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Improve Your Intercultural Competence

Develop the attitudes, skills and knowledge required to thrive in diverse workplaces.

27,270 enrolled on this course

tbc
  • Duration

    4 weeks
  • Weekly study

    3 hours

Develop your intercultural competence and meet global challenges

According to the Intelligence Unit at The Economist, 90% of executives in 68 countries say cross-cultural management is their biggest challenge.

Good intercultural communication and an understanding of cultural differences, is now critical for professionals, especially those part of global networks.

On this course not only will you develop the skills and acquire the knowledge needed to meet the global challenges today’s world presents, you will also learn to succeed in a diverse workplace and appreciate the value of cultural differences.

What topics will you cover?

  • Basics of intercultural competency
  • Importance of intercultural competency
  • Openness and cultural diversity
  • Curiosity and intercultural relationships
  • Self-awareness and behavior with cultural differences
  • Worldview frameworks and different cultural backgrounds
  • Cultural differences in non-verbal communication
  • Skill of non-verbal communication
  • Skill of verbal communication between diverse cultures
  • Intercultural empathy and outrospection
  • Skill of intercultural empathy

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...

  • Interact with people who are culturally diverse (openness)
  • Ask questions of other cultures (curiosity)
  • Describe own cultural rules and biases (self-awareness)
  • Differentiate complex worldview frameworks (cultural worldview frameworks)
  • Discuss differences in forms of communication (verbal and non-verbal communication)
  • Recognize the feelings of diverse cultural groups (empathy)

Who is the course for?

This course is for anyone looking to improve their intercultural competence - you might be a student preparing for the world of work, or a HR worker or corporate trainer, or you could be a professional working marketing. You don’t need any prior experience.

What software or tools do you need?

None.

Who will you learn with?

I teach at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, USA and facilitate the intercultural development of faculty, staff and students. I am a member of the Purdue University Teaching Academy.

Who developed the course?

Purdue University

One of the four best public universities in the US, Purdue delivers an engaging learning experience and a world-class degree.

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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