977913 In-country Language and Culture Study
Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a
particular session, 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 2018 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 8 cp
Subject level:
Undergraduate
Result type: Grade and marksAnti-requisite(s): 977918 In-country Language and Culture Study
Description
This subject provides students with the opportunity to enhance their communication skills in another language and develop their intercultural awareness and knowledge of another society through completion of an intensive course of study at an international UTS partner organisation. It is offered in July and Summer sessions, however the specific programs and languages available may vary. Programs cater for a range of levels of language proficiency from beginner to intermediate. Students participate in classes at UTS before their departure and after their return from overseas to support their learning experience.
The international program includes classroom-based seminars supplemented by a series of local excursions. Through the experience of living and learning abroad, the subject enhances students' linguistic proficiency, intercultural communication skills and understanding of their own and others' cultures and encourages them to apply this knowledge to their future professional lives.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| A. | Communicate more effectively in the host culture context as well as in the Australian context |
|---|---|
| B. | Reflect on the behaviours and values in the host and home cultures, thereby enhancing intercultural awareness |
| C. | Learn career management skills through reflection on professional learning |
| D. | Engage with the activities of the international program |
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
As this is a stand-alone subject and not part of a specific degree program, the subject engages with the following Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Graduate Attributes:
1. Professional Readiness
2. Critical and Creative Inquiry
3. International and Intercultural Engagement
5. Active Citizenship
6. Effective Communication
Teaching and learning strategies
This subject provides an immersive, practical learning experience in an international location. Students learning is also supported by two interactive seminars at UTS before and after the international program. The subject preparation seminars will allow students to work in groups to explore aspects of intercultural learning and to help prepare them for their practical experience in a different society and culture. During the in-country program, students will participate in a program with the host organisation designed to give them practical work and problem-solving experience.
Students will also collaboratively and individually reflect on their own and other students’ experiences and learning in a subject return seminar after returning to Sydney.
Content (topics)
The subject will include content on notions of culture,intercultural awareness, communication strategies and working in globalised societies.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Intercultural Reflections Report
| Objective(s): | A, B, C and D | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type: | Report | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Groupwork: | Individual | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 50% | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Length: | 2,000 words, containing the following two parts:
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 2: Professional application
| Objective(s): | A, B and C | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type: | Presentation | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 50% | ||||||||||||||||
| Length: | Students are asked to prepare a 3-4 minute talk. Students will be stopped from speaking after 4 minutes. | ||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Minimum requirements
Students must actively participate and complete all activities of the in-country host institution or program. They are required to obtain a certificate of program completion from the host institution or program which can either be an official document (transcript, certificate of completion), or an email from the overseas course coordinator directly to the UTS subject coordinator. If students do not fully complete the overseas program component, an X- Fail (Unsatisfactory performance in a compulsory component of the subject) grade may result even if assessment components have been completed successfully.
Attendance at the subject preparation and subject return seminars 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 seminar.
References
The following list of references provides examples of encounters and journeys in a range of cultures. There are also some sample references on preparing for internship experiences:
Baldwin, J.R., Faulkner, S.L., Hecht, M.L. & Lindsley, S.L. (eds) 2006, Redefining Culture: Perspectives across the Disciplines, Lawrence Erlbaum, Mahwah, NJ.
Bestor, T. C. 1998, Neighbourhood Tokyo, Documentary Educational Resources, Massachussetts (video documentary, in UTS Library).
Bonvillain, N. 2011, Language, Culture and Communication, (6th edn), Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ.
Bridgstock, R. 2009, The graduate attributes we’ve overlooked: enhancing graduate employability through career management skills, Higher Education Research & Development, vol. 28, no.1, pp. 31-44.
Crossman, J, Bordia, S, Mills, C. 2011, Business Communication: for the Global Age, McGraw-Hill, North Ryde.
Goodall, H.L. Jr., Goodall, S. & Schiefelbein, J. 2009, Business and Professional Communication in the Global Workplace, Wadsworth, Boston.
Gower, R.K. & Mulvaney, M.A. 2012, Making the Most of Your Internship: A Strategic Approach, Sagamore, Urbana IL.
Guilherme, M. et al. (eds) 2010, The Intercultural Dynamics of Multicultural Working, Multilingual Matters, Bristol.
LeBaron, M. 2003, Bridging Cultural Conflicts: A New Approach for a Changing World, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA.
LeBaron, M. & Pillay, V. 2006, Conflict Across Cultures: A Unique Experience of Bridging Differences, Nicholas Brealey Publishing, Boston.
Holliday, A. Hyde, M. Kullman, J. 2012, Intercultural Communication: An Advanced Resource Book for Students. Routledge. Abingdon, OX.
Holliday, A. 2016, Difference and awareness in cultural travel: negotiating blocks and threads. Language and Intercultural Communication, vol.16, no.3., pp. 318-331.
Holliday, A. 2016, Cultural travel and cultural prejudice, in Aquino, M. B. & Frota, S. (Eds.), Identities: representation and practices, Lisbon: CELGA-ILTEC, University of Coimbra, pp.25-44.
Martin, J.N., Nakayama, T.K. & Flores, L.A. (eds) 2002, Readings in Intercultural Communication: Experiences and Contexts, 2nd edn, McGraw-Hill, Boston.
Neugebauer, J. & Evans-Bain, J. 2009, Making the Most of Your Placement. Sage, London.
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 2014).
Pusch, M. D. 2009, 'The Interculturally Competent Global Leader' in D. K. Deardorff (ed), The SAGE Handbook of Intercultural Competence pp. 66 - 84. Sage, Los Angeles/ London.
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, R. 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, Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA.
West, R. and Turner, L.H. 2011, Understanding Interpersonal Communication: Making Choices in Changing Times, Wadsworth, Boston.
