people offering things. Twitter.

I just ran across this very cute video where comedian Killian Sundermann demonstrates the difference between German and Irish ways of offering cake, and the confusion that ensues.

Irish and German people offering things pic.twitter.com/AoPgWJpK6L

— Killian Sundermann (@killersundymann) October 7, 2021

For further information about the video, which went viral and resulted in 10 million views, watch the 4-minute version, which includes an interview with Sundermann. He grew up in Ireland with German parents, and so obviously has a good sense of how cultural differences can be displayed through interaction. Apparently the incident with the cake is based on reality. He says “I’m really just stealing my family’s stories.”

Weekend Breakfast with Alison Curtis. (3 November 2021). Killian Sundermann chats to Alison Curtis. Today FM.

Either video would make a good classroom resource for teaching about intercultural communication. See also KC1: Intercultural dialogue, and KC5: Intercultural communication.

Academics tend to discuss cultural differences in words. Designers show them visually. Yang Liu grew up in China, but then moved to Germany, becoming a designer. One of her projects, East meets West, consists of a series of comparisons of Chinese vs. German assumptions based on her own experiences.

Her designs have been exhibited in both China and Germany, as well as being widely available on the internet. For further information, see her own website, or one of the many articles describing her work, including these:

Aw, Jean. (2007). Interview with Yang Liu- 11.13.07. NOTCOT.

Saleme, Shawn. (2013). East Meets West : An Infographic Portrait by Yang Liu. Visual News.

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