90-120min

Geocultural Café

A participatory facilitated dialogue method designed to facilitate meaningful conversations about geocultural topics (e.g., climate change, human rights, regional conflicts, overtourism). It fosters an environment that encourages open dialogue, shared learning, and the co-creation of knowledge in a relaxed, inclusive environment.

Themes:

Reflective thinking

Intercultural dialogue

Problem solving

Objectives

  • Facilitate dialogue and exchange on geocultural issues.
  • Create a supportive learning environment for language practice.
  • Encourage collaboration, networking, and intercultural understanding.
  • Generate new ideas and insights through diverse perspectives.
  • Deepen cultural awareness and critical thinking.
  • Boost language proficiency through authentic conversation.
  • Surface common themes and patterns in discussions.
  • Promote action and decision-making through shared reflection.
  • Cultivate engagement and ownership of learning.

Settings

In-person: Cultural spaces, art galleries, or classrooms with space for groups.

Online: Virtual platforms (e.g., Zoom, Microsoft Teams) with breakout rooms for small-group discussions.

Materials

Physical

  • Paper, pen, drawing devices
  • Supportive texts (e.g., newspaper articles, discussion prompts)
  • Tables arranged café-style
  • Timer or bell

Digital

  • Zoom or similar platforms with breakout rooms

Overview

What is it? A structured yet flexible facilitated conversation format where participants explore geocultural topics in small groups, rotating to engage with multiple perspectives. The activity concludes with a collective sharing session to synthesize insights and deepen understanding.

Step-by-step description

  1. Introduction: The facilitators present the geocultural topic that will be discussed and review the guidelines for respectful, inclusive conversation and active listening.
  2. Discussion: Participants are divided into small groups (4-6 people). Each group is provided with a discussion prompt or question related to a specific geocultural issue (e.g., ”How does climate change affect cultural heritage?” “What are the effects of overtourism on cultural heritage sites and their representations?”). Encourage participants to share opinions, experiences, and ideas in the target language.
  3. Round 2: Signal the end of Round 1 and instruct participants to rotate to a new group. Assign a new prompt or build on the previous discussion.Repeat the discussion process with the new group. Encourage participants to connect ideas from the previous round.
  4. Wrap-up: Bring all participants together for a whole-group sharing session. Ask each group to summarize key insights, themes, or questions from their exchanges. Discuss common themes, diverse perspectives, and actionable insights. Facilitate a reflection on how these discussions contribute to language learning and cultural understanding.

Practical insights

What worked well:

  • Inclusive Participation: The small groups (café-style) format ensured everyone had a voice, fostering a sense of ownership.
  • Language Practice: Authentic conversations boosted language proficiency in a low- pressure environment.
  • Intercultural Exchange: Participants gained new perspectives by engaging with diverse viewpoints.

Common challenges and solutions:

  • Uneven Participation: Some participants may dominate discussions. You can assign roles (e.g., facilitator, note-taker) to ensure balanced contributions.
  • Time Management: Discussions may run over or under time. Use a timer and clear signals for transitions.
  • Language Barriers: Learners with lower proficiency may struggle to express themselves. Solution: Provide sentence starters, visual prompts, and an aid sheet with phrases to support opinion expression and facilitate participation.

Field reflections


In Prague, the sessions took place in local libraries and focused on local manifestations of global issues, such as overtourism, the authenticity of urban spaces, the commercialization of cultural heritage, and notions of traditional food and their exploitation. These topics are familiar for Prague residents, including the ones with migratory and refugee backgrounds.They resonated deeply with participants, as they bridged global trends with local realities. At the start, the group brainstormed ways to express opinions in the target language, using a support sheet with helpful phrases and vocabulary to ensure comfortable communication. To support groups with lower language proficiency, facilitators provided both authentic and adapted texts from local newspapers and online discussions, representing diverse perspectives on the topics. These materials not only boosted confidence but also enriched conversations, making the activity accessible, engaging, and enjoyable for everyone involved.

Further reading

Brown, J., & Isaacs, D. (2005). The World Café: Shaping our futures through conversations that matter. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.

Brown, J., & Isaacs, D. (2006). The World Café: Living knowledge through conversations that matter. Systems Thinker, 17(6), 1-5.

Bunker, B. B., & Alban, B. T. (Eds.). (1997). Large group interventions: Engaging the whole system for rapid change. Jossey-Bass.

Choudhury, A. (2005). World café: The power of conversation in the new age. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 41(1), 82-86.

Pachler, N., & Daly, C. (2011). Understanding informal learning and collaboration in online communities: The experience of professionals in the field of World Café. Research in Learning Technology, 19(3), 221-232.

Stavros, J. M., & Torres, N. (2016). Conversations Worth Having:Using Appreciative Inquiry to Fuel Productive and Meaningful Engagement. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.

Wheatley, M. J., & Frieze, D. (2006). Using emergence to take social innovations to scale. The World Café Community Foundation.