Study Guide

Objectives

The goal of the course in Intercultural Communication aims to boost the intercultual communication competence of people planning to join careers that engage a considerable amount of intercultural interaction, in e.g. multinational companies, education field or tourism industry.

This introductory level course will expose students to the fundamental principles of intercultural communication. Students will also practice intercultural communication skills. The objective is to develop the students? perception and appreciation of different cultures, including their own, e.g. values, communication styles, life styles, etc.

After completing the course the students have:
Gained insightful intercultural communication knowledge
An understanding for working with or in other cultures.
Improveed their analytical skills in regard to communication between different cultural backgrounds in international and local contexts (e.g. gender, racial, professional, ethnic, organizational, etc.).
Increaseed their communication confidence as well as boost their perception of other cultures as assets rather than liabilities.

Content

Themes of the course are the following:
- Intercultural learning
- Intercultural awareness and understanding
- Intercultural interaction
- Factors affecting in intercultural situations
- Intercultural adaptation
- Intercultural comptences and skills

Prerequisites

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Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1-2)

The student can define culture, fundamental principles of culture, and recognise cultural differences. He/she manages assigned tasks under supervision and his/her performance is of routine type. He/she can give and receive feedback but considers and assesses things from his/her viewpoints. He/she can work in a group but may not always stick to deadlines. While doing work, he/she takes responsibility for his/her own work where assistance might be required in materialization.

Assessment criteria, good (3-4)

The student explains culture, fundamental principles of culture and impact of culture in intercultural communication context. He/she can select the most appropriate course of action from diverse options for working with or in other culture. He/she can apply solution alternatives concerning communication between different cultural backgrounds in international and local context. He/she can give and receive feedback actively and constructively but considers and assesses things from both his/her and the close community’s viewpoints. He/she works flexibly and interacts well. He/she is responsible and committed to group activities in addition to his/her own work.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

The student understands culture, fundamental principles of culture and impact of culture in intercultural communication context. He/she can search for diverse courses of action for working with or in other culture. He/she can combine solution alternatives creatively concerning communication between different cultural backgrounds in international and local context. He/she uses feedback systematically in order to improve his/her chosen course of action for further development. He/she is a flexible and responsible actor in an intercultural work environment. He/she works responsibly in a committed and flexible manner.

Further information

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