Transcultural Communication at Work

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2016:

170 hours

Previously available as Cross-Cultural Communication at Work. Students who have completed Cross-Cultural Communication at Work are not allowed to enrol in this subject.

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

One outcome of the globalisation of the Australian job market is the increasing need for transcultural communication skills in both the private and public sectors. Transcultural communication typically entails interaction in which one or more of the communicators use a second or third language. Successful transcultural communication requires not only a shared language but also strong intercultural awareness and skills. These include verbal skills such as how and when to use speech and silence as well as non-verbal skills knowing how and when gaze, gesture and body posture may differ across cultures. This subject will provide students with the tools to achieve successful transcultural encounters in professional settings. The delivery of the subject will include lectures with audio-visual materials, discussion sessions to deepen the students' understanding of theories of transcultural communication and their practical implications, and assignments that require an application of presented theories to the analysis of transcultural communication. Sponsored by the School of Languages and Linguistics and the Faculty of Arts' Asia Institute, this subject will focus on transcultural communication at the intersection of cultural, linguistic, ethnic, and religious boundaries. The subject will be taught by sociolinguistic and transcultural communication experts whose expertise ranges from multicultural and Aboriginal Australia, to Asia, the Middle East, Northern and Southern Europe, and the South Pacific.

On successful completion of this subject, students should:

• have developed a sound and theory-based understanding of issues involved in transcultural encounters in professional / institutional contexts;
• have developed strategies to enable students to communicate effectively and establish professional relationships in transcultural encounters;
• have developed analytical skills to enable students to address communication problems in transcultural encounters.

Written work totalling 5000 words comprising:

• Two 1500 word research papers, one due mid-semester and one due at the end of semester [30% each]
• A (2000 word) theoretical essay or data collection project to be completed at the end of semester [40%]

Hurdle Requirement - Students are required to attend a minimum of 80% of classes in order to pass this subject.

A Reading Pack will be available

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

Students who successfully complete this subject should:

• be able to apply research skills and critical methods to a field of inquiry;
• be able to communicate oral and written arguments and ideas effectively;
• have developed transcultural understanding.