School of English - AUTh

Description

This course aims at familiarising students with the multifaceted nature of intercultural communication (IC) both as a phenomenon and as a field. Topics to be explored include, but are not limited to:  inter/cross-cultural pragmatics, non-verbal communication across cultures, intercultural transitions (from culture shock to adaptation), barriers to intercultural communication (e.g., ethnocentricism, stereotyping, racism), intercultural conflict in the global workplace and marketing/advertising across cultures.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

The course is specifically designed to enable students to:

• analyse observational intercultural communication data from a variety of contexts and media by applying intercultural communication terminology and relevant theoretical insights
• identify reasons for intercultural communicative breakdowns (e.g., stereotypes)
• improve intercultural communication skills by effectively using verbal and non-verbal means of expression
• recognise causes and symptoms of culture shock and the different stages of intercultural adjustment
• compare and contrast strategies for dealing with intercultural conflict and mediating between different languages in the global workplace
• understand how intercultural communication principles affect marketing and advertising across cultures

Assessment: Final exam (100%) or 2,000-word research paper (40%) and final exam (60%)

Teaching