{"id":5936,"date":"2026-03-11T13:18:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T20:18:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edtechuvic.ca\/edci336\/2026\/03\/11\/free-inquiry-3-cultural-intelligence-which-is-abbreviated-to-cq-for-some-reason\/"},"modified":"2026-03-11T13:18:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T20:18:00","slug":"free-inquiry-3-cultural-intelligence-which-is-abbreviated-to-cq-for-some-reason","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/edtechuvic.ca\/edci336\/2026\/03\/11\/free-inquiry-3-cultural-intelligence-which-is-abbreviated-to-cq-for-some-reason\/","title":{"rendered":"Free Inquiry #3: Cultural Intelligence (which is abbreviated to CQ, for some reason!)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Hey! Mitt namn \u00e4r Macy. Valkommen till min tredje blogg<\/em>. Here\u2019s my Swedish update \u2013 I have a 41-day streak on Duolingo. We\u2019re still learning all about food \u2013 this is a common theme!<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"600\" height=\"401\" src=\"https:\/\/learningwithmacy.opened.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10109\/2026\/03\/IMG_1741.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-177\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">According to Google\u2019s AI overview, \u201cSwedish cuisine centers on fresh, hearty, and simple home-cooked meals (<em>husmanskost<\/em>), heavily featuring\u00a0potatoes, fish (salmon, herring), dairy, berries, and meatballs.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">New Swedish words unlocked!<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Mums \u2013 yummy<\/li>\n<li>Ost \u2013 cheese<\/li>\n<li>Meny \u2013 menu<\/li>\n<li>Hungrig \u2013 hungry<\/li>\n<li>En t\u00e5rta \u2013 a cake<\/li>\n<li>Urs\u00e4kta \u2013 excuse me<\/li>\n<li>Mer \u2013 more<\/li>\n<li>K\u00f6tt \u2013 meat (pronounced like Shot)<\/li>\n<li>En sallad \u2013 a salad (which I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll be ordering much, haha!)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Remember how my second driving question centered around the differences and similarities between Swedish and Canadian culture? I don\u2019t want to neglect this aspect of my free inquiry, because I think it\u2019s equally \u2013 if not more \u2013 important than my language learning journey.<\/p>\n<p>Recently, I attended a workshop at UVic on <strong>cultural intelligence, or \u201cCQ.\u201d<\/strong> It makes me mad that the acronym isn\u2019t CI, but I understand that CQ is borrowing from the \u201cQ\u201d of \u201cIQ\u201d, eating stands for intelligence quotient. Something similar happened when psychologists studying personality and cognition coined the term emotional intelligence (also E<strong>Q<\/strong>, not EI). The CQ workshop was fantastic and I learned a lot. <\/p>\n<p>The cultural intelligence framework UVic follows breaks intercultural contentment into four practical parts:<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Elements of Cultural Intelligence (CQ)<\/h2>\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Drive<\/li>\n<li>Knowledge<\/li>\n<li>Strategy<\/li>\n<li>Action<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover aligncenter\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim\"><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"700\" height=\"376\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-178\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/learningwithmacy.opened.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10109\/2026\/03\/IMG_1742.jpeg\" data-object-fit=\"cover\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-cover-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-large-font-size\">Cultural Intelligence (CQ)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Drive \u2013 intercultural motivation<\/h2>\n<p>To succeed in a new culture, you need to be motivated to learn about where you are, who you\u2019re around, and basically what\u2019s going on in the world. This comes from more than just being \u201copen-minded\u201d \u2013 you can build intercultural motivation by exploring your environment and talking to people from different backgrounds.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Knowledge \u2013 awareness of different cultures<\/h2>\n<p>Intercultural knowledge is the understanding piece. When I first started my inquiry project, my intercultural motivation was high. I chose to do an international practicum because I want (very badly!!!) to explore the world outside of my context and immerse myself in a new culture. However, my intercultural knowledge was admittedly lower. Intercultural knowledge means recognizing and understanding how things like communication styles and workplace norms vary across cultures. Knowing the language of the place you\u2019re visiting also falls under here \u2013 or at least, some language basics. This is why I chose to inquire into Swedish language and culture. I had NO IDEA what the norms and expectations were in Sweden \u2013 I didn\u2019t grow up with Swedish friends, I\u2019ve never been to Scandinavia in general, and I really only had a stereotypical understanding of Sweden \u2013 hockey, IKEA, meatballs, and ABBA!