Course Information
WRLD 302 - Communicating Across Cultures
NOTE: This ia an abbreviated version of the course syllabus - complete course information and materials are in the Blackboard course Web site.
"Communicating Across Cultures" is designed to help meet the challenges of living in a world in which, increasingly, you will be asked to interact with people who may not be like you in fundamental ways. Its primary goal is to provide you with the knowledge and skills that will help you interact successfully with people from cultures other than your own and in contexts/environments that are different and unfamiliar. The course will introduce standard approaches and methods for analyzing differences among cultures, developed by scholars of communication. These systems will be used to discuss a variety of countries/cultures. But we will also examine theories and practices in intercultural communication from the following perspectives: critical thinking (how universally applicable are the theories and approaches), ethics (how we deal with cultural practices at odds with our own values), and sustainability (how do we help sustain the cultural integrity of less documented cultures in the face of globalization) - all crucial to responsible global citizenship in today's world. Ultimately, the course should provide a means to move beyond superficial, stereotyped assessments of different cultures and their representatives. |
Course Topics and Goals/OutcomesBy completing this course, the most successful students will acquire the knowledge, skills, & motivation to... FOCUS 1: CULTURE [cultural rules & roles, identity construction, demographic changes/trends] Understand the nature of cultural traditions
Look at people as individuals
FOCUS 2: COMMUNITY [group characteristics & identities, ethnocentrism, ethics in intercultural communication] Unlearn certainty
Embrace difference
Champion social justice
FOCUS 3: COMMUNICATION [verbal and non-verbal communication, language learning] Become informed communicators
Become informed language learners
FOCUS 4: CONTEXT [intercultural communication in practice] Understand the dynamics of intercultural interactions in different contexts, specifically in...
|
|
The course is being taught in a hybrid or blended learning format, meaning that a substantial part of the course will be conducted on-line. Most weeks we will meet face-to-face once (normally Thursdays). In-person class sessions will be used primarily for discussion (sometimes to introduce conversation topics, other times to extend discussions begun on-line) and for student reports. Quizzes, assignment submission, chapter tutorials/lectures, and discussion forums will be done on-line. Exams will be taken in face-to-face sessions (usually Tuesdays).
University policies and deadlines (e.g., withdrawal deadline, safety information, disability support services information, honor policy) as well as course materials are available in Blackboard. You are expected to check Blackboard regularly for announcements. You should also be checking your VCU email regularly, as I will use that as a preferred method of communication.
As this is a partly online course, it is essential that you have reliable internet access, interest in maximizing learning in an online format, and ability to learn new technology as needed for course assignments, For help with technology problems, you can follow the links from the "Downloads & Help" tab in Blackboard or contact the VCU Technology Services Help Desk. If you have problems with your computer, you can use one of the computer labs on campus, including the VCU World Studies Language Learning Center (Hibbs Hall, room 424), which is well equipped for multimedia. If you complete work early, there will be time for you to troubleshoot any tech problems that may occur without missing a deadline. Technological problems are not valid excuses for turning in work late.
Assignments
|