Intercultural Communication

Subject LING10002 (2013)

Note: This is an archived Handbook entry from 2013.

Credit Points: 12.50
Level: 1 (Undergraduate)
Dates & Locations:

This subject is not offered in 2013.

Time Commitment: Contact Hours: 2 x 1 hour lectures (repeat leactures will be available) and a 1 x 1 hour tutorial per week. There will be no tutorial in the first and last week of semester.
Total Time Commitment:

3 contact hours/week, 5 additional hours/week. Total of 8 hours per week.

Prerequisites:

none

Corequisites:

none

Recommended Background Knowledge:

none

Non Allowed Subjects:

Formerly available as 175-006 and 175-108 Cross-Cultural Communication. Students who have completed 175-006 or 175-108 are not eligible to enrol in this subject.

Core Participation Requirements:

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

Subject Overview:

This subject involves the main components of communicative events across cultures, the main linguistic approaches to analysing them, how they vary in a range of cultures from around the world, and the difficulties and misunderstandings these differences create in inter-cultural communication. Specific topics include body language, titles and respect, turn-taking and turn maintenance, narrative structuring, intonation, requests, disagreement and criticism, information seeking, politeness, and business negotiation. Topics will be illustrated with case studies of different speech communities from around the world, such as French, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, Anglo-Australian and Aboriginal Australian.

Objectives:
  • have a general understanding of the nature of intercultural communication
  • have begun to develop skills for analyzing intercultural communication
  • have been acquainted with conceptual frameworks for thinking about intercultural communication
Assessment:

Two 1500-word research assignments 70% (due mid-semester and end of semester), a 1-hour examination 30% (during the examination period).

This subject has the following hurdle requirements:

  • Regular participation in tutorials is required with a minimum of 75% attendance.
  • All pieces of written work must be submitted to pass this subject.

Assessment submitted late without an approved extension will be penalised at 10% per day and in-class tasks missed without approval will not be marked.

Prescribed Texts:

Kramsch, C. (1998). Language and culture. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press

Recommended Texts:

none

Breadth Options:

This subject potentially can be taken as a breadth subject component for the following courses:

You should visit learn more about breadth subjects and read the breadth requirements for your degree, and should discuss your choice with your student adviser, before deciding on your subjects.

Fees Information: Subject EFTSL, Level, Discipline & Census Date
Generic Skills:
  • increase their understanding of social, ethical and cultural context.

  • develop their written communication through essay preparation and writing.

Related Course(s): Bachelor of Arts(Media and Communications)
Related Majors/Minors/Specialisations: Development Studies Major
English Language - 200 Point Program
English Language Studies
English Language Studies Major
Language Testing - 200 Point Program
Linguistics and Applied Linguistics
Linguistics and Applied Linguistics
Linguistics and Applied Linguistics
Linguistics and Applied Linguistics
TESOL - 200 Point Program
Technology in Language Learning - 200 Point Program
Related Breadth Track(s): Linguistics: Language in its social and cultural context

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