Intercultural Communication
Learn to appreciate, adjust to, and work or study in different cultures, with this free online intercultural communication course.
Duration
5 weeksWeekly study
4 hours
Intercultural Communication
Why join the course?
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 benefit from a better understanding of intercultural communication.
Master the basics of intercultural communication
This free online course will focus on the 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;
- and signpost paths towards building your intercultural competence.
We will start with a journey of self-discovery, telling each other our cultural stories and exploring different cultures. You will be amazed to see how cultures have influenced our perceptions, thinking, communication styles, values and beliefs.
Adjust to new cultural practices that come into your life
The understanding and appreciation of cultural differences that you gain will help you adjust to the new cultural practices that come into your life - whether via the media or through interpersonal interactions.
You will learn with a cross-cultural team from Shanghai International Studies University (SISU), since its inception in 1949 which has become a leader in language and culture teaching.
You can find out more in a quiz on the FutureLearn blog: “Have you ever committed a cultural faux pas?”
What topics will you cover?
- Introduction to the course and field, potential learning objectives, and leading definitions of what constitutes “intercultural communication”.
- Exploration of story narratives, metaphors, and meanings related to interculturality.
- Analysis of situated cases to identify sources of intercultural misunderstanding.
- Benefits of intercultural applications to personal life, business and education.
- Variations in personal, social, and cultural identity, and cultivate greater awareness and sensitivity to one’s own and other’s cultural identities.
- Exposure to and appreciation of cross-cultural complexity through the social learning engagement of this international community.
- Social perceptions of stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination related to intergroup contact.
- Variations and perceptions of typical communication behaviors or practices and taxonomies for understanding context, space, time and other contextual factors (Hi-low Context, Proxemics, Monochronic-Polychronic, Silence).
- Exposure to and application of leading values frameworks and levels of analysis that undergird cultural assumptions, expectations, and behaviors (from Hall, Hofstede, Schwartz, the WVS).
- Experiential descriptions of culture shock and coping dynamics, adaptation processes, and growth outcomes in cross-cultural transitions.
- Reflection on complex cases, other’s comments, and replies to enhance mindful observation, analysis, and understanding toward cultivating intercultural competence.
When would you like to start?
Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.
Available now
Learning on this course
On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Identify the importance of learning intercultural communication
- Describe the composition and significance of your cultural identities
- Compare cultural assumptions of your own and others
- Identify cultural variations in communication styles
- Classify some major cultural values underlying different behaviors
- Apply these for adaptation in intercultural interactions more confidently and resourcefully
Who is the course for?
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 do people say about this course?
"Thank you very much for this well-structured and informative course! Step by step I gained some knowledge and experience in intercultural communication. During the discussion sessions of some intercultural problems, I've found interesting posts with the information how to communicate with other cultures and avoid misunderstandings."
Who will you learn with?
Welcome! As founder of the SISU Intercultural Institute, MA, PhD and MBA IC Programs at Shanghai Int'l Studies Univ and President-Elect of IAIR, I'm eager to learn with you on this IC journey!
Professor and Deputy Director of the Intercultural Institute of Shanghai International Studies University. Director of Office for International Cooperation and Exchange, SISU.
Teacher and researcher at the Intercultural Institute of Shanghai International Studies University.
Who developed the course?
Shanghai International Studies University (SISU)
Shanghai International Studies University (SISU), established in 1949, is one of the earliest institutions where China’s higher education in foreign languages took shape.
Learning on FutureLearn
Your learning, your rules
- Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
- Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
- Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores
Join a global classroom
- Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
- Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
- Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others
Map your progress
- As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
- Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
- Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate
Want to know more about learning on FutureLearn? Using FutureLearn
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