<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video controls src=\"https:\/\/learningwithmacy.opened.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10109\/2026\/03\/v09044g40000c7ufhlbc77u9g5vs7bp0.mp4\" preload=\"none\"><\/video><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cTake a Chance on Me\u201d by ABBA. I plan on visiting the ABBA museum in Stockholm if I get some free time during my practicum. I grew up listening to ABBA and I think that they are the most popular musicians to ever come from Sweden \u2013 although pop star <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Zara_Larsson\">Zara<\/a> Larsson is blowing up globally today!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Strategy \u2013 planning ahead for intercultural experiences<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>This aspect of CQ focuses on self-awareness and planning. Travellers\/people interacting with those from other cultures need to be aware of their own assumptions and shed light on them. That\u2019s like me realizing that I don\u2019t know much about Swedish identity and daily life, just what I\u2019ve seen in the media \u2013 hockey, ABBA, etcetera. Instead of just showing up in Stockholm with no understanding, I\u2019ve made a plan to approach intercultural interactions with curiosity and background knowledge \u2013 which I\u2019m gaining through my inquiry project!<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Action \u2013 acting appropriately<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>This is the part of CQ that you can see. Appropriate behaviour is flexible and culturally responsive. Here\u2019s an example \u2013 I learned in one of my social psychology classes in undergrad that certain cultures have larger \u201cpersonal bubbles\u201d than others. Generally, Western cultures (e.g., Canada, UK, USA) prefer more physical space when interacting with others (2-3 feet). Latin American, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean cultures are sometimes called \u201clow-distance cultures\u201d because they typically have smaller, more flexible personal bubbles, allowing for closer conversation and more physical contact. So, it might come off as rude for me as a Canadian to visit Belize and stand very far away from someone I\u2019m conversing with. Vice versa, my friend Fernanda, whose family is from Mexico, has noticed that her touchiness (e.g., a pat on the arm) is sometimes misinterpreted in Canada as romantic interest or a violation of personal space, even though it\u2019s just part of how she communicates with friends. Someone with high cultural intelligence is able to recognize these differences in appropriate behaviour and show flexibility, adjusting how they interact accordingly.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"493\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/learningwithmacy.opened.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10109\/2026\/03\/IMG_1746.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-180\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>You can read more about cultural intelligence (CQ) on this UVic webpage: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uvic.ca\/career-services\/build-your-career\/using-competencies\/cultural-intelligence-competencies\/index.php\">https:\/\/www.uvic.ca\/career-services\/build-your-career\/using-competencies\/cultural-intelligence-competencies\/index.php<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Stay tuned for my next blog post, where I will continue developing my cultural intelligence in preparation for my international travels!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hey! Mitt namn \u00e4r Macy. Valkommen till min tredje blogg. Here\u2019s my Swedish update \u2013 I have a 41-day streak on Duolingo. We\u2019re still learning all about food \u2013 this is a common theme! According to Google\u2019s AI overview, \u201cSwedish&#8230; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/edtechuvic.ca\/edci336\/2026\/03\/11\/free-inquiry-3-cultural-intelligence-which-is-abbreviated-to-cq-for-some-reason\/\">Continue Reading &rarr;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5936","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edtechuvic.ca\/edci336\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5936","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edtechuvic.ca\/edci336\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edtechuvic.ca\/edci336\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edtechuvic.ca\/edci336\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edtechuvic.ca\/edci336\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5936"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/edtechuvic.ca\/edci336\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5936\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edtechuvic.ca\/edci336\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5936"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edtechuvic.ca\/edci336\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5936"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edtechuvic.ca\/edci336\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5936"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}