977913 In-country Language and Culture Study
Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a
particular semester, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source
of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.
Subject handbook information prior to 2015 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 8 cp
Subject level:
Undergraduate
Result type: Grade and marksDescription
This subject provides students with the opportunity to enhance their communication skills and intercultural awareness through an intensive short-term program at one of UTS's partner institutions worldwide. Students live in a country abroad and undertake a three-week to four-week language program in Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian, Thai, French, German, Italian or Spanish. Students' intercultural awareness is further enhanced through a pre-departure workshop and reflective activities after they return to Sydney. Programs cater for a range of levels of language proficiency from beginner to intermediate. While the subject is offered in July and Summer sessions, the specific language programs available may vary.
Subject objectives
| a. | communicate effectively |
|---|---|
| b. | reflect on the behaviours and values in the host and home cultures, thereby identifying and reflecting on cultural diversity |
| c. | learn independently |
| d. | engage with the activities of the in-country program |
Teaching and learning strategies
This subject provides an immersive learning experience in a host culture. The pre-departure workshops will allow students to work in groups to explore aspects of intercultural learning and to help prepare them for their in-country experience. During the in-country intensive program, students will participate in interactive, seminar classes focussed on developing communication skills the target language and culture. Programs include excursions and activities to provide real-life communication exchanges in the target language and help students develop intercultural knowledge. Students will also collaboratively and individually reflect on their own and other students’ experiences and learning in workshops after returning to Sydney.
Content
The subject will include content on the linguistic system and communication practices of the chosen target language. It will also include content on notions of culture and interculturality.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Completion of the in-country host institution program
| Intent: | Mandatory task that does not contribute to subject mark |
|---|---|
| Type: | Exercises |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | Mandatory task that does not contribute to subject mark |
| Length: | N/A |
Assessment task 2: Cultural Reflections Report
| Objective(s): | a, b, c and d |
|---|---|
| Type: | Report |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 50% |
| Length: | 2,500 words |
Assessment task 3: Multimedia Presentation
| Objective(s): | a, b and c |
|---|---|
| Type: | Presentation |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 50% |
| Length: | Variable, depending on media/format used. As a guide, films and slide shows: minimum 1-2 minutes; for poster presentations: a series of 2-3 A3 posters; for slideshows (with text): 10-15 images. For an online blog: minimum 4 entries. |
Minimum requirements
Students must actively participate in all activities of the in-country host institution program. Attendance at the pre-departure and presentations workshops is essential in this subject because important information is only available through the essential interchange of ideas with other students and the tutor. An attendance roll will be taken at each workshop. Participation of the in-country host institution program will be monitored. Students who fail to attend 85% of classes will be refused to have their final assessment marked (see Rule 3.8).
References
The following list of references provides examples of encounters and journeys in a range of cultures:
Bestor, T. C. 1998 Neighbourhood Tokyo, Documentary Educational Resources, Massachussetts (video documentary, in UTS Library).
Bonvillain, N. (2011) Language, Culture and Communication, 6th edn, Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Hofstede, G. and Hofstede, G.J. 1995 ‘Intercultural Encounters’ in Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind, 2nd edition, McGraw-Hill, New York, pp. 319-362.
LeBaron, M. (2003) Bridging Cultural Conflicts: A New Approach for a Changing World, San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
LeBaron, M. and Pillay, V. (2006) Conflict Across Cultures: A Unique Experience of Bridging Differences, Boston: Nicholas Brealey Publishing
Martin, J.N., Nakayama, T.K. and Flores, L.A. (eds) (2002) Readings in Intercultural Communication: Experiences and Contexts, 2nd edn, Boston: McGraw-Hill.Baldwin, J.R., Faulkner, S.L., Hecht, M.L. and Lindsley, S.L. (eds) (2006) RedefiningCulture: Perspectives across the Disciplines, Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Matsumoto, D. and Hwang, H.S. (2012) ‘Nonverbal communication: The messages of emotion, action, space, and silence’, in J. Jackson (ed.) The Routledge Handbook of Language and Intercultural Communication, Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 130-47.
Pink S. 2007 ‘Walking with Video’ in Visual Studies, Vol. 22, No. 3, December 2007, (pp. 240-253), http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14725860701657142?journalCode=rvst20#preview (accessed 07 October 2011).
Scott, J. 2006 ‘God, We’re Not Immigrants! A Reflection on Moving and Staying’ in Portal Journal of Multidisciplinary International Studies, vol. 3 no. 1, pp. 1-6. Available online at: http://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/ojs/index.php/portal/article/view/150 (accessed 6 Nov 2014).
Slimbach, Richard, 2005 ‘The Transcultural Journey’, Frontiers. The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, vol. XI (August). Available online at: http://www.frontiersjournal.com/documents/RSlimbachFrontiersAug05.pdf (accessed 6 Nov 2014).
Sorrells, K. (2013) Intercultural Communication: Globalization and Social Justice, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
