Intercultural Communication: Key Concepts and Theories

Module title	Intercultural Communication: Key Concepts and Theories
Module code	SMLM087
Academic year	2024/5
Credits	30
Module staff	Dr Birgul Yilmaz (Convenor)

Duration: Term	1	2	3
Duration: Weeks	11

Number students taking module (anticipated)	15

Module description

This intercultural Communication module provides you with an in-depth understanding of the complexities and challenges of communication across cultural boundaries. The module covers a range of contexts, including business, education, and migration discourse. Through lectures, seminars, workshops and fieldwork, you will develop intercultural competence and practical skills for communicating effectively in diverse cultural contexts. The module aims to equip you with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the complexities of intercultural communication in a globalized world.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The aim of this module is to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of intercultural communication, its theoretical foundations, and its practical applications in various social and cultural contexts. It will explore the complexities of communication across cultural boundaries, as well as the role of language, power, identity, and discourse in shaping intercultural interactions. You will gain an understanding of concepts such as culture, identity, language, culture shock, acculturation, prejudice and othering, verbal and non-verbal communication as well as media representation of cultures. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to collect first-hand data on specific intercultural settings for analysis and discussion.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

1. Critically analyse the theoretical foundations of intercultural communication.
2. Evaluate the role of language, power, identity, and discourse in intercultural communication
3. Develop intercultural competence and practical skills for communicating effectively in diverse cultural contexts.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

4. Engage with a variety of research approaches, including ethnography of communication, sociolinguistics, and discourse analysis.
5. Demonstrate an understanding of the complexities of communication across cultural boundaries.

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

6. Conduct independent research and apply theories and concepts of intercultural communication to real-world situations.
7. Engage in critical analysis and reflection on your own cultural assumptions and biases.
8. Work collaboratively with people from diverse cultural backgrounds and adapt their communication style accordingly.

Syllabus plan

Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:

Theoretical foundations of intercultural communication
Culture, identity, and power in intercultural communication
Culture and perception
Culture and values
Subgroups and Identities
Verbal Communication and Nonverbal Communication
Prejudice and stereotypes
Pragmatics
Politeness
Developing relations with culturally different others
Managing intercultural conflict
Intercultural communication and business

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
22	278	0

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled learning and teaching	22	A combination of lectures and seminars
Guided independent study	278	Reading and preparation for lectures, seminars, presentations and assessed coursework

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Problem recognition and data interpretation task	750 words	1-7	Written feedback with opportunity for tutorial follow-up.

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
75	0	25

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Essay	50	4,000 words	1-7	Written feedback with opportunity for tutorial follow-up.
Videocast or podcast	25	6 minutes	1-7	Written feedback with opportunity for tutorial follow-up.
Group presentation	25	5 minutes each student	1-8	Written feedback with opportunity for tutorial follow-up.
	0
	0
	0

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
Essay	Essay (4000 words)	1-7	Referral/deferral period
Videocast or podcast	Videocast or podcast (6 minutes)	1-7	Referral/deferral period
Group presentation	Recorded individual presentation (5 minutes)	1-7	Referral/deferral period

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 50%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of referral will be capped at 50%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Chen, G. M., & Starosta, W. J. (2005). Foundations of intercultural communication. Routledge.

Gudykunst, W. B. (2017). Bridging differences: Effective intergroup communication. Sage Publications.

Hickey, L. & Stewart, M. (eds.) (2005). Politeness in Europe. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.

Holliday, A. (2018). Intercultural Communication and Ideology. Routledge.

Holliday, A., Kullman, J., & Hyde, M. (2010). Intercultural communication: An Advanced Resource Book. Routledge.

Hua, Z. (Ed.) (2011). The Language and Intercultural Communication Reader. London: Routledge.

Hua, Z. (Ed.) (2016). Research Methods in Intercultural Communication: A Practical Guide. Wiley.

Jackson, J. (2014). Introducing Language and Intercultural Communication. Oxon: Routledge.

Jandt, F. E. (2016). An Introduction to Intercultural Communication: Identities in a Global Community. Sage Publications.

Kádár, D., & Haugh, M. (2013). Understanding Politeness. Cambridge: CUP.

Kim, Y. Y. (2017). Communication and Cross-cultural Adaptation: An Integrative Theory. Routledge.

Kramsch, C. (2018). Language and Culture. Oxford: OUP.

Liu, J. H., & Hilton, D. J. (2015). “How the social structure may affect intercultural communication”. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 1034.

Mautner, G., & Reiner, F. (2017). Handook of Business Communication: Linguistic Approaches. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.

McConachy, T. and Hinton, P. H. (Eds.) (2023). Negotiating Intercultural Relations. Insights from Linguistics, Psychology and Intercultural Education, Bloomsbury.

Nakayama, T. K., & Martin, J. N. (2019). Intercultural Communication in Contexts. McGraw-Hill Education.

Piller, I. (2011). Intercultural Communication. A Critical Introduction. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Rings, G., & Rasinger, S. (2020). The Cambridge Handbook of Intercultural Communication. Cambridge: CUP.

Samovar, L. A., Porter, R. E., & McDaniel, E. R. (2017). Intercultural Communication: A Reader. Cengage Learning.

Ting-Toomey, S., & Chung, L. C. (2012). Understanding Intercultural Communication. Oxford: OUP.

Wierzbicka, A. (2003). Cross-cultural Pragmatics: The Semantics of Human Interaction. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.

Key words search

Intercultural communication, culture, identity, power, globalization, intercultural conflict

Credit value	30
Module ECTS	15
Module pre-requisites	None
Module co-requisites	None
NQF level (module)	7
Available as distance learning?	No
Origin date	11/04/2023
Last revision date	08/06/2023