INTERCULTURAL

COMMUNICATION
Session 1: Introduction
Instructor: DANG PHUNG HOANG, M.A.
 COURSE INTRODUCTION
1. Course name: Intercultural Communication
2. Course credit: 2
3. Study period: 30
4. Main text book:
Judith N. Martin. International Communication
In Contexts. McGraw-Hill. 2010
5. Reference book:
O' Driscall. J (1995). Britian the country and its
people. Oxford University Press
 COURSE INTRODUCTION
8. Assessment scheme:
The students’ performance will be assessed based on
the following criteria:
• Their participation in group work, presentations and
class discussion
• Accomplishment of the assigned reading texts
Grading scheme:
• Regular score (20%): Attendance, In-class
participation
• Midterm – score (20%): Mini Project
• Final score: Oral test
Total score: Passing grade: 5/10
 COURSE INTRODUCTION
9. Course schedule:
• Chapter 1: Why Study Intercultural
Communication?
• Chapter 3: Culture, Communication, Context, and
Power
• Chapter 5: Identity and Intercultural Communication
• Chapter 6: Language and Intercultural
Communication
• Chapter 7: Nonverbal Codes and Cultural Space
• Chapter 9: Popular Culture and Intercultural
Communication
• Chapter 11: Culture, Communication, and Conflict
 COURSE INTRODUCTION
10. Group presentation:
Students’ presentations are going to be marked based on
the following criteria:
 Content (4 pts): the presentation should include
particularly necessary knowledge provided in the text
book
 Hand-out (2 pts): The hand-out should not be the
printed PowerPoint slides. It should includes the
summary of the knowledge presented and should be
used as the revising materials for the final test.
 PowerPoint slides design (2 pts):
The slides should NOT be too COLORFUL, WORDY.
The font size of the words should be at least 30
COURSE INTRODUCTION
10.Group presentation:
Presentation skills (2 pts): The presenter should
• not read the PowerPoint slides, hand-out, notes
• interact with the audience by eye contact, body
language, and questions.
• not hesitate for a long time
• not learn the presentation by heart
 Students have to send the PowerPoint slides and
hand-out for teacher before 7am of
 Discussion
Define:
1. Culture
2. Communication
3. Intercultural communication
1. Culture
• Culture is the characteristics and knowledge of a
particular group of people, defined by everything from
language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts.
• The Center for Advance Research on Language
Acquisition goes a step further, defining culture as
shared patterns of behaviors and interactions, cognitive
constructs and understanding that are learned by
socialization. Thus, it can be seen as the growth of a
group identity fostered by social patterns unique to the
group.
• For the purposes of the Intercultural Studies Project,
culture is defined as the shared patterns of behaviors
and interactions, cognitive constructs, and affective
understanding that are learned through a process of
socialization. These shared patterns identify the
members of a culture group while also distinguishing
those of another group.
• "Culture: learned and shared human patterns or
models for living; day- to-day living patterns. these
patterns and models pervade all aspects of human
social interaction. Culture is mankind's primary
adaptive mechanism"
• "Culture is the collective programming of the mind
which distinguishes the members of one category of
people from another."
"Most social scientists today view culture as
consisting primarily of the symbolic, ideational,
and intangible aspects of human societies. The
essence of a culture is not its artifacts, tools, or
other tangible cultural elements but how the
members of the group interpret, use, and perceive
them. It is the values, symbols, interpretations,
and perspectives that distinguish one people from
another in modernized societies; it is not material
objects and other tangible aspects of human
societies. People within a culture usually interpret
the meaning of symbols, artifacts, and behaviors
in the same or in similar ways."
2. Communication:
Communication is simply the act of
transferring information from one place,
person or group to another.
3. Intercultural communication:
- is communication across different cultures and
social groups, or how culture affects
communication.
- describes the wide range of communication
processes and problems that naturally appear within
an organization or social context made up of
individuals from different religious, social, ethnic,
and educational backgrounds.
- Seeks to understand how people from different
countries and cultures act, communicate and
perceive the world around them.
 Why study
Intercultural
communication?
Discussion:
1. How do electronic means of communication (e-
mail, the Internet, fax, and so on) differ from face-
to-face interactions?
2. How do these communication technologies change
intercultural communication interaction?
3. What are some of the potential challenges
organizations face as they become more diverse?
4. Why is it important to think beyond ourselves as
individuals in intercultural interaction?
5. How do economic situations affect intergroup
relations?
There are six reasons or imperatives for studying intercultural
communication:
1. The self-awareness imperative involves increasing understanding
of our own location in larger social, political, and historical
contexts.
2. The demographic imperative includes the changing domestic and
international migration-raising questions of class and religious
diversity.
3. The economic imperative highlights issues of globalization and
the challenges for increased cultural understanding needed to
reach the global market.
4. The technological imperative gives us increasing information and
increased contact with people who are similar and different from
us. Increased use of communication technology also raises
questions about identity and access to these technologies.
5. The peace imperative involves working through issues of
colonialism, economic disparities, and racial, ethnic, and religious
differences.
6. The ethical imperative calls for an understanding of the
universalist, relativist, and dialogic approach to ethical issues.