MSI Press Blog

  June is Effective Communication Month, a time to reflect on how we connect, express, and understand one another. While speaking clearly and persuasively often takes center stage, we too often overlook the true backbone of communication: active listening—especially in cross-cultural settings, where understanding nuances can mean the difference between collaboration and conflict. Why Active Listening Matters Across Cultures Communication isn’t just about words—it’s about intent, context, and cultural expectations. A phrase that seems straightforward in one language might carry layers of implied meaning in another. In some cultures, silence is a form of respect, while in others, it signals disengagement. Without actively listening—not just to words, but to tone, gestures, and pauses—we risk misinterpretation, frustration, and missed opportunities for connection. The Hidden Barriers to Understanding Even with the best intentions, cross-cultural exchanges are rife with challenges...

  What is a book jewel? A sometimes-overlooked book with remarkable insight and potential significance. Each month, we share near-daily, or as often as possible, reviews of the monthly book jewel - short, succinct reviews that can be read in 1-2 minutes with links to the reviewer by reviewers whose words are worthy of being heard and whose opinions are worthy of being considered. Sometimes a couple of minutes contains more impressive thought than ten times that many. We will let you decide that. This month's book jewel is  Road to Damascus  by Elaine Imady. Description: Recommended by US Review of Books and First Runner-Up in the Eric Hoffer Awards legacy competition, Road to Damascus describes the Middle Eastern journey of an American who meets and falls in love with a Syrian when they are both attending school in New York. Giving up her country and her religion to follow her husband back to Syria, Elaine Imady has made a life that has successfully bridged two cultures a...

  Excerpt from  Think Yourself into Becoming a Language Learning Super Star Tactics and Strategies   Deepening Your Knowledge No matter how you look at it, if you are going to get better at your language, you will need to broaden and deepen your knowledge. More words, more sophisticated words, more complex sentences, greater grammatical control, and a growing understanding of the culture are all important. This is not what we call proficiency, and someone with less knowledge but more skill at using what he or she knows can actually be more proficient in a language than someone who actually knows less. However, a broad vocabulary, a deep understanding of grammar, and a wide acceptance of cultural differences (and the knowledge of those differences) can set you up to become highly proficient once you develop the language skills you will need (reading, writing, listening, and speaking). Strategies So, how do you go about getting this broad vocabulary, deep understanding of g...

excerpt from Teaching and Learning to Near Native Levels of Language Learning III (Dubinsky and Butler)  Introduction of Keynote Speaker, HRH Prince Firas bin Raad of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, by Betty Lou Leaver, Executive Director, CDLC               Because I have been a resident of the extraordinary Kingdom of Jordan since January 2004, it is a singular pleasure and honor to introduce our very special keynote speaker, His Royal Highness Prince Firas bin Raad of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. His biography and international and cross-cultural experiences coincide very much with the international orientation of our audience today. Let me give you a few examples:   (1) He was born in Amman, Jordan, attended boarding school in New Hampshire, earned a BA in economics and public health in 1991 from John Hopkins University, an MA in international studies in 1993 from the School of Advanced Internatio...