This course is a multi-faceted journey to introduce you to key topics of intercultural communication in the light of (cultural) globalization and international mobility. The course has been designed as an experiment in virtual telecollaboration and there will be one virtual meeting for all participants on a weekly base (1-hour session), followed by additional meetings upon demand which should be arranged individually by the participants for their own group work. With this course we hope to achieve three main learning objectives:
1) You will be able to define and evaluate core elements/perspectives of intercultural communication/interaction at home and in international exchange,
2) you will be able to communicate and collaborate effectively in diverse cultural and virtual environments (working with others from different countries), and
3) you should be able to use a variety of technological tools to communicate and complete tasks in the virtual exchange.
In order to achieve these objectives, students will work individually as well as in groups/teams to experience the challenge of diversity in virtual communication. All participants will have to explore the meanings of "culture" on the basis of some kind of cultural "self-introspection" (how does culture affect me?), gain an understanding of cultural differences and commonalities in verbal and non-verbal communication and should be able to apply their findings to analyze different forms of cultural otherness and sameness in their daily interaction. A variety of sources will be provided for extensive reading. |
