In today’s globalised world, communicating with other cultures has become an ordinary activity in business, classroom, and community. Intercultural communication skills are already required in many career fields. At the same time, more and more universities and other organisations are unveiling courses aimed at instructing students in the art of knowing how to communicate with other cultures.
This free online Intercultural Communication course will help you learn to appreciate, adjust to, and work or study in different cultures.
Whether you’re engaging in business across borders or cultural regions, meeting other people through international travel, working in a diverse, global organisation or studying abroad, you can gain a better understanding of intercultural communication. Feeling comfortable in an intercultural setting will benefit not only your university and your employer, but also you and your life in general.
About the course
The free online course aims at teaching participants how adjust to new cultural practices that come into their lives - whether via the media or through interpersonal interactions.
They will learn with a cross-cultural team from Shanghai International Studies University (SISU).
You can find out more in a quiz on the FutureLearn blog: “Have you ever committed a cultural faux pas?”
The course is created by Shanghai International Studies University (SISU). Established in 1949, it is one of the earliest institutions where China’s higher education in foreign languages took shape.
SISU is an internationally recognised academic institution distinctive for its multidisciplinary, globalised nature, committed to preparing innovative professionals and future torchbearers for a wide range of international expertise to address the critical challenges of our times.
Currently, SISU has a full-time enrolment of over 1,400 postgraduate students, including more than 200 doctoral students.
Requirements
This course assumes no prior knowledge and is suitable for pre-university, undergraduate and post-experience students. You will need high school-level English or above, an interest in international issues, and curiosity about, exposure to or experience with other cultures.
What you will learn
The course will give you the opportunity to master the basics of intercultural communication. It will focus on basic but important concepts. It will:
- help you better understand cross-cultural complexity
- cultivate your awareness of your own and others’ cultural identities
- highlight some notable variations in communication styles and cultural values
- signpost paths towards building your intercultural competence.
You will start with a journey of self-discovery, telling each other your cultural stories and exploring different cultures. You will be amazed to see how cultures have influenced our perceptions, thinking, communication styles, values and beliefs.
You can join the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #FLintercultural. Join and contribute to social media conversations about this course!
Starting date: 10 October, 2016
Duration: 5 weeks, 4 hours per week
Language: English
Instructors: Steve Kulich, Hongling Zhang, Ruobing Chi
Institution: Shanghai International Studies University (SISU)
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